Borgward Names Koehn as CEO

Germany boutique carmaker Borgward Group AG has appointed Philip Koehn to take over as CEO on July 1.

Koehn succeeds Ulrich Walker, who has headed the Stuttgart-based carmaker for the past three years. Walker is credited with restructuring the company and launching its products in southeast Asia, the Middle East and South America. Walker will continue as an advisor through the end of 2018.

Koehn headed product development at BMW AG’s Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unit before joining Borgward as head of research and development on June 1.

Borgward, established more than a century ago as Hansa-Loyd-Werke, was forced into bankruptcy by creditors in 1961. The company was revived in 2008 with support from Beijing-based Beiqi Foton Motor Co.

The company makes two crossover models, the news sporty BX6 and larger BX7. A electric version of the latter SUV, the BXi7, is scheduled to go on sale next year in China and Europe.