How does this NSU Ro 80 with a Wankel rotary engine look and sound like today
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2023
- This is the legendary NSU Ro 80, the car which came before the Audi era at NSU and which was the first large-scale production car in the world to have a rotary Wankel engine, with 2 rotors!
It also had a weird design, but it is a masterpiece of engineering courage. Today we are going to discover the intriguing story and engineering of the NSU Ro 80 and explore this car, found in Switzerland, at Oldtimer Gallerie Toffen.
Special thanks to Oldtimer Galerie Toffen for providing us the car! ► / oldtimergalerietoffen
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I wss the UK's top NSU RO80 salesman in 1974, I sold 4 and received £250 bonus on each sale. It was a fantastic car but cost a fortune to run. The rotor tips would wear out and it would lose compression. In 1976 I was offered a 74 model that I had sold in part exchange, it had done just 11,000 mile. The Glasses Guide trade price was £1200, on appraisal (after compression test) we found it needed new rotor tips and an new exhaust totalling £1400, so the value was -£200. We managed to do a deal at £1000 in part exchange writing most of the profit out of the car he was buying. The dealer principal had one for years it was his favourite car ever.
Nice story!
Congratulations for your very interesting story. The Ro 80 has always been my favorite car, it was a luxury car, it had a revolutionary engine. In Italy it was a car purchased by professionals, managers, lawyers and doctors. Although, unfortunately, with the technology at the end of the 60s, the sealing blade of the rotors wore out too soon and the engine consumed a lot of oil. Citroën also used the Wankel engine in the Gs and it was initially tested on a two-door experimemtal Ami coupé. The only car manufacturer that continued to develop and perfect the Wankel engine was Mazda, the latest model being the Rx8 until 2012 , but now due to excessive pollution, the Rx8 is no longer produced anymore and I don't know if and when Maxda will be able to build an eco-friendly Wankel engine. Thanks again for sharing your experience as a seller.
How cool 😎
If I remember correctly, Mazda fixed the apex seal problem with graphites.
I thought the Ro80 had a three year no quibble engine replacement warranty....?
Today when you look at an Ro80 it is hard to believe it was made in 1967
I always see my (beloved) Audi 80 and Audi 90 when I see this Ro 80. I wonder why. 😄
It push car design forward - a big keap
@@manoman0 Claus Luthe was also designer at Audi between 1972 and 1982.. Audi 80 B2 and 100 type 43 have his handscript on them..
Verdade, carro muito moderno pra sua época.
I am 70 years now, and a lot of incidents during my lifetime is lost. One I still remember clearly is when I saw the NSU Ro 80 for the first time. I remember the exact spot I stood. What a beauty.
Fascinating to hear that about NSU Ro 80!
Yes I remember when I first saw it, in dark green. Marvellous.
I’m 70 too and have a similar memory! I guess you’ve loved cars ever since as well 😀
🍀👋
My grandfather Gerd von Heydekampf was head of the company (NSU) when the Ro 80 was developed and built. Our family had one from the late 60s to the mid-70s. Still a beautiful machine, in spite of its problems.
Almost as far ahead of its time as the Citroen DS. Looked beautiful, spacious and comfortable, great ride and handling. With a decent reciprocal engine it would have been a great success, the revolutionary but troublesome Wankel engine was its only flaw. Your Grandfather created a timeless classic.
We are honoured to see that this video reached your attention. Your grandfather with his team at NSU created a masterpiece indeed!
I enjoy the Mazda renesis because this car made it possible. I want to build a rotary powered A4 as an evolution of the ro80.
@@davidedgar7338better do a Passat - more in style as a sedan
It's a shame NSU went for the Wankel engine as it was a dead end technologically. If they had built a 2 litre alloy V6 instead NSU would still be a leading make, because the basic car was absolutely wonderful.
I am 67 years old now, live in Hong Kong. My family had a RO80 when I was 12 years old. I have driven the car in our backyard for several times.
This car was far ahead of its time .even the body and styling was revolutionary and the engineering sublime. This is a monument to the folks at NSU who came up with this and looking at the Audis of a few years after, its influence can be clearly seen. An iconic milestone in automotive history for sue..
Maybe it should have been a K80 instead of a RO80.
Still looks fantastic all these years later .
The design was from Claus Luthe, who was later BMW Designer between 1983 and 1992, he designed the famous BMW 7series which housed the famous V12 engine from 1987 to 1994.. and the 5 Series E36 from 1987 to 1996 produced…. you find the line in the middle of the body there ..
I have one Ro80 fit for running and 2 for restauration. The engine is greedy to high rotation. And it has a design of speed, not baroque like today's SUV transportation look.
These looked space age in comparison to other cars of the era. I remember them speeding along in the fast lane, looking super cool.
A car well ahead of its time.
Je me souviens très bien de la première NSU RO80 que j'ai vue, en 1967. C'était à Dellbrück, près de Cologne. Je faisais mon service militaire. Après mon service militaire, je suis rentré en Belgique fin 1967 et me suis acheté une NSU 1200TT. MAZDA a gagné les 24 heures du Mans le 23 juin 1991 avec le prototype 787 B dont le moteur rotatif développait 700 chevaux. Aujourd'hui, à 76 ans, je roule en Mazda 3. Merci pour cette vidéo magnifique. Quelle belle voiture !
Der RO 80 war Innovation pur!!!
The styling must have seemed like from a future century I 1967, let alone the engine..Considering that the Morris minor and Ford Anglia were in production at that time! Mind blown.
Yes, indeed, this car feels like at least 15-20 years ahead of its time!
The NSU RO 80 was an amazing car it was so advanced and such a revolutionary design.
Unfortunately the engine suffered many problems and the warranty claims caused NSU to become bankrupt, and as stated it amalgamated into the Audi company.
I drove a friend's Mazda RX in the 1980s it was absolutely fantastic with the rotorary engine
I drove one of those about fifty years ago. Went like a rocket!
This is still a fine looking motor car, motor cars where really designed back in those days. Today one car looks very much like another. Great video by the way.
Lucky enough to have had a ride in one back in the 1970s. Fast and smooth. And the design is timeless. Also drove a Mazda with a rotary engine around the same time. Changing gears smoothly a little tricky with the way the engine kind of surged but vey smooth too under power. The sound was not too different from a reciprocating engine.
My next door neighbour in the 1970s had a Mazda Capella rotary. He used to get 17 l/100 km at best. Had to start the car 5 minutes before leaving home.
17 l/100 km? Wow! It is known the these engines used to be thirsty, but 17 is beyond one would assume!
@NSWLancer I drive a 1972 Mazda Capella Rotary. I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about! It's instart start and drive. And not thistry unless you floor it. Of course, you tend to floor it because it is such tremendous fun. ;^)
Please keep in mind that cars at that time with reciprocal engines with same power also took that much gas! And many needed high octane gazoline. The Ro80 uses low octane gas which was much cheaper back then.
@@dirkm1964 you made a good point, we often forget to think in different parameters when seeing numbers of these cars.
@@xntrcshft that is a great choice!
It still is a beautiful model!
''Legendary'' Yes. Some of us are old enough to remember it sitting outside on the street too. What is funny is it looked modern in every decade. We said wow it looks like it was made today in the 80s, wow in the 90s, wow in the 00s, 10s, 20s...It looks timeless.
Timeless is the best word to describe it for sure!
@@timelessdriving I thought so ha, ha.
I remember working on a Ro80 back in 1981.
Very strange car but I liked it.
Norton would also later build motorcycles with a rotary engine.
Very cool, and a stunningly clean and modern design!
Beautiful car.
Very informative & interesting feature, these where way ahead of there time.
Looking forward to more reviews on your channel, great content 👍🏻😀
Thank you, it's very encouraging to read that!
Unfortunately, I was probably 5-10 years too late to buy an Ro80… but I certainly would have !
But I did buy a series 3/4 Mazda RX7 later on in life 😎
Beautiful car!!
You‘re spot on !
I had one in the 70s always had a clean spark plug with me!
One of the most amazing cars ever made.
Agree. Along with the Citroen DS, Lancia Fluvia, Alfa Romeo GTV, and Jaguar E type.
Yeah, Lancia Fulvia coupé was one special car. I remember being stunned when I saw my first one in about 1970. Years later, I acquired a red 1600HF, probably the sweetest car I’ve ever owned, lovely styling, exquisite engineering, jewel-like handling…
@@roybatty2030 ... actually I'd take out the Alfa GTV, as it doesn't quite sit with the other cars mentioned here. In its place I'd put the very classy Fiat 2300S coupe.
I saw comments from a Swedish automotive Journalist, about his NSU Ro 80: Yes his 3rd engine was fine! Only Mazda managed to make a long lasting Wankel engine.
For me, the NSU RO 80 has always been the absolute most beautiful car from the sixties. I can still enjoy the beautiful lines of this car. VW had previously taken over Audi and when VW then took over the NSU factory at the beginning of the seventies, it was done with the RO 80 as VW thought that this would be too big a competitor for their rather boring Audi 100. It was a shame. I'm glad that there are people who still keep this beautiful car alive.
It is a beauty of the sixties indeed! And thankfully there are still some well kept cars, dealing with its sophisticated engineering.
@@timelessdriving The rotary engine was thought by many to be the engine of the future. It had many good qualities, but durability was not one of them - although examples to the contrary can be found. It was rumored that when two RO 80 owners met each other on the road, they marked the number of engine changes with the same number of fingers in the air. Some completely abandoned this engine and had an Audi 100 engine put in the car instead.
Kan me nog goed herinneren toen die uit kwam.Sprong er echt uit.
This is a really timeless design that seems modern also with the eyes of today.
Bellissima!!! 😀
I used to do a lot of tune-up the Rx2 and the Rx3 the Rx4 were just coming out, we use the best plugs points condenser and we had made our plug wires out of Belgian wire. Get maximum performance.
The most innovative car in the history, ahead also at the fantastic Alfasud
We didn't get many NSU's here in the USA because of not having an large established dealership network. The reviews on the RO 80 were ecstatic about handling and performance, but it would have done better with a 4-speed and a clutch. The rotary engine was originally a concept well ahead of the technology needed to make it great. I was a child in the 60's but I already understood how engines worked, and to see how a rotary worked was mind-blowing. Mazda was eventually able to solve all the Wankel's problems as materials technology advanced, but these early engines had rotor tip seals which wore out rapidly, and even the later ones couldn't go as long as the piston engines of the time. They were race winning engines where displacement was limited since you could rebuild/ replace them between races until rules changes penalized them. In the end, emissions regulations killed the rotary engine but it was a 'wonder-child' in it's time.
I drove for quite a long time my NSU RO80. The problems were many; 2x engine change, many oilpumps and continual starting problems. But at that time luxurious driving, high speed, high fuelconsumption; terrific roadholding etc. Indeed, far ahead of its time but the engine malfunctions killed the project.
Very unique vehicle.... my dad had a 1969 VW convertible with a similar transmission.....practically an automatic but you changed the gears.....no clutch, from what i heard the 3rd gear made the engine run at too high rpm and engines suffered.....probably not so critical on the NSU since it had a much higher rev line....but in both cases it would use more fuel than a regular manual transmission.
Great video. I believe this car has set the design template for Audi until the current day.
Yes, the design basics from this car are there even today on Audi!
My mate had one 1978 he loved it luckily he was a time served mechanic and had his own garage it was a light blue colour very comfortable
That blue color suits this model very well!
The new "liquid piston" rotary is more reliable. The seals are stationary AFAIK. Hope to see them soon in vehicles. Already sold for small engine aps.
Another special car for sure!
In the Spring of 1978, my Father was looking for a 'new' car to replace his written off 1968 Rover 2000TC, I remember going with him to look at a choice between a Triumph Stag and an NSU Ro80, he really liked the futuristic design of the car, but in the end, he was put off by the generally accepted wisdom about both those cars having unreliable engines, and instead he bought a 4 year old Triumph 2000 Mk.2/TC Saloon, which he kept for 12 years, until he replaced it in 1990 with a 6 month old Peugeot 495GLD.
hmm, he picked a triumph and a peugot in the interests of reliability :)
@PRH123 Generally speaking, he made good decisions, the Triumph lasted 12 years until it was written off in an accident, and the Peugeot, likewise lasted 9+ years until it was rear ended by a truck. Both cars were pretty good overall.
We have heard of it! One of my favorites of all time, even if it was never sold in the US (AFAIK). Beautiful and before its time.
back in the 1970's i used to have a 1:43 scale model of the Ro80 in wine red color. I think it was made by Corgi Toys.
Even back then i already knew about the Wankel engine. Great car and a true classic.
selten blöder komentar was hatt das mit dem bericht zu tun du spinner
I have liked these car from their initial release even though they never came to Australia.
Really? The half-dozen I've known must have been grey-market imports - RHD and all.
Cool car
A friend of mine had one - but he could never become accustomed to the gear change - his left foot was always looking for the clutch pedal but would find the brake instead
Both the Munich and Berlin tech/transport museums have Ro 80s. Still a modern and beautifully designed car down to the details. (They should have realized that the rotary engine wasn't up for it besides getting poor fuel economy, and found some V4 or something to use instead.)
This car hardly looks dated after all these decades. Rotary engine had so much promise and was so revolution, only no one was able to solve the apex seal challenge.
Exactly, more than 50 years and still feeling contemporary in its design, that's how we feel as well.
Nice design
A guy I worked with in the 70s had one of these it looked like a spaceship parked next to all the other cars.
That old girl needs a tune up, they should sound a LOT smoother than that, even cold. Needs a new muffler too…
They are quite sensitive to spark plug condition, so start with that.
Yes, it may very well be the case. This engine has 99K km on the clock and has been running mainly short distances in recent years, a fresh tune up, or a longer drive at least, would do it a favour.
No, daddy, i DON'T want a pony for Christmas.
I want that NSU !
?
A few even made it down here to Perth, Western Australia (one of the most isolated cities in the world). I remember them fondly in the early 70s.
I can remember see nsu in the vw garage my father had 2 VW K70S
If I am not mistaking, this car NSU Ro 80 and NSU Prinz were built also in Yugoslavia, Sarajevo...TAS factory, where later VW were made also.
As far as we know, it was the case only with NSU Prinz, built by Pretis. NSU Ro 80 has been only manufactured at Neckarsulm plant, which today is an Audi plant.
There's an excellent history of the Ro80 on the Ate Up With Motor blog.
We had a Sport Prinz in Germany in the early 70’s, and a VW411 Variant. Dreamt my dad would get an Ro80 instead of the VW.
And dad never got the car you dreamt of, right? I had the same feeling as a kid, waiting for him to return home with the dream model, and then he just came back with a new car, but with the same undesired model as the old one. Would be an experience to share in a future video, maybe. VW411 Variant must have been a pretty interesting car to own, though. And it goes without saying that NSU Sport Prinz was an exquisite choice for those times.
A teacher at school had a metallic green one
This is up there with the Citroen DS as one of the most revolutionary cars ever.
Very true!
IMO, the price of 25,000 Swiss Francs is fair for a Ro 80 in the condition this appears to be in.
Happy to see you found it at Oldtimer Galerie :) You are right, 25K Swiss Francs seems like a fair price, considering the condition, how many were made and the glory of its engineering!
I miss the time when cars where fun.
A rumour says, that when Ro 80 drivers passed each other and greeted, they put as many fingers up as is the number of engines they have had overhauled or replaced already. Engine mileage was known to be poor. No wonder that this car is a real rarity nowadays.
Yes, we've heard that rumor too, may very well be true.
The styling was also copied by many other manufacturers in the mid to late 1970's. You only have to look at GM cars such as Opels, Vauxhalls and Holdens from that period to see whay I mean. The NSU Ro 80 was a truly amazing car. That clutchless manual may have been one of the earliest examples of the genre.
I believe that a small family engineering firm in England would swap the Wankel engine for a Ford V4 engine.
That may be an interesting solution.
i think that would be hurley engineering in Coventry.
I was lucky enough to have a drive in one back in the 70's great motor but engine rebuild was a fairly regular operation
Yes, i have heard of it and the engine who also was killing it.
Rare car😊
Always wanted one as a kid, and 8 years ago I finally got one (here in NZ)…love it but must admit it’s not practical for me. I brought it as a once a month Sunday drive to enjoy thing..,but it these demand to be driven and don’t like being parked up. Every time I use mine it’s a pig to get going but warms to the task…only to throw a tanty because I park it up again
Narrator's accent is so close to Speedy Gonzales. Si!
How fascinating do you think this NSU Ro 80, with its unique engineering, was back then and how much did it impress you today?
My cousin bought one from new - lovely car but after he passed it on to one of his employess the guy was killed in a head on collision.
This is the car that sent NSU to the wall with all the warranty claims, mineI had 3 engine changes.
Johan Lenman's Garage 😁
sounds ideal on a hybrid
Remember a guy I worked with had one in the late 70s. Irrespective of the engineering, one nice looking vehicle, better looking than the slab audis that followed IMO
The aerodynamics was inspired from Wunibald Kamm‘s research
the problem with WANKLE ENGINES is the apex seals .i still think they was a big problem for many years
THIS car defined Audi decades to come. You can see that same design language up to the late 2000. Then they went all wonky.
The NSU would have been a great car if it wasn't equipped with a rotary.
What a fantastic car! The only car that could surpass it was the Citroen DS!
Indeed, a good comparison. Haven't filmed a DS yet, but you can find the successor on the channel - Citroen SM. And of course, more cars to follow soon!
A Wartbourg Knight may be an interesting car to review, although perhaps not really fitting this channels criteria. Here in the UK my father and his friend had one. Not the most substantial or elegent of cars lol.
You are absolutely right, a Wartburg Knight, or 353 as it was marketed in most European countries, would be an excellent choice for a future review! It definitely fits our criteria, there are a lot of curios engineering secrets to discover and explore in it. We have put it in our wish list for the next months, looking for one in the countries we will be filming next months, thank you!
the back window being more inclined than the front means it looks backwards? That's true of many many car designs, many of which you showed in your video.
also you misspelled the name of the channel you used a video from.
Very old fashioned steering wheel!
Ach, der Zweischeibenmotor heißt Wankel-Wankel 😁
Ein sehr schönes Videodokument 🙂 #sebbtroe
The NSU Ro 80 was designed to look like the car of the future. The engine was way smaller than a piston engine so the engine compartment could be smaller. Other cars copied this car's efficient design,
Too bad this car uses up to much gas.
Oh ! Ein Doppelwankel .😂
The NSU Ro 80 the problem with them was that the engine would only be good for 40 thousand miles the car was a good car but the engine let it down
search for CB Media's channel where he has drag racing from Thailand where the have wankle radials running 2000 horse power!.
Tolles Auto, wo ist dieses Museum ?
Es ist kein Museum, sondern eine Autogalerie - die Oldtimer Galerie Toffen in der Schweiz, spezialisiert auf den Verkauf klassischer Sammlerautos.
@@timelessdriving
Danke für die prompte Antwort !
Not pistons.. ROTORS. But anyway.. thanks for this very interesting video. Beautiful car.. TOP !
Der Motorlauf darf so nicht sein! Ich denke einmal die Zündung kontrollieren und der Motor nimmt sehr schlecht das Gas an, liegt am Kraftstoffsystem. Durch fachgerechte Wartung, ist das gut in den Griff zu bekommen. Beim Start hat der Motor zu lange gebleut, heißt die Kreiskolben ziehen Schmieroel durch und halten sowieso die Kompression unzureichend. Hier die Abdichtung prüfen und den Laufkreis prüfen. Die Teile gibt es noch bei den Freaks von dem Auto. Wollte nicht Klugscheißer sein, aber bin einer der Freaks. Bitte den Motor warmlaufen lassen und mal auf die Autobahn, manchmal hilft das schon ein bißchen aber die Kompression muß gemacht werden.
Vielen Dank für diese ausführliche Empfehlung!
I think we all know the engine bankrupted NSU .
Everything is commendable, but the voice in the presenter's accent refuses...
Amazing and beautiful ?