NSU engine works

NSU logo in the early 1960s

NSU was a German manufacturer of bicycles , motorcycles , automobiles and scooters , founded in Riedlingen in 1873 by Christian Schmidt and Heinrich Stoll and relocated to Neckarsulm in 1880 . In 1969 there was a company merger to Audi NSU Auto Union AG and in 1985 the name was changed to Audi , whereby the name NSU disappeared in 1985.

The company originally operated as a “mechanical workshop for the production of knitting machines”, but produced bicycles from 1886 and from 1901 was significantly involved in the early development of motorcycles in Germany. In the mid-1950s, NSU was the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world in terms of numbers.

The name NSU , which was used as a brand name or trademark from 1892, is an abbreviation for the city name Neckarsulm , which in turn is derived from the two rivers Neckar and Sulm , which flow together here. For the company logo, one of the three lying stag poles was initially borrowed from the Württemberg state coat of arms of 1806 and the letters N, S, U were entered between its four prongs . Contrary to a widespread misconception, the name NSU is not derived from “Sewing and Knitting Machine Union” or “Neckarsulmer Strickwaren Union”. There never was a company that would have had one of these names .

Company history

The years 1873 to 1918

NSU high wheel "Germania" from 1886 on a postage stamp from 1985

NSU works, 1900

The company was founded in 1873 by Christian Schmidt and Heinrich Stoll in Riedlingen an der Donau . Originally they manufactured knitting machines, hence the name "Mechanical workshop for the manufacture of knitting machines". In 1880 the company moved its headquarters to Neckarsulm near Heilbronn to a former sawmill and plaster mill (Brunnersche Mühle) on the Sulm . The reason was the higher space and energy requirements. Christian Schmidt died in February 1884 at the age of 39. On April 27, 1884, the company was converted into a stock corporation and was called Neckarsulmer Strickmaschinen-Fabrik AG from then on .

The manufacture of bicycles began in 1886. Germania was the first high-powered bicycle from NSU, followed later by low-level bicycles such as the 1888 safety two-wheeler "Pfeil". From 1892 onwards, no more knitting machines were manufactured.

In 1897 the company was called "Neckarsulmer Fahrradwerke AG". From 1901 motorcycles were also produced. The engine with 211 cm³, a single-cylinder four-stroke engine, came from Zedel . The first "Neckarsulm motorcycle" (so the label on the tank) with an output of approx. 1.25 hp reached a top speed of almost 40 km / h. From 1904/05 the motorcycles were partly called “N. S. U. "

In 1906, after the three-wheeled “Sulmobil”, the development of automobiles with the name “Neckarsulmer Motorwagen” began. From 1913 the company traded as "Neckarsulmer Fahrzeugwerke AG" and "NSU" (without dots) became an official trademark. In 1913 the company employed around 1200 workers and produced around 13,000 bicycles and 2,500 motorcycles. Before the First World War, NSU was the largest exporter of German motorcycle manufacturers and exported mainly to Russia, many European countries, Scandinavia, Turkey and Brazil. When the First World War broke out in 1914, a 3.5 hp war motorcycle and trucks with a payload of 1.25 and 2.5 tons were manufactured for the army.

• 

  NSU track racing machine, 1907

• 

  NSU 350 TT, 1912

• 

  NSU motorcycle, around 1912

• 

  NSU 8/40,
  built 1925–1927

The years 1919 to 1945

NSU SS 500, racing machine from 1932 with an overhead camshaft in the German Bicycle Museum

NSU-D 201 OSL from 1933 in the German Two-Wheel Museum

Due to the positive development in demand for automobiles, NSU decided to set up another car plant, which was built in the neighboring city of Heilbronn in 1925 . In 1926, the company merged with the bankrupt Berlin coachwork company Carosseriewerke Schebera AG to form NSU Vereinigte Fahrzeugwerke AG Neckarsulm . The takeover caused NSU economic problems, and after the Berlin ventures the Heilbronn plant had to be sold, which was taken over by Fiat in 1928 and incorporated into the newly founded NSU-Automobil AG Heilbronn (which existed alongside the NSU in Neckarsulm, see NSU-Fiat ). In 1932, NSU had to give up car production and parted ways with Fiat, which continued to operate the Heilbronn plant on its own.

NSU achieved a high level of awareness with the model 501 T motorcycles produced from 1927 to 1929 and the luxury variant, the 501 L. The reliability of the 501 models led to the name "Neckarsulm Tractor". To promote motorcycle sales, NSU formed a manufacturing and sales community with Deutsche Industriewerke AG from Berlin (D-Rad) in July 1932 until 1938 under the name NSU D-Rad Vereinigte Fahrzeugwerke AG Neckarsulm , recognizable by the large D in the lower part of the logo .

After Otto Reitz, NSU's chief designer, was replaced in 1930 by the former Norton Motors Ltd. (England), Walter William Moore , was replaced, the designs and the model versions changed radically. After the success of the super sport models 500 SS and 600 SS, the series models 201, 251, 351, 501, 601 OSL and 351 OT soon came onto the market. Similarities with models from Norton arose from the fact that Moore brought experience and designs from the English motorcycle industry. For example, on the OSL models with foot control, the gearshift lever is on the right-hand side. The Kickstarter can also be found on this page. The weak points are also similar to the English models from Norton: occasional oil leaks and vulnerable carburettors (AMAL carburettors).

Police gentlemen's service (around 1940)

By and large, with the aforementioned models, the company reached its peak before World War II . In 1938, 3,500 employees produced around 136,000 bicycles and 63,000 motorcycles. One of the successful models was the “ NSU-D Quick ” motorbike , of which around 240,000 were built between 1936 and 1953. This 98 cm³ motor bike, which was available as a men's and women's bike, had around 3 hp, drove a maximum of 55 to 60 km / h and consumed almost two liters of fuel per 100 km. Before the war it cost 290 Reichsmarks, in 1953 the price was 625.00 DM.

The second man in design after Moore was Albert Roder from 1936 to 1938 , but in 1938 he went to Victoria in Nuremberg to become chief designer. Moore returned to England before the outbreak of war in 1939.

During the Second World War, the well-known Kettenkrad type HK 101, a half-track vehicle with a motorcycle fork , was built at the Neckarsulm plant . It was produced for the Wehrmacht during the war and for agriculture and forestry after the war. The engine came from the Opel Olympia car , as NSU did not have a sufficiently powerful unit in its range.

The years 1946 to 1968

Share over DM 100 in NSU Werke AG from January 1952

The NSU-Werke emerged from the Second World War not only partially destroyed, but also financially extremely poor. The administration was initially carried out by trustees. One of them, Eduard Hilger, even spoke out in favor of closing or converting it into a cooperative when there was little cash available in 1946 and the plant continued to make losses. From July 1, 1946, Walter Egon Niegtsch was general director responsible for the fortunes of NSU, after having been provisional director with the approval of the military government and the office for property control. Niegtsch managed to give the company another perspective within a short period of time. He recognized that sporting successes were excellent advertising for the company's products, and he made sure that NSU got involved in racing again. The small series of the Sport Fox with a 98 cm³ engine was created on his initiative. Niegtsch's work at NSU was short-lived, however; he died on May 29, 1951 after a brief serious illness.

In 1946 Albert Roder came back to NSU and took over the vacant position of chief designer.

From 1947 motorcycle production began again with the pre-war models NSU Quick , NSU 125 ZDB and NSU 251 OSL . In 1949 the first new design was the NSU Fox 101 OSB, initially with a four-stroke and from 1951 with a two-stroke engine.

Between 1951 and 1954, small Italian motorcycle manufacturers bought the then modern NSU Fox engines and used them to build their motorcycles in small series.

Under the direction of the general director and chairman of the board Gerd Stieler von Heydekampf , NSU was the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world in the mid-1950s, with a production of just under 350,000 two-wheelers (1955) (see table overview ). The vehicles built by around 6,600 employees were exported to 90 countries.

The most successful were the NSU Lambretta motor scooter (a licensed construction of the Italian Lambretta motor scooter), of which 117,045 units were manufactured in six years, and the NSU Max 251 OSB, a 250 cm³ machine with an overhead camshaft and the ULTRAMAX push rod control , one Valve train by two push rods. For the "little man" there was the NSU Quick (98 cm³, with pedals), NSU 125 ZDB (123 cm³, with footrests) and the NSU Quickly moped . Other models were the Lux (200 cm³, two-stroke) and the Konsu l with 350 or 500 cm³ displacement (351 OS-T and 501 OS-T).

NSU motorcycles were at home on many race tracks and drove numerous titles and world records in the 1950s and in some cases also in the 1960s. The duels between Heiner Fleischmann (NSU) and Georg “Schorsch” Meier (BMW) wrote motorcycle racing history in the post-war period, as did Wilhelm Herz , Werner Haas , Rupert Hollaus, who died in an accident in 1954, and the sidecar team Hermann Böhm / Karl Fuchs. The use of the Thouret women's trio with Ilse Thouret and her daughters Elga and Anneliese with NSU Lambrettas in national rallies also had a strong advertising effect in 1950 .

• 

  Rennmax, 1953

• 

  Sportmax, 1955

• 

  NSU Rennfox R11, 1953

• 

  NSU Rennfox "Blue Whale", 1954

The winning motorcycles pictured above can be viewed today in the German Two-Wheeler and NSU Museum . Werner Haas won the German and World Championships in the same year at the NSU Rennmax 1953 . In 1955, Hermann Paul Müller won the world championship title at the NSU Sportmax and Hans Baltisberger the title of German road champion . In 1953 Werner Haas won the German and the world championship in the 125 cc class on the "NSU Rennfox R11". Furthermore, in 1954 at the NSU Rennfox "Blue Whale" Werner Haas won the German and Rupert Hollaus the world championship.

Some selected speed and consumption world records:

NSU “Baumm IV” record vehicle from 1954 in the Neckarsulm two-wheeled museum

• 1951: Wilhelm Herz (2 cyl., 500 cm³, compressor) streamlined fairing, 290 km / h
• 1954: BAUMM I (49 cm³, 3.4 PS = ~ 2.5 kW), streamlined fairing , 127 km / h, 1955 even 151 km / h
• 1954: BAUMM II (98 cm³, 7.2 HP = ~ 5.25 kW), streamlined fairing , 178 km / h
• 1955: BAUMM II (125 cm³, 18 HP = ~ 13 kW), streamlined fairing , 218 km / h
• 1956: BAUMM III consumption record 1.13 l / 100 km at an average speed of 100 km / h.

Motorcycle production ended with the ebb of the motorcycle wave in 1963, and bicycle manufacture in the mid-1960s. NSU motorcycles were produced in Yugoslavia by Preduzeće Tito Sarajevo for a few years and sold as NSU Pretis.

NSU advertising booklet Our Prince (1958), designed by Helmuth Ellgaard

The NSU Ro 80 from 1967

In 1953, NSU Werke AG developed their first post-war car, the NSU Prinz , initially as a three-wheeled cabin scooter with the engine of the Max motorcycle, then as a four-wheeled car with a 583 cm³ two-cylinder rear engine and 20 hp (also derived from the Max engine) (15 kW). In 1957 the car was presented at the IAA . It was followed in 1961 by the Prinz 4 in the typical "bathtub design", which offered good space economy. In 1959, the Sport-Prinz came on the market with the technology of the Prinz II or III (30 hp engine). The NSU Sport-Prinz was a sporty coupe with two seats; the so-called emergency seat in the stern was just a thinly padded board. The hatchback body was designed by Bertone .

Based on the Sport-Prinz, the NSU Wankel-Spider, presented in 1963, was the world's first automobile with a rotary piston engine. Outwardly, the Spider differed from the Sport-Prinz by a convertible top and the air inlets on the front for the water cooler installed in the front.

The racing did not let even the car area into account. The Prinz 4 was already able to keep up in rallies, and there were greater successes with the Prinz 1000, the 1200 TT and the 1000 TTS , with an air-cooled OHC four-cylinder in the rear , this time with a chain drive for the camshaft . These vehicles were designed as sports sedans, which anticipated the later concept of the VW Golf GTI with a favorable power-to-weight ratio . The 1000 TTS got 70 HP (51 kW, VW Beetle 34 HP = ~ 25 kW) as standard from a displacement of 998 cm³, and tuned to over 85 HP (62 kW). At that time, this corresponded to the engine power of vehicles in the upper middle class and luxury class, but the vehicle weighed less than 700 kg. Because of their agility, the TTS were particularly successful in slalom competitions long after production had ceased.

The NSU-TT engine was also used to power the world's most powerful series motorcycle at the time, the Münch TTS (Mammut).

The NSU Wankel-Spider (1964), the first motor vehicle with a Wankel engine , and the NSU Ro 80 (1967), an upper middle class sedan with a Wankel engine, trend-setting wedge-shape design by Claus Luthe and a very favorable drag coefficient of at the time , also became famous 0.35.

Overview and selected key data

Swell:

year	company	Workforce	production			Sales (million M / RM)	Company logo
			Cycles	motorcycles	Automobiles
1873	Mechanical workshop for the production of knitting machines, Riedlingen (1873–1880) and Neckarsulm (1880–1884)	9					-
1889	Neckarsulmer Strickmaschinenfabrik AG (1884–1897)	60	200				-
1902	Neckarsulmer Fahrradwerke Aktiengesellschaft (1897–1913)	578 (1903)	5,348	474		1.74
1905		786	7,000	2,228	20 (1906)	3.18
1910		1,000	13,000	2,500		4.87
1914	Neckarsulmer Fahrzeugwerke Aktiengesellschaft (1913–1927)	1,200	27,000	3,600	900	8.20
1918		1,600	1,764			16.10
1921		3,500	12,496	3,701		50.50
1925		4,520	28,658	8,268		17.10
1930	NSU Vereinigte Fahrzeugwerke Aktiengesellschaft (1927–1932)	2.175	10,649	13,348		20.90
1933	NSU D-Rad United Vehicle Works AG (1932–1938)	929	26,538	7,962		8.00
1936		2,764	69,200	36,997		25.00
1938	NSU Werke Aktiengesellschaft (1938–1960)	3,500	135.955	62,619		37.50
1943		5,449	60,522	7,994		49.00
1945		843	8,822	98
1949		4,462	135,480	37,929		67.10
1953		5,829	62,831	110,855		139.80
1955		6,626	45,747	298,583		200.70
1957		5,663	53.501	189,329	7th	148.00
1959		7.212	40,371	129,074	33,376	220.30
1961	NSU Motorenwerke Aktiengesellschaft (1960–1969)	6,793	65,829	70,979	36,367	212.90
1963		7,637	7,425	39,819	76,295	321.40
1965		10,489		2,700	92,073	425.80
1967		9,910			101,919	473.30
1969	Audi NSU Auto Union Aktiengesellschaft	11,504			143.936	780.00	-

1969 - Audi and NSU

The old "NSU Casino" (July 2005)

Audi Forum Neckarsulm (July 2005)

On August 21, 1969, what was then NSU AG and Auto Union GmbH, which was part of the Volkswagen Group and based in Ingolstadt, merged to form Audi NSU Auto Union AG , based in Neckarsulm. The K 70, which had just been developed at the time, was taken over by Volkswagen and built as the VW K 70 .

After the decision to close the Neckarsulm plant in 1975, a protest rally by IG Metall at a factory gate developed into a protest march to Heilbronn on April 18, 1975 , in which 7,000 of the 10,500 employees took part. This prevented the closure. 4,500 jobs were nevertheless cut.

In 1985 the name was changed to Audi AG , the name NSU disappeared from the company . The stock exchange symbol for the Audi AG share continues to be NSU, as today's Audi AG is legally nothing other than NSU AG, which has been renamed several times. The seat was relocated to Ingolstadt in Bavaria.

In October 2005 one of the last old buildings of the NSU Motorenwerke - the "NSU casino" - was demolished because it had to make way for an SE center. In the picture from July 2005, it is still reflected - almost symbolically - in the top right of the facade of the Audi Forum , which is exactly opposite at Christian-Schmidt-Platz.

NSU today

The abbreviation NSU is still used synonymously for Neckarsulm, here on a street sign

Today's NSU GmbH - the traditional company of Audi AG - is an Audi subsidiary and was founded in 1985 to maintain the tradition of the Neckarsulm location .

On September 30th and October 1st, 2006, the Audi plant in Neckarsulm celebrated the 100th anniversary of automobile manufacturing in Neckarsulm with an open day . With this anniversary celebration, production of the new Audi R8 sports car (resulting from the Le Mans study) began.

Two-wheel models at a glance

The most important NSU motorcycles 1901–1918

Swell:

Type	engine	Cubic capacity in cm³	Max. Power in kW (PS)	at speed in 1 / min	construction time	image
Neckarsulmer 1 1/4 hp	1-cylinder four-stroke	211	0.9 (1.25)	1500	1901-1902
Neckarsulmer 2 1/2 hp	1-cylinder four-stroke	331	1.8 (2.5)	2200	1903-1905	-
Neckarsulmer 1 1/4 hp	1-cylinder four-stroke	210	0.9 (1.25)	-	1908	-
Neckarsulmer 4 hp	1-cylinder four-stroke	554	5.4 (7.3)	2200	1909-1912	-
Neckarsulmer 2 1/2 hp	2-cylinder four-stroke	312	3.4 (4.6)	2000	1909-1911	-
Neckarsulmer 6 hp	2-cylinder four-stroke	795	6.0 (8.1)	2000	1909-1912	-
NSU 2 1/2 PS	1-cylinder four-stroke	326	3.1 (4.2)	1800	1913-1918	-
NSU 3 1/2 PS	2-cylinder four-stroke	496	4.2 (5.75)	2000	1913-1918
NSU 6 1/2 PS	2-cylinder four-stroke	830	6.3 (8.5)	2000	1913-1921	-

The most important NSU motorcycles 1919–1945

Swell:

Type	engine	Cubic capacity in cm³	Max. Power in kW (PS)	at speed in 1 / min	construction time	image
NSU 4 hp	2-cylinder four-stroke	498	4.8 (6.5)	-	1919-1922	-
NSU 8 hp	2-cylinder four-stroke	996	8.9 (12)	-	1921-1927	-
NSU 502 T / TS	2-cylinder four-stroke	498	7.4 (10)	-	1924-1926	-
NSU 251 R	1-cylinder four-stroke	249	4.4 (6)	-	1924-1928
NSU 251 S	1-cylinder four-stroke	247	7.4 (10)	4400	1927-1929
NSU 251 T / TS	1-cylinder four-stroke	249	4.4 (6)	-	1928-1933	-
NSU 501 S.	1-cylinder four-stroke	494	12 (16)	4400	1928-1930	-
NSU 201 R / T	1-cylinder four-stroke	199	3.4 (4.5)	-	1928-1930	-
NSU 301 T	1-cylinder four-stroke	298	5.1 (7)	-	1929-1930
NSU 351 TS	1-cylinder four-stroke	346	5.9 (8)	-	1930-1932	-
NSU-D 175 Z / ZD	1-cylinder two-stroke	173	3.3 (4.5) / ZD: 4.4 (5.5)	4000	1930-1933	-
NSU-D 201 Z	1-cylinder two-stroke	198	3.7 (5)	4000	1930-1932	-
NSU-D 251 Z	1-cylinder two-stroke	245	4.4 (6)	4000	1930-1933	-
NSU-D 501 TS	1-cylinder four-stroke	494	9 (12.5)	4250	1930-1936	-
NSU-D 601 TS	1-cylinder four-stroke	592	10 (14) (from 1936: 12 (16))	4350	1930-1939
NSU-D Motosulm	1-cylinder two-stroke	63	0.9 (1.25)	4000	1931-1935
NSU 501 SS	1-cylinder four-stroke	494	22 (30)	5800	1935-1937	-
NSU 600 SS	1-cylinder four-stroke	597	24.5 (33.5) (from 1937: 32 (43.5))	5500	1935-1938	-
NSU-D 201 OSL	1-cylinder four-stroke	198	6.3 (8.5)	5000	1933-1939
NSU-D 251 OSL	1-cylinder four-stroke	242	7.5 (10.5)	5070	1933-1943 1947-1952
NSU-D 201 ZD Pony / ZDB	1-cylinder two-stroke	198	4.8 (6.5) (from 1938: 5.2 (7))	4000	1934-1940
NSU-D 351 OSL	1-cylinder four-stroke	346	13 (18)	5020	1934-1940	-
NSU-D 501 OSL	1-cylinder four-stroke	494	16 (22)	5150	1935-1939	-
NSU-D Quick	1-cylinder two-stroke	98	2.2 (3)	4900	1936-1940
NSU-D 351 OT	1-cylinder four-stroke	331	9 (12.5)	4000	1936-1939	-
NSU 601 OSL	1-cylinder four-stroke	562	18 (24)	4950	1937-1939
NSU 125 ZDB	1-cylinder two-stroke	123	3.3 (4.0)	4500	1941
NSU Kettenkrad HK-101	4-cylinder four-stroke	1,478	26.5 (36)	3400	1941-1948

The most important NSU motorcycles 1946–1964

Swell:

Type	engine	Cubic capacity in cm³	Max. Power in kW (PS)	at speed in 1 / min	construction time	image
NSU Quick	1-cylinder two-stroke	97	2.2 (3)	4750	1945-1953
NSU 125 ZDB	1-cylinder two-stroke	123	3.7 (5)	4600	1947-1951
NSU Fox 4-stroke	1-cylinder four-stroke	98	3.8 (5.2)	6500	1949-1954
NSU Fox 2-stroke	1-cylinder two-stroke	123	4 (5.4)	5300	1951-1954
NSU Lambretta	1-cylinder two-stroke	123 (from 1954: 146)	3.3 (4.5) (from 1954: 4.5 (6.2))	4500 (5200)	1950-1956
NSU Consul I 351 OS-T	1-cylinder four-stroke	349	13 (18)	5500	1951-1953
NSU Consul II 501 OS-T	1-cylinder four-stroke	498	16 (22)	5000	1951-1954	-
NSU Lux / Superlux	1-cylinder two-stroke	198	6.3 (8.6) (Superlux: 8 (11))	5250	1951-1956
NSU Max / Supermax	1-cylinder four-stroke	247	12.5 (17) (Supermax: 13 (18))	6500	1952-1963
NSU Quickly N / S / L / T / TT / F	1-cylinder two-stroke	49	1 (1.4) (from 1959: 1.2 (1.7))	4600	1953-1963
NSU Superfox	1-cylinder four-stroke	123	6.6 (8.8)	6500	1955-1958
NSU Delphin I + III (350 cm³) world record motorcycle	2-cylinder four-stroke	347	55 (75)	8500	1951 and 1956
NSU Delphin I + III (500 cm³) world record motorcycle	2-cylinder four-stroke	499	81 (110)	8500	1951 and 1956
NSU Baumm II (125 cm³) world record motorcycle	1-cylinder four-stroke	125	15 (20)	11,000	1955-1956	-
NSU Baumm IV (250 cm³) world record motorcycle	2-cylinder four-stroke	498.74	31 (42)	11,000	1956
NSU Prima D / V / III / IIIK	1-cylinder two-stroke	146 (Prima V: 175)	4.5 (6.2) (Prima V: 7 (9.5))	5200	1956-1964
NSU Maxi	1-cylinder four-stroke	174	9.2 (12.5)	6500	1957-1964

Car models at a glance

NSU automobiles (Pipe license) 1905–1910

Swell:

Type	engine	Cubic capacity in cm³	Max. Power in hp	at speed in 1 / min	construction time	image
NSU pipe 34 hp	4-cylinder four-stroke	3768	34	-	1905-1906	-
NSU pipe 50 hp	4-cylinder four-stroke	8290	50	-	1905-1906	-
NSU pipe 15/24 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	3768	24	1650	1906-1910	-
NSU pipe 25/40 PS	6-cylinder four-stroke	6494	40	1100	1908-1909	-

NSU automobiles 1905–1918

Swell:

Type	engine	Cubic capacity in cm³	Max. Power in hp	at speed in 1 / min	construction time	image
NSU Sulmobil type II / IV	1-cylinder four-stroke	451	3.5	-	1905-1909	-
NSU Sulmobil type III	2-cylinder four-stroke	795	5.5	-	1909	-
NSU 6/8 PS	1-cylinder four-stroke	451	8th	-	1906	-
NSU 6/10 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	1420	12	1650	1906-1907	-
NSU 6/12 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	1540	13	1500	1907-1909	-
NSU 6/14 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	1560	14th	1650	1910-1911	-
NSU 6/18 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	1560	18th	1800	1911-1914	-
NSU 10/20 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	2608	20th	1400	1907-1910	-
NSU 10/22 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	2608	22nd	1400	1910-1911	-
NSU 10/30 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	2608	30th	1600	1911-1916	-
NSU 5/10 PS	2-cylinder four-stroke	1105	10	1400	1910	-
NSU 5/11 PS	2-cylinder four-stroke	1105	11	1400	1911-1913	-
NSU 5/10 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	1132	10	1600	1910-1911	-
NSU 5/11 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	1132	11	1600	1911-1913	-
NSU 8/15 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	1750	16	1500	1907-1910	-
NSU 9/18 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	2208	18th	1400	1910-1911	-
NSU 9/22 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	2208	22nd	1400	1911-1912	-
NSU 9/27 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	2208	27	1400	1911-1912	-
NSU 8/24 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	2110	24	1800	1911-1918	-
NSU 13/40 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	3397-3768	40	1800	1911-1912	-
NSU 13/35 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	3397	35-40	1700	1912-1914	-
NSU 5/12 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	1132	12	1600	1913-1914	-
NSU 5/15 hp	4-cylinder four-stroke	1232	15th	1800	1914-1918
NSU 1¼ tonner	4-cylinder four-stroke	3397	35	1800	1914-1918	-
NSU 2½ ton truck	4-cylinder four-stroke	3380	42	1700	1914-1926	-

NSU automobiles 1919–1931

Swell:

Type	engine	Cubic capacity in cm³	Max. Power in hp	at speed in 1 / min	construction time	image
NSU 8/24 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	2110	30th	2100	1921-1925	-
NSU 14/40 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	3606	54	2000	1921-1925	-
NSU 5/15 hp	4-cylinder four-stroke	1231	21st	2100	1921-1925	-
NSU 8/32 HP delivery van	4-cylinder four-stroke	2088	32	2200	1925-1927	-
NSU 5/25 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	1307	25th	2900	1925-1928	-
NSU 8/40 PS	4-cylinder four-stroke	2088	40	2800	1925-1927
NSU 5/15 PS (supercharged racing car)	4-cylinder four-stroke	1232	40-50	4000	1923-1925	-
NSU 6/60 PS (supercharged racing car)	6-cylinder four-stroke	1482	60	3800	1925-1926
NSU 6/30 PS	6-cylinder four-stroke	1567	30th	3000	1928
NSU 7/34 PS	6-cylinder four-stroke	1781	34	3200	1928-1931

NSU automobiles 1946–1977

Swell:

Type	engine	Cubic capacity in cm³	Max. Power in hp	at speed in 1 / min	construction time	image
NSU Prince I / II	2-cylinder four-stroke	583	20th	4600	1958-1960
NSU Prinz 30 / 30E	2-cylinder four-stroke	583	30th	5500	1959-1960
NSU Prince III	2-cylinder four-stroke	583	23	5000	1960–1962
NSU Prinz 30 (III)	2-cylinder four-stroke	583-598	30th	5500	1960–1962	-
NSU Sports Prince	2-cylinder four-stroke	583-598	30th	5500	1959-1967
NSU Prinz 4 / 4S / 4L	2-cylinder four-stroke	598	30th	5600	1961-1973
NSU Wankel Spider	Single-disc rotary engine	498	50	6000	1964-1967
NSU Prinz 1000 / 1000L / 1000S	4-cylinder four-stroke	996	40-43	5500	1964-1972
NSU Prinz 1000 TT / TT	4-cylinder four-stroke	1085-1177	55-65	5500-5800	1965-1972
NSU type 110 / 110S / 110SC	4-cylinder four-stroke	1085-1177	53-60	5500-5600	1965-1967
NSU TTS	4-cylinder four-stroke	996	70	6150	1967-1971
NSU 1200 / 1200C	4-cylinder four-stroke	1177	55	5500	1967-1973
NSU K 70 (only sold as VW K 70 )	4-cylinder four-stroke	1567	90	5000	1969 (as VW K 70: 1970–1975)
NSU Ro 80	Two-disc rotary engine	2 × 498	115	5500	1967-1977

Timeline

Timeline of the Auto-Union , DKW , NSU and Audi models and Volkswagen models derived from them from 1949 to 1979
Auto Union		Auto Union GmbH , independent									Auto Union GmbH , majority owned by Daimler-Benz AG							Auto Union GmbH , majority owned by Volkswagenwerk AG				Audi NSU Auto Union AG , majority from Volkswagenwerk AG
NSU		NSU Werke AG , independent											NSU Motorenwerke AG , independent
Type	Body versions	1940s	1950s										1960s										1970s
		9	0	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	0	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	0	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9
Small car	Hatchback																											Audi 50 (Type 86)
																												VW Polo (Type 86) ...
	Notchback										NSU Prinz (type 40)				NSU Prinz 4 (Type 47)															VW Derby (Type 87) ...
																	NSU Prinz 1000/1000 TT (type 67)
	Coupe										NSU Sport Prince (Type 41)
Small car / lower middle class	Notchback																	NSU type 110 / NSU 1200 (type 77)
												DKW Junior			DKW F11 / F12
	Cabriolet																NSU Wankel Spider (Type 56)
																	DKW F12 Roadster
Middle class	Cabriolet		DKW F89 F				DKW F91		DKW 3 = 6 (F93)
	Sedan / notchback		DKW F89 P				DKW F91		DKW 3 = 6 (F93 / F94)		Auto Union 1000/1000 S.						DKW F 102		Audi / Audi 60/75/80 / Super 90 (F103)						Audi 80 (B1; type 80/82)						Audi 80 (B2; type 81/85) ...
	Station wagon			DKW F89U			DKW F91U			DKW 3 = 6 (F94U)		Auto Union 1000 U							Audi / Audi 60/75/80 (F103)							VW Passat (B1; Type 33) ...
	Hatchback / Coupe						DKW F91		DKW 3 = 6 (F93)		Auto Union 1000/1000 S.															VW Passat (B1; Type 32) ...
	Notchback																						VW K 70 (Type 86; VW Type 48)
upper middle class	Notchback																				Audi 100 (C1)									Audi 100 (C2) ...
	Hatchback																						Audi 100 Coupé S (C1)								Audi 100 (C2) ...
	Notchback																			NSU Ro 80 (type 80)												Audi 200 (C2; Type 43) ...
Sports car	Coupe							DKW 3 = 6 Monza			Auto Union 1000 SP									NSU TT / TTS (type 67)
	Convertible										Auto Union 1000 SP
Off-road vehicle								DKW Munga
Vans	Panel van, flatbed, bus	DKW Schnellaster (F 89 L / Type 30 / Type 3)														DKW F1000L												sold to Daimler-Benz, continued as Mercedes-Benz N1300
Offered by Auto Union under the brand name DKW . Offered by Auto Union under the Auto Union brand name . Offered under the brand name NSU . Developed by NSU, sold under the brand name Volkswagen . Offered under the brand name Audi . Developed by Audi, sold under the brand name Volkswagen .

See also

NSU vintage cars in the Autovision Museum, Altlußheim

• German two-wheeler and NSU museum
• Autovision Museum

literature

• Peter Schönhaar: Contributions to the history of the development of NSU motorcycles. Volume I – V, self-published, 1983–1984.
• Peter Schneider: The NSU Story - The Chronicle of a World Brand. 1st edition, Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-613-01853-5 .
• Peter Schneider: NSU automobiles 1905–1977. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-613-02867-8 .
• Peter Schneider: NSU in the picture - motorcycles since 1900. 1st edition, Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-613-02063-7 .
• Peter Schneider: NSU motorcycles, 1900–1966, type compass. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-613-02355-5 .
• Peter Schneider: NSU 1873–1984 - From high-bike to automobile. 1st edition, Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1985, ISBN 3-613-01086-0 .
• Peter Kirchberg, Thomas Erdmann, Ralph Plagmann: The Wheel of Time - The History of AUDI AG. 3rd edition, status: 8/00, publisher: AUDI AG Ingolstadt, Verlag Delius Klasing, Bielefeld 2000, ISBN 3-7688-1011-9 .
• Ms. Herzog: NSU 1873–1923 - On the 50th anniversary of Neckarsulmer Fahrzeugwerke Aktiengesellschaft Neckarsulm. NSU GmbH, Neckarsulm 1923 (facsimile of the original from January 1987).
• Dieter Herz, Karl Reese: The NSU racing history 1904–1956. 1st edition, Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1982, ISBN 3-87943-797-1 .
• Hugo Wilson: The Lexicon of the Motorcycle. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-613-01719-9 .
• Mareike Hieber, Susanne Jauch, Ralph Plagmann, Gerhard Schwinghammer: 100 years of Neckarsulm automobile manufacture. Ed .: AUDI AG - Communication, Neckarsulm, status: 09/2006.
• Arthur Westrup : Drive Prince and you are King. Stories from NSU history. Bielefeld: Delius Klasing 1995, ISBN 3-7688-0890-4 .

Web links

Commons : NSU Motorenwerke  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• German Two-Wheeler Museum - NSU Museum
• Link catalog on NSU at curlie.org (formerly DMOZ )
• nsu24.de
• Private NSU site ( Memento from April 27, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
• Early documents and newspaper articles on NSU Motorenwerke in the 20th Century press kit of the ZBW - Leibniz Information Center for Economics .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Peter Schneider: The NSU Story - The Chronicle of a World Brand , Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1997
2. ↑ Message from the head of the Neckarsulm city archive (Barbara Löslein) ( Memento of the original from June 10, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
3. ↑ nsu-griffzu.de - See under "What does the name NSU mean?"
4. ^ Statement by Markus Trunzer, managing director of NSU GmbH, on the discussion page NSU Motorenwerke
5. ^ The NSU company history. German Bicycle and NSU Museum, accessed on June 18, 2015 . 
6. ↑ Further sources of the paragraph on automobile production 1924 to 1932:
   Anton Heyler: Neckarsulm in the up and down of half a century. Chronicle 1900–1950 . Welker, Neckarsulm 1955. pp. 140-149
   Friedrich Dürr, Karl Wulle, Willy Dürr, Helmut Schmolz, Werner Föll: Chronicle of the City of Heilbronn. Volume III: 1922-1933 . Heilbronn City Archives, Heilbronn 1986, ISBN 978-3-928990-14-1 (Publications of the Heilbronn City Archives, 29). S. LI-LII, 184, 374, 592
7. ^ Hanns-Peter von Thyssen-Bornemissza: NSU Prinz. Prince Guard . Schrader, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-613-87179-3 , p. 108
8. ^ Minutes of the Supervisory Board meeting on January 23, 1948
9. ↑ Biography of Walter Egon Niegtsch , compiled by the NSU AG, Neckarsulm (undated)
10. ^ Peter Schneider: The NSU story. Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart 1997, p. 410 to 412.
11. ↑ Peter Kirchberg: The wheel of time. Delius Klasing Bielefeld 1997, pp. 182 to 217.
12. ↑ Barbara Barth: Lived solidarity decided the question of fate. Stimme.de, April 20, 2005, accessed October 2, 2016 . 
13. ↑ Stefan Scheytt: History written -. In: Magazin Mitbestteilung, issue 01 + 02/2010. Hans Böckler Foundation, accessed on October 2, 2016 . 
14. ^ Peter Schneider: The NSU story. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, pp. 228-263.
15. ^ Peter Schneider: The NSU story. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, pp. 264-301.
16. ^ Peter Schneider: The NSU story. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1997, pp. 341–387.
17. ^ Peter Schneider: The NSU story. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2012. ISBN 978-3-613-03397-9 . Pp. 320-321.
18. ^ Peter Schneider: The NSU story. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2012. ISBN 978-3-613-03397-9 . Pp. 322-338.
19. ^ Peter Schneider: The NSU story. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2012. ISBN 978-3-613-03397-9 . Pp. 332-344.
20. ^ Peter Schneider: The NSU story. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2012. ISBN 978-3-613-03397-9 . Pp. 381-405.