NSU [Neckarsulmer Strickmaschinen
Union (Neckarsulm's Knitting machine Union)] started
out at the turn of the 19th century in Neckarsulm, a small factory
town in southern Germany, producing knitting machines. After
bicycles and extremely race-successful motorcycles, they started
producing a range of light 2-door 600 cc cars in 1957.
In 1959, NSU Motorenwerke AG, produced a cute
little coupe called the Sport Prinz. This had a two-cylinder
rear engine with a 583 cc engine. After 1961 it had a 598cc
engine. It was produced till 1967.
In 1964, NSU produced the Wankel Spider:
a Sport Prinz convertible powered with the world's first non-reciprocating
petrol engine: the revolutionary "Wankel", making it
the world's first car with a Rotary Combustion Engine.
A giant milestone in automotive history.
The Wankel Spider had a single chamber with
a single rotor displacing 497.5 cc. It could produce 50 bhp
@ 5000 rpm and 54 bhp @ 6000 rpm. Absence of valves resulted
in a flat torque curve showing 52 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm, 54 @ 3000
and 57 @ 3500 rpm. The car could peak out at 153 km/h.
A total of 2,375 NSU Wankel Spiders were produced
until 1967. Its competitor, the Austin Healey Sprite, needed
5 more bhp to achieve the same top speed.
NSU were absorbed by VW-Porsche-Audi. Today
NSU no longer produce cars, but still manufacture a fair number
of small Wankel engines for utility applications. The Neckarsulm
factory now produces Audis.
