Forgotten ‘Car of the Year’

One brand of “Foreign Favorite” that I particularly like is the German company NSU. Founded in 1873 to manufacture knitting machines, by the turn of the century, the firm had expanded into bicycle production and producing chassis frames for German automaker Daimler. The NSU name didn’t arrive until 1892 and was derived from Neckarsulm, the town where the plant was located.

In 1905, NSU began producing luxury cars under license before turning to the manufacture of smaller fourcylinder automobiles. In time, a line of motorcycles was also introduced. By the mid 1920s, luxury cars were dropped in favor of motorcycles and light cars. Meanwhile, the company entered racing in a big way and made a name for itself as a strong competitor. However, car production was halted in 1929 due to a severe recession affecting Germany.

After World War II, motorcycle production resumed at NSU, along with production of Italian Lambretta motor scooters built under license. Then, in 1957, the company returned to the passenger car market with the clever NSU Prinz, a small two-cylinder sedan perfect for the slowly recovering German economy. A handful were exported to the United States beginning in 1958, and in 1959, some 3,247 were sold here. Not surprisingly, the tiny Prinz, with its 78.75-inch wheelbase and two-stroke two-cylinder engine, never really caught on in America; it was just too small and weird. Even after four-cylinder models were added to the NSU lineup, sales failed to take off. The Wankel-powered NSU Spider, introduced for 1964, was attractive and very sporty, but it, too, was a slow-seller.

Enter the Ro 80

By 1967, total NSU car production had leveled off at around 100,000 units per year, and the company hoped to boost that by introducing a new sport sedan with a potent Wankel rotary engine and styling that would make it instantly recognizable. It called its new model the Ro 80, and it boasted an all-new tworotor Wankel rotary engine of incredible smoothness that generated 129 hp from just 61 cubic inches. Torque was rated at 112 lbs.-ft. at 4,500 rpm.

The new Ro 80 debuted in Europe in late 1967, but didn’t come to America until 1969. It was relatively expensive, with a $4,995 price tag that placed it squarely in competition with the Mercedes-Benz 250 six-cylinder sedan — and at $400 more than a Buick Electra 225 four-door hardtop!

However, the Ro 80 was a true German sports sedan packed with technology to boot. In addition to the unique Wankel engine, the NSU boasted front-wheel drive and a semi-automatic torque-converter transmission. It was exceptionally aerodynamic with a drag coefficient of just 0.36, making it almost impervious to cross winds.

Styling was a strong point of the Ro 80. With a low nose, a short and tight rear deck, smooth flanks and big wheel openings, the Ro 80 seemed purposebuilt. The six-window greenhouse gave the whole car a light, airy feeling.

I find the Ro 80 extremely attractive, in the spirit of the Audi 100 and BMW 2800, but even better. A four-door sedan, it boasts remarkably clean lines, tight overhangs, a broad and aggressive stance and plenty of glass for good visibility. Riding a 112-1/2-inch wheelbase, it provides ample interior space for five passengers. Overall length was held to 188 inches, and height is 69 inches. With uni-body construction and a lightweight engine, the big NSU weighs just 2,668 lbs., making it lighter than a four-cylinder Chevy II four-door sedan of the same period.

The chassis was well-suited to grand touring usage. With a front engine/frontdrive layout, the chassis boasted rackand-pinion steering, MacPherson strut suspension with wishbones up front, and struts with coil springs out back. Fourwheel disc brakes were standard equipment at a time when front disc brakes were still a seldom-purchased option on American cars. The front disc brakes were mounted inboard, allowing for bigger discs and better stopping power.

Inside the airy cabin were the sort of fittings expected in a grand touring sedan, including thick bucket seats in a choice of cloth or leather, a tachometer, shifter for the unusual semi-automatic transmission and good-looking door trim.

The Ro 80 had a claimed top speed of 112 mph — pretty good for a 1000-cc engine! Accelerating from 0 to 60 mph could be accomplished in 12.2 seconds — not quite neck-snapping, but very good for that era.

Auto writers everywhere appreciated the Ro 80’s pioneering technology, as well as its excellent ride, handling and

performance. Road Test magazine called it “…one of the most exciting cars to appear in the last 20 years,” which was high praise, indeed. At the 1967 Frankfurt (Germany) Auto Show, the new Ro 80 was named “Car of the Year.”

Wankel woes

In 1969, NSU merged with Auto Union to become Audi NSU Auto Union AG, which was wholly owned by Volkswagen. By that time, the Ro 80 was in trouble, rapidly gaining a reputation for being unreliable, mainly due to the Wankel engine. The issues were mostly lubrication-related, with many cars developing high oil usage at relatively low miles, and more than a few engines seized. The problem was the rotor tip seals, which suffered excessive wear. Once the seals wore enough, the car would begin consuming volumes of oil, much to the dismay of owners. Even when the seals held up — which most didn’t — fuel economy was poor for a car of its size and class. Both of these problems were later encountered by other Wankel licensees, including Mazda and General Motors. Both companies eventually solved the rotor tip seal problems, but neither was able to get the rotary to deliver fuel economy matching conventional engines of the same size.

In Mazda’s case, the company decided to restrict use of the Wankel mill to higher-end cars, such as the RX7 and RX8 sports cars. General Motors, which entered the Wankel picture at a later date, was very close to initial production when the fuel crisis of 1973 hit America. By the time the Arab oil embargo was ended in March 1974, the price of oil had risen nearly 300 percent, from $3 a barrel to almost $12 a barrel. GM management, concerned about staking the company’s future on a gas-guzzling engine, quickly decided to cancel its Wankel program. Poor little American Motors had counted on using the compact GM Wankel in its upcoming new Pacer, which had to be quickly redesigned to use AMC’s existing overheadsix which, due to emissions equipment, proved not all that fuel-efficient, damaging Pacer’s reputation.

Like Mazda, NSU was already too committed to the Wankel to simply drop it, so the two-rotor engine continued in the Ro 80. A series of warranty problems over the years hurt the Ro 80’s reputation so that, even though it remained in production through 1977, only some 47,400 Ro 80s were ever produced in the car’s decade of production. It’s a pity, because these really are nice cars, if you don’t mind periodically rebuilding an oddball engine.

We didn’t think we’d be able to check current pricing on used Ro 80s, but a quick search on the internet located a very-restorable, almost-rustfree (but non-running) 1972 model with just 54,000 miles at an asking price of $9,950. So, although they’re as rare as hen’s teeth, they are still available. It might take some looking, though. Myself, I recommend finding the nicest example possible and buying it instead of restoring one. Parts will be hard to find, and many mechanics would shy away from an off-brand such as NSU.

However, if you want one, go for it!