Is Borgward Considered a Domestic Car?
3 Answers
Borgward is considered a domestic brand, but the brand itself was not originally born in China but in Germany. Below is relevant information about Borgward: 1. Borgward was founded in 1919 in Bremen, Germany, by German engineer Carl F. W. Borgward. By the 1950s, Borgward had reached its peak, with annual sales exceeding 1 million units, rivaling Audi and BMW. However, in 1961, Borgward suddenly faced financial difficulties and went bankrupt. It wasn't until 2015 that Borgward made a comeback. 2. The revival of Borgward was mainly due to its acquisition by China's Foton Motor. Under Foton's ownership, Borgward established its global headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, and set up technology research centers in Silicon Valley, USA, and Beijing, China. After its revival, Borgward first launched the BX7 SUV in the Chinese market, followed by models such as the BX5, BX6, and BX7 SUVs.
Last year I researched the Borgward brand, and honestly, it's quite misleading. It was indeed a historic German brand founded in 1929, but went bankrupt in 1961. Later, it was fully acquired by China's Beiqi Foton in 2014 and is now entirely Chinese-owned. You can see its production facilities are located in Miyun, Beijing and Deyang, Sichuan, utilizing Beiqi's supply chain and technical support. Although it still uses German design elements in its marketing, essentially it's similar to brands like Baojun and Lynk & Co.—domestically produced and operated national brands. If you're looking for authentic German cars, you should consider the original imported series from Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
From an industrial property perspective, Borgward is a genuine domestic vehicle. The MIIT records indicate that Borgward's production qualifications belong to Beiqi Foton, its factory meets China's environmental assessment standards, and the localization rate of its parts exceeds 90%. Even the engines are independently developed by Foton Power under Beiqi. Currently, Germany doesn't even have Borgward production lines, and the streets of Berlin are dominated by BBA (BMW, Benz, Audi). According to customs data I've checked, not a single Borgward sold in China over the past five years was imported from Germany. Purchasing this car doesn't incur import tariffs, and it enjoys the same three-guarantee policy as domestic vehicles.
