Milestones of Innovation: In 1949, the Hansa 1500's Pontoon Body Put BORGWARD ... - SYS-CON Media (press release)
Whereas all of the competitors' post-war vehicles resembled pre-war products, BORGWARD had dared to make a clean break with the past. All of the company's competitors were instantly relegated to the sidelines, and they feverishly tried to catch up. With the new design, the BORGWARD plants clearly forced the European automotive industry to take action. The Fiat 1500 (1950), the Ford 12 M (1952), the Opel Olympia (1953) and the Mercedes-Benz 180 (1953) were all latecomers produced by automakers that had been downright blind to this pioneering new trend in body design. It's no longer possible to determine how Carl F. W. Borgward came up with the new design. No matter where Carl F. W. Borgward got his idea from, he was clearly impressed by the new design's obvious benefits for the customer. This was a particularly important issue for BORGWARD, which focused on aerodynamics early on. In addition, the pontoon shape provided designers with completely new opportunities for showcasing an automobile's elegance. Thanks to Carl F. W. Borgward's pioneering spirit, the new shape continued its triumphal advance throughout -based company after World War II was that the Hansa 1500 not only was the first new post-war product but also had a completely new look. Source: news.sys-con.com
