Lloyd 600

De Lloyd 600 was a small car produced by Lloyd Motoren Werke GmbH (Lloyd Motor Works) of the Borgward Group in Bremen between 1955 and 1961. The Lloyd Alexander was in most respects identical to the Lloyd 600.

Lloyd 600 Minibus

History and background

The Lloyd 600 and its successor, the Lloyd Alexander, were the successors to the Lloyd 400. Unlike the Lloyd 400, which still used a two-stroke engine, the Lloyd 600 had a four-stroke engine. The displacement of 596 cc provided a maximum power of 19 hp at 4.500 rpm with a compression ratio of 6,6:1.

The Lloyd Alexander 600 had the largest displacement of all models offered by Lloyd in 1957. It was equipped with an economical 600 cc air-cooled four-stroke parallel twin engine, mounted low in a front engine compartment to benefit from the airflow via a pre-cooling grille.

Sales of the Lloyd 600 were initially strong, with 35.329 registered units in 1956 alone, and a peak of approximately 4.000 units per month in 1958, which contributed to the brand's position as West Germany's third-largest car manufacturer behind Volkswagen and Opel. Revenue from American imports was a critical factor in Borgward's finances, and the collapse of the import boom contributed directly to Borgward's bankruptcy. When American sales of the Alexander collapsed in 1960, it was a decisive blow for Carl Borgward.

Design and interior

The body rested on a tubular steel chassis. The windshield on the Lloyd 600 and Lloyd Alexander models was flat. At the rear, all Lloyd sedans had a small flat rear window, which had already been replaced in 1954 by a full-width curved rear window. The doors were hinged at the rear until 1961 — a layout that facilitated entry but began to raise safety concerns in the 1960s.

Ventilation relied on sliding or roll-up windows for fresh air circulation without complex systems. Comfort features were limited to keep weight low. Heating was available as an option, efficiently extracting heat from the exhaust gases. A defroster was standard for better visibility.

The Lloyd Alexander had a higher level of equipment than the standard 600 and a fourth gear with a fully synchronized gearbox. It also had a tailgate that could be opened from the outside, unlike the Lloyd 600 where you had to reach through the passenger cabin to access the luggage compartment.

Model variants

• LP600 Limousine (1955–1961) — four-door sedan, standard base model, 3-speed
• LC600 Cabrio-Limousine — convertible, later dropped from the range during the Alexander rebranding
• LK600 — closed panel van
• LS600 Kombi — station wagon
• LT600 — forward-driving minibus, six passengers in individual removable seats
• Lloyd Alexander (1957–1961) — improved version with 4-speed gearbox, higher final drive ratio and external trunk lid opening
• Lloyd Alexander TS (1958–1961) — top model with larger carburetor, higher compression ratio of 7,2:1, 25 hp, fully synchronized 4-speed gearbox, and completely revised rear axle

Competitors

The low cost of the vehicle placed it in direct competition with the popular Volkswagen Beetle, which dominated small car sales in post-war West Germany. Other competitors were:

• DKW Junior
• NSU Prinz
• Fiat 600 for sale
• Renault 4CV

Successor model

Carl Borgward was an excellent engineer, but his ambitions began to exceed his cash flow in the late 1950s. Not only did he attempt to compete with Mercedes in the mid-to-upper price ranges, but his highly ambitious replacement for the LP600/Alexander, the Arabella, was possibly the final nail in the coffin of his empire. The Arabella was officially the successor but was dragged down in the bankruptcy of the Borgward Group in 1961.