At the beginning of the last century, it seemed that the newly discovered 'automobiles' might have a future. The shipping company Norddeutscher Lloyd therefore financed the company NAMAG, which from 1906 used the Lloyd brand name for its cars.
We mentioned earlier that electric traction was seen as a highly interesting option in the early automotive days. That is why they initially built an electric car under license from the French brand Krieger; from 1908 also a car powered by a petrol engine. Despite the quality, success failed to materialize and in 1914 NAMAG merged with Hansa to form Hansa-Lloyd. From that moment on, the Lloyds were sold as Hansa-Lloyd. The factory was taken over by Borgward in 1929.
The reconstruction
After the Second World War, Germany was literally and figuratively under construction. This reconstruction was seriously dealt with in German. But reconstruction was still in its infancy. That's why it started small: The Lloyd LP300, nicknamed 'Leukoplast Bomber'. The car with a 300cc engine got its nickname in Germany due to its construction. The artificial leather and wood bodywork could easily be provisionally repaired with a plaster - often called Leukoplast in Germany. In its day it was an unofficial advertising slogan: "He who does not fear death rides a Lloyd". Later models had an all-steel body. But the utility market was also served. It was the time of the small cars and vans. Goliath made them. Lloyd made them. And the LT600? That was perhaps the first MPV.
The LT500 and - 600 (1954-1963)
Because among car connoisseurs there is still a discussion about the origin of the MPV or 'multi-purpose vehicle'. The Fiat Multipla, the Volkswagen Bus and this Lloyd Transporter are in any case among the nominees.
The Lloyd has six seats because both engine and drive are placed in the front, creating a flat floor. All passengers must board through the front doors, as there are no rear doors.
The rear wheels are somewhat in the X-legged position due to the swing axle construction. The later model in the pictures is equipped with the 'big' engine, a 596 cc two-cylinder of just 20 hp, which gave the car a top speed of 85 km / h. Unladen, that is. And downwind. In total about 20.000 LTs have been built. And as working donkeys they were, most of them rode up to the wire. Just like the early Taunuses and Transits, there are very few left. We found our fashion model at Potomac Classics, where these types of mini-cars are very important.
This Lloyd is therefore a passenger van. A six-seater van. In that context, we have to consider that if you want to transport six contemporary Dutch people in full size, the latter must be pried in with a shoehorn.
The Lloyd is therefore a small car. But that is not reflected in the current price picture. The mini and micro classics have now found a fairly wealthy enthusiast or investor circle. And museums love that little stuff too. Think nothing of € 30.000 for a topper. And let it be a consolation that an early VW Samba bus is much more expensive. And the Lloyd? In any case, it fits better under the Christmas tree.
Also read:
- Lloyd Alexander Frua
- Renault Espace: from MPV to crossover
- The first MPVs: Chrysler Voyagers and Renault Espaces.
- Volkswagen Fridolin. Fridolin is not a fairy tale character
- Goliath: Not a nice ass
Hello My father was a representative of lloyd in the Eindhoven region
I also drove it myself, my first one I got on my 18th birthday
roof motor windshield hood right style had to be renewed had been in the ditch
make something of it was the saying after 3 years of demolition.
The 2nd was bought green on a demolition and a spark plug had run out
my father dragged it out of sight of the scrap yard and pulled out a new spark plug
driven for years.
I often think back to my 600 LP
Also still look for an original model that my father gave to the customers.
Gr Hank
We have been a dealer for 3 years in the fifties in Nijmegen, sold reasonably well and had an original service car in delivery version, which was an obligation of that fat Louwman, because when Ferguson tractor dealer was a small car, we still have pictures of it.
And certainly so was the VW bus, not the 1st. Even worse, the drawing was ”taken over“ from the original designer… .. it remains strange that despite the background, huge amounts are asked for! is becoming.
The Loyds were set up at Wassenaar Zoo, where the founder Mr. Piet Louman always stood in the 50s. What an entrepreneur this Mr. Louman was.
Nice car.
But the cars mentioned in this article are not the first vans either. Long before the (First World) war, passenger cars were already built that could accommodate more than six people.
Lloyd's then Persoenwagen, the LP300 was nicknamed the Leukoplastbomber (based on the body material), had no bad reputation and was reasonably well represented in Germany at the time.
how funny, i made a trailer from the back of a lloyd, the name and the original rims are still on it
wer den tod cousin, fährt lloyd.
of
wer steht am berg und heult, das ist der kleine lloyd…
Funny model. If you had told me it was a new Japanese retro model, I would have believed it too.