FOUR QUESTIONS WITH AN RO80 OWNER

Rob Scott from Chesterfield says there really is nothing else quite like an Ro80…

When did you become 1

aware of the Ro80?

‘I remember the launch in 1967 when I was 10. Dad had a Morris Minor at the time, so it was so different to everything I knew. I saw a picture and thought it was a spaceship. I made a poster and put it on the wall!’

When did you get your 2

own?

‘I’ve had a few classic cars in the past but about three years ago wondered if I could find an Ro80. I looked at three examples and bought this one in February last year – a lifelong dream! It is a 1973 model and is every bit as good as I’d hoped an Ro80 could be. It has a low mileage and a factory replacement rotary engine with then newer ceramic rotary tips and hardly any miles on it!’

What’s it like to 3

drive? ‘It feels so modern, despite being such an old car now. I love good engineering and the engineering this car is so completely different. It is fascinating to own. There’s no clutch and three gears, so it’s very easy to drive. Around town, you just leave it in first gear but out on the open road, the engine sings it comes alive over 3000rpm. They will do 110mph all day on the autobahn without breaking a sweat.’

Is owning an Ro80

4

a challenge?

‘I do much of the servicing and repair work myself, with the good advice of my specialist pal Phil Blake. There’s a great Facebook group too and the NSU Owners Club has been going since the Sixties, but the biggest club (ro80.club) is based in Germany. There is a big annual get-together there each year, which I’d really like to go to. It’ll be good to stretch the car’s legs, although it’ll no doubt do it effortlessly!’