NSU Ro80

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 The NSU Ro80 was so far ahead of its time it was always going to be in the firing line. It is a testament to the genius of the original design that a famously skeptical international panel of journalists voted such an untried groundbreaking design “Car of the Year” for 1968.

When cars like the Austin Cambridge and Vauxhall Victor were still in production, the Ro80 seemed like something from another planet. Designed by Claus Luthe, it was originally going to be even more radical with sliding doors and a brushed stainless steel roof to give the effect of a floating glasshouse, but sadly production realities put paid to these flourishes.

Radically different in so many ways, the Ro80 remained in production largely unchanged until 1977 when its aerodynamic wedge-shape still looked futuristic compared to most cars on the road. It was powered by an uncannily smooth twin rotor Wankel engine with a total capacity of 994cc but producing 130bhp and equal to a conventional 2-litre unit. Fed by twin Solex carburettors, the engine drove the front wheels via a three-speed semi-automatic gearbox. The fully independent suspension was by coil springs all round, with MacPherson struts at the front and trailing arms at the rear giving superb ride and handling characteristics.

However it wasn’t until 1970 that initial problems with the rotor tips of the engine were solved. These early teething problems gave the car a poor reputation for reliability which was a shame since with the problems fixed the Ro80 became a reliable car capable of making the most out of its array of innovative features. Items such as an automatic clutch operated from a button on the gear lever, dual-circuit servo-assisted disc brakes all round and power-assisted ZF rack-and-pinion steering, rounded off what was an amazing technical tour-de-force. A top speed of 112mph was equally impressive. During its 1967 - 1977 production life, over 37,000 were made. It was, and remains today, a good looking piece of advanced engineering.

This particular Ro80 is accompanied by a letter from Audi (NSU's parent company from 1969 on) confirming that it was produced on 19th April 1973 equipped with the engine number XM 007103. It was first registered in the UK on 15th October 1974. The current engine is a replacement which was fitted by RoTechniks of Berkshire in 1998, when the clock showed 35,054 miles. An old MOT shows almost the same mileage in October 1998 and two years later it was registered to Stondon Museum.

There are photographs within the file that show the car undergoing a full restoration, dated 1998 and probably at the same time that the engine was replaced by RoTechniks. Some workshop manuals are also included. On static display at Stondon these past 15 years, it will doubtless require the usual checks before it returns to the highways to startle other road users with its futuristic lines.

PLEASE NOTE: The V5 and our printed catalogue states that this vehicle has a 1,999cc engine. This is incorrect as the original and the current engine are 994cc.