NSU

NSU, a German automotive manufacturer founded in 1873 in Heilbronn, reaches its commercial peak between 1958 and 1977 by developing small innovative and economical cars. NSU's history crystallizes around the Wankel rotary engine powertrain, a patented technology that the brand commercializes as early as 1964 with the Spider, then perfects with the Ro 80 launched in 1967, propelling the NSU manufacturer among the pioneers of this revolutionary mechanics against competitors Volkswagen and Renault. The NSU range extends through the 1960s-1970s with popular models such as the Prinz (compact sedan produced in over 600,000 units), the TT (sports car), the Typ 4 (intermediate sedan) and the K70, built at the Heilbronn production site and its German extensions. Each NSU technical specification reveals the brand's obsession with energy efficiency and aerodynamic design: four-cylinder engines from 600 to 1,200 cc, reduced fuel consumption, forward-thinking approach visible on the Ro 80 with its futuristic forms and biaxial Wankel engine of 995 cc delivering 115 horsepower. NSU, acquired by Volkswagen in 1969, gradually merges with Audi to form the VAG group, while the brand officially disappears in 1977, leaving a legacy of mechanical innovation and automobile democratization in the hearts of enthusiasts of cars from this era.