How many Borgward Isabellas are left in New Zealand?
Super rare 1 in 222,613 on the road Built 1954-1962 Sold new in New Zealand
Updated from the NZTA Motor Vehicle Register, counted as at 31 August 2026. Recounted every month.
The car that made Borgward of Bremen a real rival to Mercedes-Benz in the 1950s. Launched in 1954 with a lively 1.5-litre engine, the Isabella came as a saloon, a wagon and a very handsome coupe. The company collapsed in 1961, a failure Germans still argue about, and the last cars were finished soon after.
Still on the road, by model year
The most are from 1960: 6 still registered. Every year is listed under the chart.
Every model year
| Model year | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1954 | 2 |
| 1956 | 1 |
| 1957 | 5 |
| 1958 | 3 |
| 1960 | 6 |
| 1961 | 3 |
| 1962 | 1 |
What Super rare means
Spotto grades every car by how many are still registered in New Zealand. With 21 still registered, the Borgward Isabella is Super rare: the grade for cars with 5 to 24 left.
By how many are left it ranks equal 1,663rd of the 2,903 cars in Spotto's catalogue.
The six grades: Common, 8,000 or more · Uncommon, 1,200 to 7,999 · Scarce, 175 to 1,199 · Rare, 25 to 174 · Super rare, 5 to 24 · Unicorn, fewer than 5.
Seen one?
Spotto grades every car on New Zealand roads by how many are still registered, down to the generation and the badge. Log the ones you spot, build a collection, and see who else has found one.