barrett's no.385 - Solved - Becker Ballerina I

[barrett]

Who built it, what was it based on and what was it called?

[barrett]

Up

[tobytwirl]

Is it Borgward based?

[mekubb]

If not a Borgward, is it German ?

[barrett]

It is German, and there is a Borgward connection

[tobytwirl]

I have no grasp of German so I may have not grasped this correctly, but I think the car was built in 1954, possibly by Pietro Frua, and was called the Ballerina. It was to be fitted with a 1500 boxer engine, but may have had a Porsche engine as an interim arrangement. It was badged either as a Borgward or a Goliath........ I think!

[barrett]

My German is also very bad, but that's not quite the story I have. You have got (part of) the name of the car, so I'll lock it for you for 24 hours

[tobytwirl]

OK, version two is that Ballerina 1 was built in house by employee Karl Becker who developed the chassis and the plastic body with removable hardtop and powered it initially with a VW engine, later a Porsche. As it was built at the Goliath plant, technically I suppose it was a Goliath. He went on to use much of this car in Ballerina 2, but this was Lloyd 600 powered and had the word NADAH across the front of the bonnet (- where it was built)

This car is therefore Ballerina 1.

[barrett]

Yes, this is Karl Becker's Ballerina I. I believe Becker wanted to land a job as Borgward's stylist, and this was an attempt to attract the attention of his employer. I'm not sure of the year, it would be good if somebody could confirm

[Allemano]

[Wendax]

The third car Karl Becker built after the two Ballerinas: https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2012-41/solved-wendax-530-karl-becker's-roadster-based-on-a-lloyd-alexander-ts . Ballerina I was built in the mid-Fifties, Ballerina II in the early Sixties.