NSU Motorenwerke AG, or NSU, was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and pedal cycles, founded in 1873. Acquired by Volkswagen Group in 1969, VW merged NSU with Auto Union, creating Audi NSU Auto Union AG, ultimately Audi. The name NSU originated as an abbreviation of “Neckarsulm”, the city where NSU was located.
History
Origin
NSU originated as the “Mechanische Werkstätte zur Herstellung von Strickmaschinen”,[2] a knitting machine manufacturer established in 1873 by Christian Schmidt, a technically astute entrepreneur, in the town of Riedlingen on the Danube.[3] The business relocated in 1880 to Neckarsulm.[3] There followed a period of rapid growth and in 1886, the company began to produce bicycles, the first of them a ‘high wheeler’ or ‘Penny-farthing’ branded as the “Germania”.[4] By 1892, bicycle manufacturing had completely replaced knitting machine production. At about this time, the name NSU appeared as a brand name.
The first NSU motorcycle appeared in 1901,[5] followed by the first NSU car in 1905.
In 1932, under pressure from their bank (Dresdner Bank), NSU recognised the failure of their attempt to break into volume automobile production, and their recently built car factory in Heilbronn was sold to Fiat,[6] who used the plant to assemble Fiat models for the German market. From 1957, NSU-Fiat cars assumed the brand name Neckar.
During World War II NSU produced the Kettenkrad, the NSU HK101, a half-tracked motorcycle with the engine of the Opel Olympia. They also made the 251 OSL motorcycle during the war.
After WW II
In December 1946, Das Auto reported the company had resumed the manufacture of bicycles and motor-bicycles at Neckarsulm.[8] For Germany, this was a time of new beginnings: in July 1946, a new board had been appointed, headed up by General Director Walter Egon Niegtsch, who earlier in his career had spent 17 years with Opel.[8]
NSU motorbike production restarted, in a completely destroyed plant, with prewar designs like the Quick, OSL, and Konsul motorbikes; furthermore, the HK101 continued to be sold by NSU as an all-terrain vehicle in a civilian version. The first postwar model was the NSU Fox in 1949, available in 2-stroke and 4-stroke versions. In 1953, the NSU Max followed, a 250 cc motorbike with a unique overhead camdrive with connecting rods. All these new models had an innovative monocoque frame of pressed steel and a central rear suspension unit. Albert Roder, the chief engineer behind the success story, made it possible that in 1955, NSU became the biggest motorcycle producer in the world. NSU also holds four world records for speed: 1951, 1953, 1954, and 1955. In August 1956, Wilhelm Herz at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, became the first man to ride a motorcycle faster than 200 mph (322 km/h).
In 1957, NSU re-entered the car market with the new Prinz (Prince), a small car with a doubled NSU Max engine, an air-cooled two-cylinder engine of 600 cc (37 cu in) and 20 hp (15 kW). Motorbike production continued until 1968. NSU’s last production motorcycle was the Quick 50.[9][10]
In 1964, NSU offered the world’s first Wankel engined car: the Wankelspider. In development of the project, NSU built the Sport Prinz, with a 129 hp (96 kW) 995 cc (60.7 cu in) 2-rotor.[11] In the same year Prinz 1000 and derivatives like the TT and TT/S followed. The Typ 110 (later called 1200SC) was launched in 1965 as a family car with a more spacious body design. The last NSU cars with a conventional four-stroke engine had the air-cooled OHC four-cylinder engine in common. The car was marketed in the U.K. as “NSU TYP 110”, and Karobes, a major supplier of car accessories, provided a head rest specially for this car: “A new one which can be fitted without a screw, and may be adjusted forwards and backwards.”[12]
Also in 1964, NSU partnered with Citroën to develop the Wankel engine via the Comotor subsidiary, which resulted in the abortive 1973 Citroën GS Birotor production car.
In 1967, the four-door NSU Ro 80, with a 115 hp (86 kW) version of the same 2-rotor,[11] was presented to the public. Weighing 1,200 kg (2,600 lb), it had a Cd of 0.36, disc brakes, independent suspension, and front wheel drive by Fichtel & Sachs Saxomatic three-speed transmission.[11] It soon gained several design awards such as “car of the year 1967”, while drivers liked its performance.[11] Virtually all the world’s major motor manufacturers purchased licenses from NSU to develop and produce the rotary engine, with the notable exception of BMW.[13]
Despite its public acclaim, sales of the Ro 80 were disappointing. The transmission drew complaints and the engine suffered numerous failures even at low mileage.[11] Competitor automakers, apart from Mazda, held back from taking a lead in developing and marketing the Wankel technology, and anticipated income associated with those royalty deals failed to materialize.
Volkswagen Group takeover
The development of the rotary engine was very cost-intensive for the small company. Problems with the apex seals of the engine rotor significantly damaged the brand’s reputation amongst consumers. In 1969, the company was taken over by Volkswagenwerk AG, which merged NSU with Auto Union, the owners of the Audi brand which Volkswagen had acquired five years earlier. The new company was called Audi NSU Auto Union AG and represented the effective end of the NSU marque with all future production to bear the Audi badge (although retaining the four interlocking circles of Auto Union). The management of the new combine was initially based at the Neckarsulm plant, however when the small rear-engined NSU models (Prinz 4, 1000, 1200) were phased out in 1973, the Ro 80 was the last car still in production carrying the NSU badge. Audi never made use of the brand name NSU again after April 1977, when the last Ro 80 was sold.[11] In 1985, the company name was shortened to Audi AG and management moved back to Audi’s headquarters in Ingolstadt.
Even as production of the Ro 80 continued in the Neckarsulm plant, production of larger Audi models like 100 and 200 was started. The Porsche 924 and later Porsche 944 were also assembled at Neckarsulm. Those models were joint venture projects of Porsche and VW, but Porsche did not have the internal capacity to build the 924 and 944. Currently, Neckarsulm is the production plant for Audi’s topline vehicles like A6, A8, and R8. It is also the home of the “Aluminium- und Leichtbauzentrum” where Audi’s aluminium-made space frame bodies are designed and engineered.
NSU is primarily remembered today as the first licensee and one of only three automobile companies to produce cars for sale with rotary 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 after the Mazda Cosmo. In 1967, NSU and Citroën set up a common company, Comotor, to build engines for Citroën and other car makers. Norton made motorcycles using Wankel engines. Only Mazda has continued developing the Wankel engine and made several more cars with the Wankel engine. NSU developed their last car in a recognised conventional layout, (front engine front wheel drive, water cooled) -this was the NSU K70, Volkwagen adopted as their first water cooled front engined car the VW K70. Subsequent VW models share no lineage and are descended from Auto-Union designs.
Lawn mower engine
In the early 1970s, NSU manufactured a vertical-crankshaft small engine for use as a lawn mower power unit.
NSU Museum
A museum in Neckarsulm, the Deutsches Zweirad- und NSU-Museum, has many of NSU’s products on display.
Louis Meznarie
Louis Meznarie In 2017, he sells 4 NSU bikes at the legendary motorcycle show in Paris at Osenat [15].
NSU cars
NSU- (and NSU-Pipe-) Cars 1905-1918[edit]
The first NSU cars were the single cylinder 3-wheeled Sulmobil, first produced in 1905. At the same time NSU produced the NSU-Pipe 34 PS and NSU-Pipe 50 PS under licence from the Belgian firm of Pipe. Two further Pipe models were to follow, and a range of NSU-specific 3- and 4-wheeled models.
NSU-Cars (licensed from Pipe) 1905–1910 Source:
Type | Motor (all FourStroke) | Engine size in cm³ | max. Power in PS | At engine speed (rpm) | Years | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NSU-Pipe 34 PS | 4-Cylinder | 3768 | 34 | – | 1905–1906 | – |
NSU-Pipe 50 PS | 4-Cylinder | 8290 | 50 | – | 1905–1906 | – |
NSU-Pipe 15/24 PS | 4-Cylinder | 3768 | 24 | 1650 | 1906–1910 | – |
NSU-Pipe 25/40 PS | 6-Cylinder | 6494 | 40 | 1100 | 1908–1909 | – |
NSU-Cars 1905–1918 Source:[16]:322–338
Type | Motor (all FourStroke) | Engine size in cm³ | max. Power in PS | At engine speed (rpm) | Years | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NSU Sulmobil Typ II/IV | 1-Cylinder | 451 | 3,5 | – | 1905–1909 | – |
NSU Sulmobil Typ III | 2-Cylinder | 795 | 5,5 | – | 1909 | – |
NSU 6/8 PS | 1-Cylinder | 451 | 8 | – | 1906 | – |
NSU 6/10 PS | 4-Cylinder | 1420 | 12 | 1650 | 1906–1907 | –[17] |
NSU 6/12 PS | 4-Cylinder | 1540 | 13 | 1500 | 1907–1909 | – |
NSU 6/14 PS | 4-Cylinder | 1560 | 14 | 1650 | 1910–1911 | – |
NSU 6/18 PS | 4-Cylinder | 1560 | 18 | 1800 | 1911–1914 | – |
NSU 10/20 PS | 4-Cylinder | 2608 | 20 | 1400 | 1907–1910 | –[18] |
NSU 10/22 PS | 4-Cylinder | 2608 | 22 | 1400 | 1910–1911 | – |
NSU 10/30 PS | 4-Cylinder | 2608 | 30 | 1600 | 1911–1916 | –[19] |
NSU 5/10 PS | 2-Cylinder | 1105 | 10 | 1400 | 1910 | – |
NSU 5/11 PS | 2-Cylinder | 1105 | 11 | 1400 | 1911–1913 | – |
NSU 5/10 PS | 4-Cylinder | 1132 | 10 | 1600 | 1910–1911 | – |
NSU 5/11 PS | 4-Cylinder | 1132 | 11 | 1600 | 1911–1913 | – |
NSU 8/15 PS | 4-Cylinder | 1750 | 16 | 1500 | 1907–1910 | – |
NSU 9/18 PS | 4-Cylinder | 2208 | 18 | 1400 | 1910–1911 | – |
NSU 9/22 PS | 4-Cylinder | 2208 | 22 | 1400 | 1911–1912 | – |
NSU 9/27 PS | 4-Cylinder | 2208 | 27 | 1400 | 1911–1912 | – |
NSU 8/24 PS | 4-Cylinder | 2110 | 24 | 1800 | 1911–1918 | –[20] |
NSU 13/40 PS | 4-Cylinder | 3397–3768 | 40 | 1800 | 1911–1912 | – |
NSU 13/35 PS | 4-Cylinder | 3397 | 35–40 | 1700 | 1912–1914 | – |
NSU 5/12 PS | 4-Cylinder | 1132 | 12 | 1600 | 1913–1914 | – |
NSU 5/15 PS | 4-Cylinder | 1232 | 15 | 1800 | 1914–1918 | –[21] |
NSU 1¼-Tonner | 4-Cylinder | 3397 | 35 | 1800 | 1914–1918 | – |
NSU 2½-Tonner | 4-Cylinder | 3380 | 42 | 1700 | 1914–1926 | –[22] |
NSU Cars 1919–1931
Source:[16]:332–344
Type | Motor (all FourStroke) | Engine size in cm³ | max. Power in PS | At engine speed (rpm) | Years | Picture |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NSU 8/24 PS | 4-Cylinder | 2110 | 30 | 2100 | 1921–1925 | – |
NSU 14/40 PS | 4-Cylinder | 3606 | 54 | 2000 | 1921–1925 | – |
NSU 5/15 PS | 4-Cylinder | 1231 | 21 | 2100 | 1921–1925 | – |
NSU 8/32 PS Lieferwagen (Delivery truck) | 4-Cylinder | 2088 | 32 | 2200 | 1925–1927 | – |
NSU 5/25 PS | 4-Cylinder | 1307 | 25 | 2900 | 1925–1928 | – |
NSU 8/40 PS | 4-Cylinder | 2088 | 40 | 2800 | 1925–1927 | – |
NSU 5/15 PS (Kompressor-Rennwagen) (Supercharger race car) | 4-Cylinder | 1232 | 40–50 | 4000 | 1923–1925 | – |
NSU 6/60 PS (Kompressor-Rennwagen) (Supercharger race car) | 6-Cylinder | 1482 | 60 | 3800 | 1925–1926 | – |
NSU 6/30 PS | 6-Cylinder | 1567 | 30 | 3000 | 1928 | – |
NSU 7/34 PS | 6-Cylinder | 1781 | 34 | 3200 | 1928–1931 |
NSU Car Models Post War
NSU produced the following postwar cars:
Prinz I, II & III I, II, 30 and III (1957–1962)
Sport Prinz (1959–1967)
Prinz 4, 4L (1961–1972)
Prinz 1000, NSU 1000 (1964–1972)
NSU 1000 TT, NSU TT, NSU TTS (1965–1972)
NSU Typ 110 (1965-1967)
NSU 1200 (1967–1972)
NSU Spider (1964–1967)
NSU Ro 80 (1967–1977)
NSU K70, produced after VW/Audi takeover as the Volkswagen K70 (1970–1975)
Licence-built models made abroad
The NSU Prinz was also built in Yugoslavia (by PRETIS), Argentina (by Autoar) and Egypt, under licence.
In Uruguay, the Prinz 4 was built by Nordex S.A., and a new model, the P6, combined the engine and mechanics of the NSU model with a separate body completely redesigned by Carlos Sotomayor. From 1970, the P10 was built as the successor model to the NSU P6. This had the larger engine of the NSU Prince 1000 and a 21 cm extended wheelbase.
NSU DIECAST
NSU CONCEPT
ALEZAN MODELS – NSU NERGAL . CONCEPT . SESSANO . TURIN 1970
NSU MODEL
AUTOCULT – NSU – KOMPRESSOR SPEED WORLD RECORD CAR – GERMANY 1951
NOREV – NSU – PRINZ III 1957
NOREV – NSU – PRINZ 1 1958
NOREV – NSU – PRINZ II 1959
MINICHAMPS – NSU – SPORT PRINZ 1959-67
KESS-MODEL – NSU – PRINZ 4 1961
NOREV – NSU – 4 1961
NEO SCALE MODELS – NSU – NECKAR SIATA 1500 1963
NOREV – NSU – PRINZ 4 1963
VEREM – NSU – PRINZ 4 N 192 RALLY MONTECARLO 1963
KESS-MODEL – NSU – PRINZ 4 POLIZEI STREIFENWAGEN 1964 POLICE
MINICHAMPS – NSU – 1000 L 1964
MINICHAMPS – NSU – SPIDER 1964-67
Schuco – NSU 1000 TTS 1965
Western Models – 1055 NSU TT
NOREV – NSU – PRINZ TT 1965
NOREV – NSU – PRINZ 1000 TT 1966
NOREV – NSU – PRINZ TTS 1967
MINICHAMPS – NSU – TT 1967-72
MINICHAMPS – NSU – TT SALOON 1967-72
NOREV – NSU – PRINZ TTS TARGA 1968
AUTOCULT – NSU – TURNER RS COUPE 1969
NEO SCALE MODELS – NSU – 1200C 1969
NEO SCALE MODELS – NSU – 1300C 1969
NOREV – NSU – PRINZ TT 1969
MINICHAMPS – NSU – Ro 80 1972
COLLABORATION FIAT
BoS-MODELS – NSU – NECKAR WEINSBERG 500 COUPE 1959
PREMIUM-X – NSU – FIAT WEINSBERG 500 2-DOOR 1960
PROGETTO K – FIAT – 600 NSU JAGST 770 1965
PROGETTO K – FIAT – NSU JAGST 770 1967