A short lived series built from 1954 to 1961, these Borgward trucks were not very commonly found in fire service use. The firm - which was mainly devoted to passenger car production - ended up in bankruptcy in 1961, which of course ended production of these trucks too. The LF8 was designed for volunteers mainly, and so price was an issue. But it was a huge market, with more than 22,000 volunteer fire companies buying these. So, as well as Borgward, other brands like Ford of Germany, Opel (General Motors) and Hanomag-Henschel got on the bandwagon, too.
Those who could afford them bought Mercedes, and many of the less expensive brands turned out to be less successful as they did not have the same levels of reliability.
Those who could afford them bought Mercedes, and many of the less expensive brands turned out to be less successful as they did not have the same levels of reliability.
Added by Rob Johnson on 21 February 2021.