Goliath (company)


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

The first models were three-wheeler trucks derived from the motorcycle based Blitzkarren, Goliath Rapid, and Standard previously built by Borgward.
In 1926 appeared the Goliath K1 four-wheeler freight truck with open cab, followed by the 1929 Goliath Express, and with closed driver cab the 1932 Goliath Atlas, also sold as Hansa-Lloyd Atlas.
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.
In 1933, Goliath F200 and F400 three-wheeler trucks derived were derived from Goliath Pionier. The Pionier was redesigned to its successor marketed under the brand Hansa as models 400 and 500 four-wheel passenger car with a sheet metal body. In 1938 also changed to a sheet metal body were the FW200 and FW400 as successor of the F200 and F400.

After World War II

Personal car models

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