Re: From the "Say What?" department

[Chris.Prael@domain.elided]

> Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1999 16:44:00 +1300
> From: "Mayes, Kerry [SMTP:MayesK@domain.elided]" <MayesK@domain.elided>
> Subject: From the "Say What?" department
> 
> An ad in the latest issue of a NZ Free Ads newspaper:
> 
> ALFA RO80 '72, wht, orig Wankel rotary eng, body & mtr sound, g/box
> & int nds wk $850 ono.
> 
> Anyone ever hear of such a thing?
> 
> 
> Kerry Mayes
> Assorted Alfas, none of which go.

Yup, it is an NSU RO 80, not an Alfa.  It is the last car made by NSU. 
NSU was the company that held the Wankel patents in the 60s and is
primarily responsible for developing the rotary engine to the point
that it could be used.  A licensee, Mazda, also carried major
responsibility for developing the rotary to the point that it was
usable.  

The first rotary engined car to be sold was a convertable version of
the NSU Sport Prinz (a coupe designed by Bertone and powered by a 600cc
air-cooled twin).  Mazda brought out their rotary powered Cosmo a short
time later.

NSU was bought by Volkswagen in 1968 or 1969.  The NSU stockholders
were not pleased about the prospect of being acquired by a company as
"backward" as VW.

The RO 80 was the last car designed and put into production by NSU. It
was a mid sized, mid-priced 4-door sedan.  VW continued production for
a few years and dropped the car.

Chris Prael
'69 1750 Sprint
'85 GTV6
and in the past NSU Sport Prinz and Mazda RX-2

------------------------------