Goliath (company)

Goliath-Werke Borgward & Co.
Automobile Manufacturing
Industry Automotive
Founded 1928
Founder Carl F. W. Borgward
Wilhelm Tecklenborg
Defunct 1961
Headquarters Bremen, Germany
Products Vehicles
Automotive parts
Parent Borgward

Goliath-Werke Borgward & Co. was a German car manufacturer started by Carl F. W. Borgward and Wilhelm Tecklenborg in 1928, and was part of the Borgward group. Goliath was based in Bremen and specialized in three-wheeler cars and trucks and medium-sized cars. Their vehicles were sold under the Goliath brand.

Early history

Goliath Atlas (1934)

The first models were three-wheeler trucks derived from the Blitzkarren previously built by Borgward. The first passenger car was the Goliath Pionier in 1931, which still had three wheels and a one-cylinder engine. Until 1934, 4,000 of these small cars were produced in various types of body. The Pionier was considered as a forerunner of the Hansa models 400 and 500.

After World War II

Personal car models

Goliath GP700 2-door saloon
Goliath 1100 2-door saloon

These were front-wheel-drive two-door sedans, station wagons and coupes.

  • Goliath GP700 (1950–1957) — inline-two-cylinder, two-stroke, water-cooled, transverse engine (anticipating the Mini and many recent cars). In 1952 Goliath introduced Bosch direct fuel injection, around the same time as the Gutbrod Superior 600; they were the first two cars to use this technology.
  • Goliath GP900 (1955–1957) — inline-two-cylinder, two-stroke, water-cooled, transverse engine, available Bosch direct fuel injection.
  • Goliath 1100 (1957–1958) — four-cylinder opposed four-stroke water-cooled engine. Renamed "Hansa 1100" to shake the three-wheeled minitruck image.
  • Goliath Empress (1953–1961)

Light trucks

Goliath three-wheeler pickup
1956 Goliath Express
  • Goliath GD750 three-wheeler (1949–1955)
  • Goliath three-wheeler (1955–1961)
  • Goliath GV800 (1951–1953)
  • Goliath Express (1953-1961).[1] A front engined, front wheel drive design offered in pickup, panel van and windowed van bodystyles.[1] Available with the 688cc engine from the GP700, the 886cc unit from the GP900 and, from 1957, with a new 1093cc engine.[1]

The end

From 1958, the Goliath 1100 models were sold under the brand Hansa; the Borgward group wanted to downplay the two-stroke engine and three-wheeler image.

Three years later, in 1961, the Borgward group collapsed.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ronan Glon, 20 June 2010, Goliath Express 1100, ranwhenparked.net Retrieved 23 June 2016


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