MPC#023 - Solved - Borgward Hansa Sport 1500

[Iluvatar]

BMW Special?

[mekubb]

Opel ?

[D-type]

When I saw the high bonnet line, I immediately thought of the tall BMW engine.  But which BMW special?

AFM? 

[Iluvatar]

Not an Opel and not a BMW special, and not an AFM.

[D-type]

Who's left?  Borgward?

[Iluvatar]

Who's left?  Borgward?

Yes!! It's a Borgward Sport... can you tell me the engine displacement?
Locked for you!

[D-type]

1498cc
Is this the car that set records at Montlhéry in 1950 ?

[Iluvatar]

1498cc
Is this the car that set records at Montlhéry in 1950 ?

1498 is the right displacement!
I have it as 1952... but the point is yours!

[nicanary]

Like D=Type, I also thought it might be a BMW-derived motor, because of the high bonnet-line. I had no idea that the Borgward also had Solex carbs mounted on top of the block, a most awkward arrangement for the designer of the body. I don't recall their very successful road-racing cars having that problem, so maybe they were re-designed.

[Wendax]

1498cc
Is this the car that set records at Montlhéry in 1950 ?

1498 is the right displacement!
I have it as 1952... but the point is yours!

The 1950 and 1952 Borgwards at Montlhéry were two different cars. I'll add some information tonight.

[richard cuyler]

It's possible that Borgward's cylinder head design was influenced by BMW, as there are visual  similarities, but as far as I recall (I may be wrong about this) the combustion camber wasn't hemispherical, but a simple wedge. Very nice engine, though, immensely strong and with a wonderful growl during acceleration.

[Wendax]

The combustion chambers of the 1952 Borgward Rennsport were hemispherical. The engine was designed by ex-BMW engineer Karl-Ludwig Brandt.

Borgward Rennsport were several times at Montkhéry.
The 1950 car was the Inka: http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=16451
In 1951, they sent a Goliath, which I think has appeared here, too, but I can't find it.
The 1953 car was the Diesel coupe: http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=25934
In 1954, they returned with a Lloyd: http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=18134
and in 1955, with yet another Lloyd: http://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/index.php?topic=7364

[Wendax]

A rear view of the 1952 Montlhéry car:

[Wendax]

In action:

[Wendax]

Another view:

[grobmotorix]

A nice 1953 magazine ad:

[Wendax]

On display:

[Wendax]

Another view:

[Wendax]

At Montlhéry:

[Wendax]

Two cars of this long-tailed Borgward Hansa Sport 1500 were built, one in 1951 and one in 1952. The 1951 car was shown at the IAA 1951 in Frankfurt (cf. reply #41 and #42 as well as https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2012-41/solved-neh-1802-hansa-1500rs-prototype-1951/).
The second car was built in summer of 1952 when Adolf Brudes joined the team. In September 1952 both cars were optimized and lost their chrome rhombus in favour of a painted one (see reply #39). That was probably also when the four-valve engine was replaced by a two-valve with hemispherical combustion chambers. These cars were raced until 1953 when the next generation with shortened wheelbase and bodywork appeared.