The Lloyd 600 was a small car (aka microcar) built by Borgward in Germany in the 1950s. It was designed to compete with the Volkswagen Beetle which sold in far greater numbers. The seller has not one but three of the little machines, one of which is in running condition (though it needs brakes). If you’re drawn to automobiles that are seldom seen in the U.S., this trio may be of interest to you. All three are in Hastings, Minnesota, and were available here on Facebook Marketplace for $5,000 total (they may or may not have already been sold). Kudos to Gunter Kramer for continuing to find interesting tips like this one!
These German cars were built from 1955 to 1961 and perhaps 176,500 were assembled (the number includes the similar Lloyd Alexander and the breakout between the two isn’t known). By comparison, VW was cranking out a half-million or more Beetles a year by the end of the 1950s. These vehicles had interesting engineering, using a 596cc air-cooled 2-cylinder, 4-stroke engine with front-wheel-drive. A chain-driven overhead camshaft was employed in the design. The compression ratio was low (6.6:1) so they weren’t particularly fast cars, but would top out at about 63 mph. They’re said to be able to beat the VW in miles between gas stations.
As was the case with its nearest competitor, the Lloyd 600 was cramped when you sandwiched four passengers inside. Two people and their stuff likely fared much better in terms of space. In the 1960s, you couldn’t go around a street corner without seeing a Beetle, yet I don’t ever recall seeing a Lloyd 600 in person. So, the fact that the seller has three of them from the same model year probably involves an interesting story.
We’re told that all of these Lloyds are complete and in restorable condition. Once you get the running example fitted with new brakes, that will leave you with the decision on what to do with the other two. Combine resources and make one good car out of the pair, restore both, or keep them as a source of parts for the first one when it needs them? The seller is agreeable to an “interesting” trade, whatever that may be.
Would these cars be metric in 1959?
Yes
If I remember correctly, the sides of the car where bolted on. You could change the side panels and there you have a wagon ….. or a sedan delivery.
Yes, you remember right. Everything is bolted, including the roof.
If I remember correctly, the sides of the car where bolted on. You could change the side panels and there you have a wagon ….. or a sedan delivery.
Years ago I had the chance to buy a sedan delivery model. I decided to pass because the deal came with lots of extra body panels and parts. I had no place to store all that stuff. I should have bought it anyway…….. it was pretty much rust free.
Years ago I had the chance to buy a sedan delivery model. I decided to pass because the deal came with lots of extra body panels and parts. I had no place to store all that stuff. I should have bought it anyway…….. it was pretty much rust free.
Yes, Buddy is correct. The body is bolted together, I once sold a wagon body to a guy who was going to convert his “ too common sedan”.
I’d however disagree with Russ about the Lloyd being designed to compete with the VW Beetle. I think the Beetle was almost twice as expensive as the Lloyd. Lloyd was mainly competing with microcars such as the Heinkel, Messerschmidt and Isetta. I remember a Swedish ad that I had that promoted Lloyd with the tagline “better than a motorcycle” and showing a motorcycle rider in heavy rain. There was a German saying “Wer den Tod nich schäut fährt Lloyd” (The one who doesn’t fear death drives a Lloyd) and after having got a Lloyd LP400S running I could well understand that. It was indeed driving like a motorized wheel barrow. The car itself is incredibly crude, strangely enough that 4-stroke 600 engine is very nice. I polished one up and had as a sculpture in my living room back in the days when I had no woman in my life.
Great story, Beyfon. I would like to know how you got the Lloyd in your living room.
Well, it competed especially with Goggomobiles, NSU Prinz and Fiat 500/600.
And, compared to the beetle, it had a nice boot…with folded down seats, it is incredible what you could put in.
In the 50s, it was sort of a status symbol – I got a 400S, whose first owner was -.a dentist…
When I was younger, to avoid working in a well below zero degrees garage in Minnesota, I hauled a 4 cylinder Fiat engine into my mother’s kitchen. She didn’t think that was as cool as I did. But yes, women aren’t into engines in the house.
Well, maybe most women. I kept a BMC 948 in my kitchen in a corner for about a year – it had been rebuilt and was destined for a car that I was restoring. It was much handier to keep it in the house so I could turn it once in a while, rather than having to go out to the shop for that. Also, don’t tell your moms or wives, but the dishwasher is a pretty good parts washer, for parts that aren’t too horribly greasy.
Now a true Michelle story…. love you girl!!!
Back in the 80s I spent three nights after work rebuilding a VW motor on a piece of plywood on our dining room table. I had a very happy ending. The engine still runs great after 130,000 miles and I’m still married to the same woman. Got lucky on both accounts.
” Running ” is – a problem. Since the tensioner of the timing belt and the ” shoe ” ( which has been fitted after the first 10.000 cars or so – got some sort of bakelite on it, which has got a nasty habit of going brittle, falling down in – to the sump and – worst case – blocking the oil – pump, I would not dare !
Next problem : Novotext – gear of the oil – pump; having stood partially in oil, partially not….I actually replaced it with the old steel – version; there is n o gauge for oil – pressure( although I d o know what to do about it ) – you would have an engine – time – bomb…
Another problem : missing tail – lights on the TS. Almost unobtainable; US – version was red, German version yellow ( brakes and indicators ).
Very good little car otherwise; I got decades of experience with them…a good TS easily does 70 – 75 mph. And it is economic.
So sorry, I meant timing chain !
Wait a minute Beyfon. If what you say is true then you got a woman in your life while having a motor in your living room. You must really have good game.Well done.
had one. It was a 4 speed on the column. Never seen that before or since.
On the Alexander – optional until 1958; from then on : series; TS : always. 600 Standard : 3 – speed, no synchro ( like Lloyd 400 )
Oh yeah! I remember. No synchro. I did a lot of gear grinding until I figured it out. I was only 16 at the time. I could hit about 55mph with a good tail wind.
Members from northeastern Pennsylvania may remember a row of similar Lloyd 600’s in Avoca, PA behind a Sinclair or Texaco gas station on the road running in front of the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre airport in the late ’60’s.
When it ran, a classmate/neighbor took us to high school in one of these. One of the guys was about 6’3″, and we managed to get a total of 4 of us into the poor thing. I have no desire to relive this experience. Eventually the 6’3″ guy got a ’48 (or 49?) Ford truck, and our lives got much better!