NSU

NSU

This German company, which has become known for its bicycles and motorcycles, has launched the four-wheeled vehicles in 1906, she continued to manufacture them as long as in 1977 did not stop production of its famous models "Ro80", dovedshey it into bankruptcy. NSU cars were built in Neckarsulm, a small town north of Stuttgart. Before the 30-ies. has not fared very well, and the purchase of a new plant in nearby Heilbronn was a mistake. But the company survived by selling his Italian FIAT (FIAT).


NSU was founded in 1886 under the name Neckarsulmer Radwerke ("Nekarsulmer Radver-ke"). Beginning with the release of a bike, and in 1900 was started to manufacture motorcycles. S1905 was made ​​according to the Belgian car license Pipe ("PIP"). Then set up your own car with a 4-cylinder engine in 1420 cm3. In 20-ies. produced a fairly successful racing cars of the compressor
The economic crisis led to the cessation of passenger cars NSU in the late 1931 Up to 1958 the company was hesitant to resume their production, and when it started, then leave the factory gate were small and low-power machines, distinguished the original design.
Body of miniature cars with rear air-cooled engines resembled American Chevrolet Corvair ("Chevrolet Korveyr"). And although they gradually increased in size, became more powerful and faster, revolutionize the way did not change.


NSU Wankel Spider in 1963, an optimistic attempt to offer the market a new type of engine
Just after the start of cooperation with Felix Wankel (Felix Wankel), creator of the rotary engine, the company talked with interest. Car companies at least to some extent become tainted inspiration. NSU was able to begin selling two models with the Wankel engine.
In a rotary engine, reciprocating piston is transformed into rotational with the crankshaft, the rotary Wankel replaced the obtained immediately with the complex shape of the rotor. This rotor is enclosed in a casing and connected to the gear output shaft, all the while their tops touched the inner surface of the body, thereby forming a combustion chamber. A very serious problem at work was of such an engine seal joint locations of vertices of the rotor and housing. Were also high costs of production and consumption.


Sedan NSURoSO 1967 was good with both technical and design point of view, but his reputation for high wear wetted seals of the rotor
The world's first car with a Wankel engine has a small NSU Spider ("Spider"), surprised the world when it appeared in 1963, four years later the company introduced an aerodynamically perfect front-wheel drive model "Ro80" two-piece with a rotary engine.
Wankel engine problems forced the company to change policy and technical options to start producing "Ro80" with a piston engine, which was named "K70" (1969). But the transition under the control of VW ended endeavor. Car modernized, and in 1971 he appeared in the sale of branded VW. After 1972 the only model NSU remained the same rotor "Ro80", comes in a smaller and smaller quantities. In 1977 its production was discontinued, and it finally disappeared and the brand NSU.
NSU Wankel Spider ("NSO Vankelspider")
Dr Felix Wankel began development of its unusual engine back in the 50s., But could not find a single one of the leading manufacturers, who would undertake for the introduction of his invention. Although voiced its interest in several companies, the first thing to come from the company NSU, having acquired a license for the manufacture of engines for motorcycles.
In the early 60s. the company has decided that the engine of this type can give it a real breakthrough, because even the single-section engine worked much more smoothly, and developed a higher speed than the classic piston. The only serious problem is the increased wear of the rotor seals.


A typical sports car interior for 60 years.
The new engine was created with a new car Spider open body design that has created Bertone (Bertone). The basis of the model took the platform NSU Prinz ("Prince") and set single-nosektsionny rotary engine within the wheelbase behind the seats. Despite the increased load on the rear wheels, the car has good handling.


A small rotary engine was in the rear of the car. He worked well, but suffered from the tops of the rotor seal wear
Aerospace magazine Autocar ("Otokar") interested in the rotary motor and a first for a long time studying it. They decided that the feel of his work like a 4-stroke 2-cylinder horizontal engine, which up to 1000 rev / min at idle it runs very smoothly, although with an increase in speed is a tendency to vibrate, and determined that at 2400 rev / minute work is uneven. Outside of these modes and to the maximum frequency 8000 rev / min motor behavior perfectly. In addition, testers expect that such a small engine must have sufficient power and torque at low revs, but it turned out that this is not true, and from 2000 rev / min motor has excellent throttle response, and the maximum torque value accounts for 2500 r / min.
Weaknesses in the car were to fast deterioration of the rotor seals and high fuel consumption: the average, as recorded by members of Autocar, was 11 l/100 km. But this figure is not so bad. The working volume of the rotary engine of the new machine was 447 cm3, but due to the fact that in one revolution of a rotor happened two business move, it equated to a 1-liter piston motor. The very same car compared to sports cars such as the Triumph Spitfire ("Triumph Spitfire") and MG Midget ("Em-Gee Midzhet"). When passing from the scene 400 yards ahead of NSU, and the acceleration time from standstill to 96 km / h was about the same.
The company was pleased with first test and took the car out of production as the only model produced a more ambitious "Rob0". Total produced in 2375 Wankel Spider.


Design work should be recognized Bertone very successful. At the rear engine, indicates only a relatively short hood

Characteristics (1963)
Engine: single-section rotary
Displacement: 994 cm3 (actually 497 cm3)
Maximum power: 50 hp
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Chassis: on the host body
Suspension: independent on the helical springs
Brakes: disc / drum
Body: 2-seater open
Maximum speed: 148 km / h
NSU R080 ("NSO Ro80") 1967-1977
NSU Ro80 was the first sedan in the world with the Wankel engine and the first car with a two-piece rotary engine. NSU, ​​being a relatively small company with limited technical capabilities, very bravely took up the creation of advanced chassis and advanced technology required for the production of Wankel engine. But even without such a motor "Ro80" would have been an impressive car. By handling, ride and level of technology fit to contemporary models of Citroen ("Citroen"). The rotary engine made ​​it even more interesting.


"RoSO" - a bold attempt to create a new type of vehicle. Model killed the engine problems during the warranty period
Two-piece motor is nominally a 2-liter capacity and developed 115 hp Machine complete three-step semi-automatic gearbox with torque converter. Drive - the front wheels. Suspension - Fully independent, all-wheel disc brakes provided, and a streamlined body did not look out of date, and ten years later.
In addition to the beautiful appearance of the "Ro80" had a different behavior on the road and good performance. Despite the fact that the engine developed a small torque at low speeds, it is very easy to momentum. Therefore, the car was in the small group of machines, which seemed the quieter, faster moving.


Unusual "Ro8O" not very rapidly dispersed, but a top speed of 172 km / h and had a wonderful streamlined
The problem of "Ro80" was the fact that the engine was easy to "kink", thus causing rapid wear of the rotor seal tops. Therefore NSU faced with a mountain of claims for their products, but valiantly resisted this. Yet the outcome of complaints is the financial collapse of the NSU and the agreement with VW. Until it became clear that "RoSO" is a true classic car in the next car owners there was a tendency to change the rotary engine in the Ford V4 engines and V6., Currently the majority of the remaining machines still rotary.
Following the acquisition of NSU concern VW's 1969 production of "RoSO" survived. Only in 1977 rolled off the last of the 37,204 "Ro8O". Both companies take into account the hard lessons and do not let cars with rotary engines.


Design "RoSO" in 1967, as well as its engine, ahead of its time. Problems with the tops of the rotor seals in our time is almost solved Japan's Mazda ("Mazda")

Characteristics (1967)
Engine: two-piece rotor
Displacement: 1990 cm3 (actually 995 cm3)
Maximum Power: 115 hp
Transmission: 3-speed semi-automatic
Chassis: on the host body
Suspension: independent MacPherson strut at the
Brakes: disc
Body: 4-seater sedan
Maximum speed: 172 km / h