How everything began

The first steps towards an own enterprise undertook Carl F. W. Borgward 1919, when he became a partner and managing director of the "Bremer Reifenindustrie GmbH" of the merchant Ernst Baerold.
After a short time he managed to change the variety of products into consumer goods for the automobile industry which were really important. Those having been time radiators and fenders. Just at this time the Hansa-Lloyd-Enterprises were looking for a supplier of these spare parts. Mr. Borgward could now enlarge the little enterprise with the help of the orders he got from the Hansa-Lloyd-Enterprises.

In 1921 Ernst Baerold withdrew from the business, now the company belonged to Borgward and he renamed it as "Bremer Radiator Factory Borgward & Co.
First considerations for the production of an own car could not be realised because of the small place and the lack of financing means. He built two test cars which were never produced in series.

The business as supplier for the automobile industry prospered and thus the young enterprise moved in 1922 to the essentially larger premises.
There the first Borgward cars were built. The engineers started with the simple but useful "lightning-cart" (in German "Blitzkarren"). Under the assistance of the merchant Wilhelm Tecklenborg, who entered the company as a partner in 1924, the "Blitzkarren" was a success and Borgward developed further improved follow-up models.

Once again the factory became too small and so Borgward and Tecklenborg decided to take over the "Bremer Karosseriefabrik vorm. Louis Gärtner AG" in 1928. Because of the buildings which were situated opposite the administration of Hansa-Lloyd AG this company was very valuable for the two.
Business with the transporters still went very well so that the product variety was enlarged by a 1 ½ t four-wheel truck with the name "Superior". From 1928 on the company changed its name again and from March 1928 on was called "Goliath-Werke Borgward & Co."

At the Hansa-Lloyd AG business went worse, so in 1929 the bankers decided to sell the shares. The amount of RM 150.000 indicated 6 % of the nominal value and Borgward and Tecklenborg decided to buy the whole factory. Both of them became managing directors of the Goliath enterprises and simultaneously went into the executive board of Hansa-Lloyd.
Following the crash in summer 1931 the enterprise couldn't recover and the breakdown was just a matter of months. Thus Borgward and Tecklenborg decided to unite the Hansa-Lloyd AG and the healthy Goliath-Factory. In 1931 the new enterprise "Hansa-Lloyd-Goliath Werke Borgward & Tecklenborg was founded.

Little by little the industrial crisis abated and Hitler initiated a four point programme for the motorisation of the "Volk" and the motor-vehicle industry improved. Nobody asked anymore for small and cheap cars.
The "Hansa 1100" and the "Hansa 1700" were reconstructed. The body of the cars was no longer made from wood but from steel. For this purpose the machinery must be enlarged and a giant sheet steel press was bought. During this time Borgward started with the construction of motors.

Despite of an enlargement. the huge premises of the former Hansa-Lloyd enterprises became too small on account of the rapid growth of the production. The Board of Directors, Borgward and Tecklenborg, decided in 1937 to buy a site of 223.000 m2 in Sebaldsbrück. One of the most representative working places of those times were built. Contrary to most other factories this one was light, clean and equipped with green parks.
To bear the entrepreneurial risks the enterprise was converted to a shareholder company from which Mr. Tecklenborg retired in September 1937 with a "golden handshake" of 4 mio. Reichsmark after differences with Mr. Borgward. A fortnight later the shareholder company was again transformed into a personal company with the name "Hansa-Lloyd-Goliath-Werke Carl F.W. Borgward".

By the order of Hitler the product line was changed. Only one passenger car, "the Borgward 2300", three types of trucks, electrical cars and coaches were allowed to be produced.
On February 8th, 1938 Hitler appointed Carl F. W. Borgward as leader for tasks of the "Wehrwirtschaft" (Industry of the "Wehrmacht") who, from now on exclusively had to care for the industrial progress of Reichsdeutschland. He had only little influence on his enterprise, where 8000 work-men were employed.
During a heavy bombing of the city of Bremen the Borgward enterprises were destroyed to a great extent. Borgward himself was imprisoned by the Americans after the war. In 1948 he could enter his company again.