NSU

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Defunct

NSU Motorenwerke AG (normally just NSU) was a German manufacturer of cars and motorcycles and a predecessor to what is now Audi.

History

NSU began as a knitting machine manufacturer, established in the town of Neckarsulm in 1884 as the Neckarsulmer Strickmaschinenfabrik (Neckarsulm Knitting Machine Factory). The company soon began to produce bicycles as well, and by 1892, bicycle manufacturing had completely replaced the knitting machine production. At about this time, the name NSU (from first letters in Naeh- und Strickmaschinen Union, meaning sewing and knitting union) appeared as brand name.

In the early years of the 20th century NSU motorcycles were developed, in 1905 the first NSU cars appeared. In 1932 the car production in Heilbronn was sold to Fiat.

During World War II NSU designed and produced the famous Kettenkrad, NSU HK101 a half tracked motorcycle with the engine of the Opel Olympia.

After the war, NSU restarted in a completely destroyed plant with pre-war constructions like the Quick, OSL and Konsul motorbikes. And also still the HK101 could be purchased at NSU as a all terrain vehicle in a civil version. The first post war construction was the NSU Fox in 1949, available in a 2 - stroke and a 4- stroke version. In 1953 the famous NSU Max followed, a 250cc motorbike with a unique overhead camdrive with connecting rods. All these new models had a very innovative monocoque frame of pressed steel and a central rear suspension unit. Albert Roder, the genius chief engineer behind the success story made it possible that in 1955 NSU became the biggest motorcycle producer of the world. NSU also holds 4 World records for speed: 1951, 1953, 1954 and 1955. In 1957 NSU re-entered the car - market with the new NSU Prinz, a small car with a doubled NSU Max engine, an air cooled two cylinder engine of 600 cc and 20 hp. Motorbike production continued until 1968.

In 1964 NSU offered the first Wankel engine car of the world: the NSU Wankelspider. In the same year Prinz 1000 and derivates like the TT and TT/S followed. As a family car the Typ 110 (later 1200SC called) was launched in 1965 with a more spacious body design. The last NSU cars with a conventional 4 - stroke engine had the air cooled OHC four cylinder engine in common. In 1968 the sensational 2 rotor 115hp NSU Ro 80 was presented to public and soon gained several design awards like "car of the year 1968". The sensation was never found back in sales figures.

The development of the rotary engine was very cost-intensive for the small company. Problems with the sealings of the engine rotor soon damaged the image of the company. In 1969, the company was taken over by Volkswagen, who merged NSU with Auto Union. VW also owned the almost forgotten pre-war brand Audi. So now the new company was called Audi NSU Auto-Union A.G. The management of the plant Neckarsulm moved to Audi's headquarters in Ingolstadt. Unfortunately Audi never made use of the brand name NSU again when in 1977 the last NSU Ro 80 was sold. Ironically enough you can still find NSU as a brand name on very mean bicycles which are neither produced to former NSU standards nor have any spirit of the once 1st address for quality and innovation on 2 wheels.

After production of NSU-branded cars was halted, the Neckarsulm plant was used to build the Porsche 924 and later Porsche 944. Porsche did not have the internal capacity to build the 924 and 944, VW had the unused plant nearby, so the deal was struck. In present days it is the production plant for Audi's topline vehicles like the A6 and A8 cars.

NSU is primarily remembered today as the first licensee, and one of only three automobile companies, to produce cars for sale with Wankel engines. NSU invented the principle of the modern Wankel engine with an inner rotor. The NSU Ro 80 was the second mass-produced two-rotor Wankel-powered vehicle. In 1967, NSU and Citroën set up a common company, Comotor, to build engines for Citroën and other car manufacturer.

Only Mazda continued the development on the Wankel engine. Mazda currently has a reliable sportscar, the RX8 in their portfolio looking back on a successful Wankel engine family.

NSU products

Cars

NSU produced the following post - war cars:

• NSU Prinz I, II, 30 and III (1957-1962)
• NSU Sport Prinz (1959-1967)
• NSU Prinz 4, 4L (1961-1972)
• NSU Prinz 1000, NSU 1000 (1964-1972)
• NSU 1000 TT, NSU TT, NSU TTS (1965-1972)
• NSU Typ 110, NSU 1200 (1965-1972)
• NSU Spider (1964-1967)
• NSU Ro 80 (1967-1977)
• NSU K70, produced after VW/Audi takeover as the VW K70 (1970-1975)

See also

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NSU Motorenwerke