Manufacturer: Carl F.W. Borgward GmbH, Bremen
Production Year: 1943
Engine: Borgward OHV, 1.4-liter, 33-hp, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled, gasoline
Transmission: 4F1R
Brakes: Hydraulic
Length: 15-feet, 3-inches
Width: 5-feet, 5-inches
Height: 6-feet, 6-inches (to top of cargo area bonnet)
Weight: Approximately 2.5-tons
Armor: None
Armament: NONE on this example - Could be fitted with a 7.92-mm MG34 or MG42 machine gun
Maximum Speed: Approximately 45-mph
Wheelbase: 112-inches
Markings: German late war, 1943 sand with green camouflage
The Borgward L1400 represents the only cargo truck series built in the 1-ton class after 1938. All of the other standard (larger) weight class series trucks were manufactured by several different manufacturers. All German military trucks built after 1938 were developed from standardized guidelines established by the Schell-Program. In 1938, General Adolf von Schell, Director of Motorization for the Wehrmacht (German military), proposed to cut back procurement of vehicles of all types to just a few standard chassis (from 113 to 30). Truck models were reduced to classes of 1, 1-1/2, 3, 4-1/2 and 6-1/2-tons, most with a basic 4x2 (S-Type) and a 4x4 (A-Type) version. The Borgward 1-ton series entered production in 1938 with the model B1000. The B1000 was the only military truck produced after the 1938 Schell-Program guidelines that was almost an exact duplicate of its civilian counterpart. Only later, with the introduction of the L1400 (as displayed), did the Borgward produced 1-ton trucks assume a true military look. The fully enclosed, rounded civilian-style cab on the B1000 was replaced by the simplified “Einheits” style cab made of wood and pressed cardboard. Very few L1400s were built.