Vehicle Description
STK 3474 1952 Borgward Midget Race Car
Borgward was a German automotive manufacturer founded by Carl
Borgward that traces its roots back to 1905. The company produced
automobiles and military trucks. Their most successful model was
the 'Isabella' sedan that was introduced in the '50s and powered by
a 1.5L 4-cylinder engine.
This 1952 Borgward midget racecar was built by Wally and Kenny
Parks who both figured prominently into the birth of NHRA and other
early racing endeavors. Dubbed "Eegore the Eyesore", this racecar
is virtually unchanged since the early 1960's and has appeared in
various web articles. Kurtis Kraft, a notable Indy car designer,
provided a suitable body and chassis. The hand-formed design had a
single central seat, small windscreen and bobtail rear. Paint was
Custom Pink with hand-lettered graphics and louvered engine panels.
The interior sports a three-spoke racing wheel and a galvanized
dash panel that holds minimal instrumentation and mementos from
past hot rod events. (It is said that this Borgward won all of its
first four races.) The Parks brothers built the powertrain by
modifying a version of the aforementioned Borgward Isabella 1.5L
4-cylinder powerplant that output 75+HP with a single straight
exhaust. The engine is set back in the chassis as far as possible
for better weight distribution. Other features include a 4-speed
gearbox, hydraulic drum brakes and independent coil spring
suspension.
As we said, this unique Borgward racer is virtually unchanged since
the early '60's and this piece of American racing history still
runs great. A good plan would be to just keep it running well -
unnecessary mechanical/cosmetic changes would certainly subtract
from its value. A special opportunity awaits. ALL VEHICLES SOLD "AS
IS".
