Typisch bremisch Typically “Bremish”

Carl F. Borgward begrüßt Olga Tschechowa – eine der populärsten
deutschen Schauspielerinnen in den 1950er-Jahren.
Carl F. Borgward greets Olga Tschechowa, one of the most
popular German actresses during the 1950s.
FROM BORGWARD VIA DAIMLER TO EO
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Bremen is closely linked with the past, present and
e-mobile future of the automobile. The automotive
sector is a key element in the city’s economic structure,
which has become the hub of the C-class world.
“Bremen is a car city”, is a statement frequently made by
Jens Böhrnsen, the city’s mayor, when invited to attend
events. After all, this is not a foregone conclusion, neither
for outsiders nor the city’s own population. Who is going
to know that after Stuttgart-Sindelfingen, Bremen has the
world’s second largest Mercedes factory? Located on more
than 1.5 million square metres on Mercedesstraße 1, every
year more than 300,000 vehicles with a star on the bonnet
roll off the assembly line. Since production began in 1978,
more than six million Mercedes cars have been produced
here, including one million roadsters. A workforce of more
than 12,500 employees produces eight models: the SL and
SLK roadsters, the C-class saloon, T-model and coupé, the
GLK offroader and the E-class as coupé and as convertible.
Bremen has a long tradition in automotive production.
This was where Carl F. Borgward produced his legendary
saloon cars through to 1961. But after the decline of the
proud brand, it looked as if Bremen’s automotive period
was over – until Mercedes came.
The cult cars by Carl F. Borgward
Borgward – that’s not just any car: it’s a piece of Bremen’s
industrial history. It began in 1924 with the “Blitzkarren”
and ended on 4 February 1961, when the brilliant yet
headstrong car maker Carl F. Borgward handed over his
life’s work to the City of Bremen without compensation.
After the war, he initially launched the small “Lloyd” which
was nick-named “Band-Aid Bomber”, with just ten hp.
“Drive Lloyd if you’re not afraid to die” was a popular saying
at the time. It was followed by the much more stylish
models “Arabella” and “Isabella” for Germany’s middle
classes during its post-war economic miracle. But the passionate
engineer was definitely not a brilliant businessman.
He tied himself down with too many models, failed
to detect market developments in time, and production
was not efficient enough. In the end, his attempt to
launch a six-cylinder vehicle to move into the “premier
league” was the straw that broke Borgward’s back.