NSU RO80 - Greatest innovative car ever built?
Answers:
They were good cars, won car of the year 1968, and had the wankel engine, which is a good thing, until the rotor tips wear out! I'm holding my breath about the Mazda Renesis engine, they might have got better wear resistance, but I don't think they've cured it! I Liked the Ro80, I can't believe the uncanny similarity between it and the 1986 Audi 80, the body design is strangely similar! Most people chose the Ford V4 when the rotary engine coughed its last, my dad's best friend had one.
Yes my Brother had a blue one back in the 50's. And I am sure that we had an NSU Isetta scooter, that end up in the Solent when it was dropped by the gangers unloading the ferry going over the Isles of White. Oh what memories.
Well ! i used to work on them at VW AUDI in the late 70s .. they were a Pig to work on and Tune.. The Achilles heel were the Rotor Tips inside the engine . these Tips Mazda improved greatly upon !
The car was far to ahead of its time !
Put a blade on it and it made for an OK lawnmower.
You said it motors only lasted minutes! inbord disk brakes calipers hard to get off. Rotors that would not come off until you removed the front drive axles. Shifter linkage made up of rods motor ahead of the transaxle. Greatest Flop of all time! more like it. Then Auto Union bought the company and came out with such noteworthys as the Audi 90 and Audi 100 LS Don't see any of those at collector car auctions either! Look at Audi go now!
Dubonnet Xenia of 1938
http://www.adattoauto.com/photo8.shtml.
Citroen DS21
http://www.ritzsite.demon.nl/citroen68/d.
Rover 2000 (P6)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rover_p6.
1885 Benz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/karl_benz.
Model T Ford
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ford_model_.
Lancia Lambda
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/lancia_lamb.
By far the most innovative was the 1885 Benz. It had motor, brakes, steering, seats. Frau Benz drove it 106km (63miles) a couple of years after it was first made.
Have you never heard of the Citroen DS19/DS21??
1970 Citroen SM
Styling, suspension, steering headlights, Maserati power .
Citroen have always been ahead of the game. My 1985 BXGT had electronic ignition, fuel injection, central locking, on-board computer for fuel consumption, average speed etc and an LCD dashboard display.
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