Ewald Praxl

Ewald Praxl (born July 5, 1911 in Postelberg , Bohemia , Austria-Hungary , today the Czech Republic , † December 27, 1988 ) was an engineer and designer at NSU .

Praxl studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University in Prague and received his diploma there in 1937. In 1939 he joined NSU as a young engineer in the off-road vehicle department. During the Second World War he was significantly involved in the construction of the NSU Kettenkrad .

Praxl was deputy from 1949 and successor from 1962 to chief designer Albert Roder . From 1951, Praxl headed the testing and racing department at NSU. He led the NSU racing motorcycles to the top of the world, which culminated in the 1953 and 1954 world championships as well as several world speed records.

From 1954, the demand for motorcycles in Germany fell sharply, as the " economic miracle " made a car or at least a scooter affordable for ever wider circles of the population . The racing department was dissolved in 1954 and Praxl dealt mainly with the development of passenger cars in the following years. During this time, NSU began to convert from motorcycle production to car production.

Under Praxl's leadership, the NSU four-cylinder cars NSU 1000 and the following as well as the NSU K 70 and the NSU Ro 80 were created . He is said to have called himself the "father of the NSU Ro 80".

In 1976 Praxl retired after 37 years at NSU.

References

• Company archive Audi AG, Neckarsulm