NSU

NSU Motorenwerke AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and bicycles, tracing its origins to 1873. The company was founded by Christian Schmidt as a knitting machine manufacturer in Riedlingen on the Danube, operating under the name "Mechanische Werkstätte zur Herstellung von Strickmaschinen." In 1880, the business relocated to Neckarsulm, from which the company's eventual name was derived—NSU being an abbreviation of Neckarsulm.

The company entered the bicycle business in 1886, initially producing high-wheeler bicycles under the "Germania" brand. By 1892, bicycle production had entirely replaced the manufacture of knitting machines, and around this period the NSU brand name emerged. The company built its first motorcycle in 1901 and its first automobile in 1905. During the First World War, NSU produced motorcycles and trucks for the German army.

In 1932, financial pressure from its bank led NSU to abandon large-scale automobile production, and its car factory in Heilbronn was sold to Fiat, which used it to assemble Fiat vehicles for the German market; from 1957 these cars were sold under the Neckar brand. During the Second World War, NSU manufactured the Kettenkrad, a half-tracked motorcycle known as the NSU HK101, as well as the 251 OSL motorcycle.

Following the war, NSU resumed bicycle and motorcycle production at Neckarsulm, initially reviving prewar designs such as the Quick, OSL, and Konsul models, along with a civilian version of the HK101. The company's first postwar car was the NSU Fox, introduced in 1949. In 1953, NSU introduced the Max, a 250cc motorcycle featuring an overhead camshaft engine with a novel connecting-rod drive mechanism. NSU's motorcycles of this era used an innovative pressed-steel monocoque frame with a central rear suspension unit, developed under chief engineer Albert Roder. By 1955, NSU had become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, and the company set four speed records between 1951 and 1955, including a landmark 1956 run at the Bonneville Salt Flats in which rider Wilhelm Herz became the first person to exceed 200 mph on a motorcycle.

NSU returned to car manufacturing in 1957 with the Prinz, a small car powered by an air-cooled two-cylinder engine derived from the Max motorcycle engine. Motorcycle production continued until 1968, ending with the Quick 50 model.

In 1964, NSU introduced the world's first car powered by a Wankel rotary engine, the Wankelspider, following earlier experimentation with the Sport Prinz. The same year saw the launch of the Prinz 1000 and its variants, including the TT and TT/S, followed in 1965 by the larger Typ 110 (later renamed 1200SC). NSU also partnered with Citroën in 1964 to develop Wankel engine technology through the Comotor joint venture.

In 1967, NSU introduced the Ro 80, a four-door sedan powered by a twin-rotor Wankel engine and featuring advanced design elements including front-wheel drive, independent suspension, and disc brakes. The car received design accolades, including recognition as car of the year, but suffered from unreliable transmissions and frequent engine failures, which damaged sales and the company's reputation. Many major manufacturers had licensed the Wankel engine technology from NSU, though most, apart from Mazda, ultimately did not pursue it extensively.

The financial burden of developing the rotary engine, compounded by reputational damage from its technical problems, weakened the company considerably. In 1969, NSU was taken over by Volkswagenwerk AG, which merged it with Auto Union, the then-owner of the Audi brand. The resulting company, Audi NSU Auto Union AG, marked the effective end of the NSU marque, as future production shifted entirely to the Audi brand. The Ro 80 remained in production for a time after the merger, even as other NSU models were phased out.