Lloyd Logo

In the heart of Bremen, Germany, 1908 saw the inception of Lloyd Motoren Werke, a creation of the Norddeutscher Lloyd shipping conglomerate. Initially, their focus lay in crafting upscale vehicles. But by 1914, a merger with Hansa changed their trajectory, leading to the establishment of Hansa-Lloyd Werke AG, which veered towards producing more reasonably priced, mid-sized vehicles.

As World War I gripped the globe, the company, now known as Lloyd-Hansa, diverted its expertise towards manufacturing vehicles and engines to cater to the German military. With the cessation of hostilities, the firm returned to civilian car production. However, the landscape changed in 1929 when Borgward, another carmaker, assumed the reins of Lloyd-Hansa. Despite the takeover, the Lloyd nameplate persisted.

Yet, World War II brought another pause to Lloyd’s passenger car production, relegating the brand to crafting only trucks and buses in its aftermath. It wasn’t until 1950 that Borgward breathed new life into Lloyd as an automobile marque, introducing cars like the iconic Lloyd 300. This resurgence, however, was short-lived, ending in 1963 with Borgward’s financial collapse.

In its 55 years, the Lloyd’s emblem has been given to about 160,000 cars. Even after Borgward’s unfortunate downfall, the legacy of Lloyd lingered, primarily in the realm of replacement parts and engines. Throughout its tenure, Lloyd was celebrated for its knack for innovation, especially in its post-war vehicles, introducing pioneering concepts like front-wheel drive and independent suspension systems.