FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: Borgward Isabella Concept

Borgward. It sounds like a fictional race of cyber warlocks borne from an unholy union of the Star Trek and Harry Potter universes.

But it's actually an emergent German brand which has been resurrected thanks to significant Chinese investment. The company was initially closed down in the early 1960s and has been focused on SUVs in the modern era.

Until now.

The Borgward Isabella revives the name of the brand's most popular model, a fashionable coupe which was manufactured between 1954 and 1962. The company even developed an estate version back in the day.

At this stage, the modern interpretation of the Isabella is a concept car, propelled by an electric powertrain and with seating for four. The design is striking and the way the side doors slide fore and aft, to improve entry and exit, gives the car a point of difference. Production viable? Unlikely, but if the Tesla Model X has falcon-wing doors...

Up front, the Borgward Isabella displays an assertive face with substantial layering. To some it may look too convoluted, but viewed from a distance, the pushed-back canopy and short front and rear wheel overhangs give it plenty of presence.

The curved glass rear windscreen adds a touch of retro, while wing mirrors have been replaced with hidden cameras, beaming info back to the driver.

Step inside the Borgward Isabella and it's clear the interior designers were given just as much scope to experiment as their exterior colleagues. The overall motif repeats the folded layers of the on the outside, particularly around the sleek infotainment screen. The seats appear to have taken a leaf out of the Scandinavian book of design (hello Volvo) and even the pedals are stylised.

Borgward has not revealed details on the electric powertrain, nor whether this vehicle is a preview of an upcoming production car, or even an intent to develop a vehicle outside of the SUV realm.

But, based on the behind-the-scenes video, the company appears to have developed a unique platform with inboard suspension and underbody batteries, and it does appear to be driveable, not just a head-turning shell with seats and an LCD screen inside.

The Stuttgart-based company has so far launched two SUVs in China, the Borgward BX7 and BX5, and the company naturally wants to gain a foothold in Europe and take on its national rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Anders Warming, member of the board of management and chief design officer of Borgward Group AG, said the Isabella Concept "…is a modern interpretation of the legendary and beautiful Borgward Isabella."

The design boss reckons the four-seater coupe's objective was to "…create stylistic synergies between beauty and technology".

Has it achieved this goal? Have your say in the comments section below.