"DailyTurismo" (thedailyturismo)
08/06/2014 at 12:35 • Filed to: daily turismo, blog, nsu
7
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"DailyTurismo" (thedailyturismo)
08/06/2014 at 12:35 • Filed to: daily turismo, blog, nsu | 7
| 47 |
When somebody brings up the rotary engine, the mind naturally wanders to Mazda, but it was German based NSU Motorenwerke AG (later absorbed into Audi/VW) that allowed engineering genius Felix Wankel to design and release the first production rotary engine in an automobile.
Mazda might be well known use of the Wankel rotary starting in 1967 with the Cosmo 110S and ending with the last RX-8 to roll off the assembly line in 2012. However, NSU released the famous apex seal eater first with the '64 NSU Spider and then the '67 Ro 80. Find this !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! currently bidding for $6,600 reserve-not-met with 5 days to go on ebay, located in St. Louis, MO from the fantastically cool collection at Moto eXotica.
If you gasped and said " what the heck is that? " when you first saw this car — don't fret, you are not alone. Anything from NSU is rare to seen in the wild in the 21st century and the Ro 80 is rarer than a golden hen's tooth.
The Ro 80 is an oddly handsome car, an early production from noted designer/product leader Claus Luthe (NSU Prinz/Spider, Audi 50/100 and then BMW E28/E30/E31/E32/E34/E36). The design was very advanced for a mid-sixties car and looks like a predecessor to the Audi 100 with a little bit of BMW E12 thrown in the mix.
Powering the Ro 80 was a 995 cc two-rotor Wankel engine, rated at 113 horsepower and mated to the front wheels via a longitudinal transaxle. This put most of the engine/transmission weight directly over the driven wheels, so it should be good for snow/rain traction.
On the inside you can see what looks like a conventional 3-speed manual gearbox (dog-leg 1st gear according to the dash labeled shift pattern - reverse is front and center) but the lack of clutch pedal and P gear designation mean this was something special. The Ro 80's only available transmission was a semi-automatic that required the driver to select gears, but automated the clutch actuation via a vacuum system. It sounds like something that belongs in a French car and probably works about well as the average Harbor Freight power tool. Some assembly... disassembly...re-engineering...re-assembly required. Volkswagen used a similar system in their short-lived "Automatic Stickshift" version of the late-60s Beetle.
This particular Ro 80 is about as nice of an example as you are going to find anywhere outside of an NSU museum, so expect the reserve to be high. But, if you want to drive a oddball car that looks sweet, this could be worth the price of admission...
See a greener classic with more spin under the hood? !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
Originally posted as !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .
DT reader IgnatiusReilly tipped us off that this car was !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! at the Auctions America Auburn Spring auction in May 2014. The auction listing says it was from the John Scotti collection, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! the largest Canadian car collection ever sold at auction. Thanks Ig!
KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 13:08 |
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Dr. Felix Wankel, the man himself, owned one, you know.
Said every Ro80 owner ever.
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DailyTurismo
> KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
08/06/2014 at 13:16 |
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Thankfully for Mr Wankel (I believe his doctorate was honorary...but I could be wrong) was legally blind and never drove, he was only chauffeured around, so he didn't need to deal with the semi-autotragic transmission or the complete lack of torques. :)
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KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 13:26 |
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His prenominal would include h.c. for a degree awarded honoris causa. I think it was granted honoris causa from TU München.
But he owned one. We should all be glad he didn't drive it.
Kraftwerk Joe
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 13:52 |
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Holy crap, that's right down the road from me...have to jump over there and take a peeksie...
Mustang 'DontHitTheCrowd' GT
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 13:57 |
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I am always, forever amazed with how modern this looks for 1967.
1967!
NipperDawg
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 13:58 |
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Beutiful cars. Those semi-autos get a bad rep just because people dont understand them. They worked fairly well as they didnt really add that much complication to an already underpowered car. VW had them all across the lineup, not just the beetle.
Hart88
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 13:58 |
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I'm seeing a lot of Neue-klass BMW here.
StevenG
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 14:06 |
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So that is why BMWs after the E36 don't look like BMWs.
Sethism
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 14:14 |
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drive it until the wankel packs it, as they all did, then LSx time!
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DailyTurismo
> Sethism
08/06/2014 at 14:16 |
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As much as I agree that everything should be LSX powered, I think this would make a nice home for a mildly ported 13B-REW. When the 13B packs it (as it will...) then put in an LSX.
abgwin
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 14:16 |
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Seriously? The NSU Ro "..looks like a predecessor to the Audi 100" because the Audi 100 WAS the successor to the NSU/Volkswagen K70.
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DailyTurismo
> abgwin
08/06/2014 at 14:22 |
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Actually the Audi 100 was launched in 1968 and designed by Audi — it pre-dates the VW K70 and was a contemporary of the NSU Ro80 before Auto Union and NSU merged in 1969.
pata
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 14:25 |
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one of my poster cars
ranwhenparked
> Mustang 'DontHitTheCrowd' GT
08/06/2014 at 14:29 |
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I know, it looks at least a full generation ahead of much of what General Motors, for example, was building in the mid 1980s, despite being 20 years older.
A nip and tuck here and there, replace the bumpers with body colored plastic fascias, black out the chrome, and it wouldn't be that out of place in Volkswagen's '80s lineup.
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ranwhenparked
> NipperDawg
08/06/2014 at 14:30 |
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I see is as potentially offering a happy compromise for people that absolutely refuse to drive proper manuals but still want more control and efficiency over what contemporary automatics allowed.
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DailyTurismo
> pata
08/06/2014 at 14:31 |
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Where?
UncleAlex
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 14:39 |
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I spent time in Germany during the mid 70's. I owned several cars during this time (68 Opel Commodore GT, '65 VW Camper with a bored out 1600 cc, a Peugot 504) but my most favorite was my 68 Ro80. It was a non metallic green similar to the photos from this article. Sure it was "kooky" but what a road machine! I broke the speedo coming on the Autobahn coming back from Oktoberfest in 78. Disc brakes at all corners and an electronic clutch that actually worked well. Interior was comfortable and well apportioned. Loved that car.
DevonVfuer5a
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 14:48 |
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last pay check was $9500 working 12 hours a week online. My neighbour's sister has been averaging 15k for months now and she works about 20 hours a week. I can't believe how easy it was once I tried it out.
This is what I do,,,,,,,,,,
Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 14:53 |
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It's here in St Louis? I must track this place down and check out this car. It looks like they're right down near the location of the old Chrysler plant in Fenton.
I've always wanted to see one of these in person, and this may be one of the rare opportunities to do so.
Vargius
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 15:21 |
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Dream machine? If by dream you mean nightmare.
Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 15:30 |
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I've actually owned one of these, albeit for a very short time. Fantastic car when everything works (more often than you'd think actually), but a nightmare if something go wrong, and it will, sooner or later.
So, let's just say that this is an awesome car for those sunday drives and such, but not that great as a DD.
Would I buy one again? Yes! Would I use it as a DD again? NO!
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Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh
> Vargius
08/06/2014 at 15:32 |
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They're not THAT bad, using one as a DD won't be a great idea, but as a sunday cruiser or something it's awesome.
How do I know? I've owned one.
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4age20vsilvertop
> Sethism
08/06/2014 at 15:35 |
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Try fitting one in the engine bay. A Ford V4 barely fits in there.
Pdb
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 15:41 |
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I bid on this in Auctions America in May, and dropped out at 18k. It would be for sale if I had won it! I dont see how he's going to make money on it.
mofkntep
> Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/06/2014 at 15:58 |
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Right off Soccer Park Rd on Cassens. 9-5!
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Pdb
> Pdb
08/06/2014 at 16:04 |
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Now I'm the highest bidder again, ugh. Reserve not met though.
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Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
> mofkntep
08/06/2014 at 16:14 |
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Have you been over to that shop?
Jan F
> 4age20vsilvertop
08/06/2014 at 16:27 |
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Yeah right !
Only ignorant Britons fits a Ford V4 out of an old Ford Transit in any car !
The Mazda unit are spot on some German actually installed a 3 chamber wankel from a Cosmos in a RO 80
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NipperDawg
> ranwhenparked
08/06/2014 at 16:34 |
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They were actually available since they were cheaper then automatics to make. I owned one, it was a great city car. It was a Super beetle (leaps potholes in a single bound). Basically you left it in D which was the same as 3rd gear, put it in the higher gear for highway speed, and low (which was 2nd) to pull out tree stumps of climb a cliff.
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ranwhenparked
> NipperDawg
08/06/2014 at 16:38 |
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I think if I were to ever buy another Beetle, I would try to go for an Autostick, if for nothing else than as a conversation piece due to their rarity today.
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abgwin
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 16:45 |
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Yes, you're correct, and I mis-stated my point in haste. My intention was to say that the engineering prowess that would ultimately result in the Golf and subsequent larger water cooled VWs (via Audi) was not from VW but from NSU and DKW.
I should have said precursor to the Audi 80.
HeeramunlupAu
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 16:52 |
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last pay check was $9500 working 12 hours a week online. My neighbour's sister has been averaging 15k for months now and she works about 20 hours a week. I can't believe how easy it was once I tried it out.
This is what I do,,,,,,,,,,
QQXQXL123
> Jan F
08/06/2014 at 16:54 |
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There were two Ford V4 engines - the British one and the German one. The Germans fitted theirs to the Capri...
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chuckjaeger
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 17:09 |
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As interesting as Wankel is Claus Luthe's story. He designed so many great cars in his time and was at the top of his game until he decided to stab his drug addict son.
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DailyTurismo
> abgwin
08/06/2014 at 17:13 |
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Ah, yes you are correct, once NSU was folded into the open arms of VW, the style and chassis naturally fell into the high end VW and low end Audi camps. Good times! I actually like the 60s Auto Union style, something very stately about them, but I understand they fall apart pretty easily.
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DailyTurismo
> chuckjaeger
08/06/2014 at 17:14 |
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I assume that didn't end well? Did he spend 3 nights in jail?
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chuckjaeger
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 17:23 |
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Honestly not sure, he did spend some jail time though.
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NipperDawg
> ranwhenparked
08/06/2014 at 17:47 |
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Thats why I have a Justy CVT. I am thinking of going for an air coolled VW as the Justy just seems to common now :)
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TamsynGebrs
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 18:28 |
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last pay check was $9500 working 12 hours a week online. My neighbour's sister has been averaging 15k for months now and she works about 20 hours a week. I can't believe how easy it was once I tried it out.
This is what I do,,,,,,,,,,
NSUAnglia
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 19:08 |
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I prefer the Prinz, just because I have one. It's a 1961 prinz 3.
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486332
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 19:49 |
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I was told by my (German) school teacher that Ro80 drivers had the ritual of greeting other Ro80 drivers thet met in traffic with a hand signal. The amount of fingers held uo signified how many replacement engines they have been through by now...
ZeGermanPwa
> DailyTurismo
08/06/2014 at 21:05 |
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He was extremely shortsighted. His chauffeur drove him around in his Ro80. His house is only a couple of miles away from where I live, theres a small museum.
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DailyTurismo
> NSUAnglia
08/07/2014 at 00:11 |
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I'd rock a Prinz in a heartbeat. I featured a Sport Prinz a while back that had a bigger engine and look ready to rally.
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DailyTurismo
> ZeGermanPwa
08/07/2014 at 00:14 |
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You'd have to be short sighted to design the early apex seals the way he did...oh...near-sighted. Yes. That too! If you have a chance to take a few pictures of the Wankel museum, I'd certainly publish them. Just email them to tips@dailyturismo.com
Thanks!
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ZeGermanPwa
> DailyTurismo
08/07/2014 at 06:00 |
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I'm currently on vacation, I'll see what I can do as soon as I return to Germany. Heres a small preview on the cars they have on display;
http://www.museum-autovision.de/wankel.html
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mofkntep
> Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing.
08/13/2014 at 13:59 |
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Yeah, I work there.
NSURO80
> DailyTurismo
01/27/2015 at 14:30 |
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That lime green one is absolutely beautiful although way over priced.
The guys at Retropower in the UK are doing a full restoration of an RO8O and keeping a full photo diary on facebook and shortly on their website. The facebook diary:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/NSU-Ro80…