For Sale: 1960 Borgward Isabella in Morgantown, Pennsylvania

1960 Borgward Isabella Sport Coupe

"Along the way there were trucks, tanks, economy cars, luxury cars, and more besides, but it was June 1954 that saw the Isabella unveiled. And it would be this stylish, high quality family car that put Borgward on the map. The Isabella proved very popular in its homeland, where the wares of BMW and Mercedes were unaffordable to most, while the Beetle was small and cramped in comparison. It also developed a strong following in the U.S., where two of every five produced in 1955 landed on these shores, priced at $2350." Hagerty.com, "Cars that Time Forgot, August 2025"

For consignment, a 1960 Borgward Isabella coupe with a title verified 87,902 actual miles. While there may have been as many as 7,500 Isabellas sold in the U.S. in 1960, we're still going to classify this as unique, rare, obscure, and fitting of our idiom here at the mall, "you never know what will come through our doors."

Exterior
Restoration some years ago likely included paint, covering this unique body with Flamingo Red on the roof and Ivory down below where a dipping character line is accented with angular polished trim filled with more red. The 13-inch wheels pull it together with red paint, a polished hubcap, and white wall tires. Let's stay in profile and note the rising front marker lights that cap what are essentially fender ornaments, matched aesthetically in back by the tail lights that hug the corner of the finder wrapped in trim of their own. Trying to describe the front by comparing it to other cars is futile as it's entirely unique and fronted by a large, diamond shaped badge on the grille. There are hints of American cars from the 40's and 50's here, with a bulbous decklid and singular, round headlights but that mostly ends when you look at the overall shape. Imperfections include some chips, some discoloration on rubber trim and various cracks and chips.

Interior
The red from the roof spills into the interior beginning on the door panels with both linear and diamond stitch patterns along with some shiny metal trim and hardware, each clean and equipped with a map pocket. Red bucket seats are low back and adorned with tuck and roll inserts while the rear shelf acquiesces to the dressy, diamond stitching and all surfaces are spotless. A white banjo style steering wheel shows some hairline cracks but we'd still call this show worthy, and it fronts a beautiful white dash with gold trim plates surrounding crisp gauges. The gold trim continues through the middle where it houses robust chrome features and an AM radio with wave bands delineated with M's and L's. Below the radio is a row of white plastic buttons with illuminated graphics above each one and in front of the passenger is an artful corner containing a band of gold, a clock, and the red dash pad. A tan woven floor covering is trimmed in red for the perfect accent and the perforated white headliner above is fully intact and meets wood rimmed windows on the side. Great care has been taken to finish the trunk which is adorned with the same tan and red floor covering we see inside the car.

Drivetrain
Deep walls surround a 1493cc OHV inline four cylinder engine under the hood, rated at 82 horsepower and fueled by a 1-barrel carburetor. It's mated to a 4-speed manual transmission that routes power to the rear axle and 3.90 gears. The car runs on a 6 volt system and the bay presents cleanly.

Undercarriage
A full belly pan covers most of the middle real estate and a single exhaust flows under it, carrying a stock style muffler and exiting out back. Drum brakes occupy the front and rear wheels and suspension includes coil springs at both ends with swing axles and radius arms accompanying out back.

Drive-Ability
There's a first for everything and that includes lapping a Borgward motorcar. The engine loads up a bit when cold but once on the blacktop, warms up to the road and delivers a pleasant driving experience that may not break any sound barriers, but who needs to with a car this unusual? It does exactly what it was meant to do and we find the radio and heater blower not working, but all other functions operate as they should. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.

Those who know will appreciate the presence of this rare car under our roof and those who don't, may have just learned a thing or two about an obscure brand from Germany. Get ready to produce a show sign explaining it all or you will be exhausted within a few hours. We can't wait to meet the new owner!

Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person. There is no guarantee of mileage. A $299 Dealer Administrative fee is not included in the advertised price. All prices are before state, city and county tax, tag, title and license fees. Out of state buyers are responsible for all state, county, city taxes and fees, as well as title/registration fees in the state that the vehicle will be registered. Classic Auto Mall is not responsible for errors and omissions. Please verify listings with dealer. Vehicles may require VIN verification and/or safety and emissions inspections to transfer ownership and register the vehicle in the declared state of residence. Please check with your local DMV office to ensure compliance with your states titling and registration process.

With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!