West Germany's tiny rear-engined Prinz 4 wore a shrunk-down take on the Chevrolet Corvair's look — a scaled American style on a car a fraction of its size.
Lead trim: Prinz 4 598 cc air-cooled OHV twin
NSU Prinz 41961–1973
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a NSU Prinz 4 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactWest Germany's tiny rear-engined Prinz 4 wore a shrunk-down take on the Chevrolet Corvair's look — a scaled American style on a car a fraction of its size.
One of the revelations of the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1961, the Prinz 4 replaced the original Prinz, its new body closely resembling the then fashionable Chevrolet Corvair but much smaller. Like the original it had a rear-mounted two-cylinder air-cooled engine (598 cc OHV), carrying on NSU's tradition of an eccentric-rod-driven camshaft inherited from its motorcycle engines and a dynastart (combined starter/generator) built into the crankcase that also served as the flywheel. In 1968 Autocar road tested a Super Prinz (having tested a Prinz 4 in 1962): top speed 70 mph (113 km/h) and 0–60 mph in 35.7 seconds against 29.5 seconds for the Mini 850; its UK price was £597 against £561 for the Mini. It was also sold as the Ramses II in Egypt and NSU P-1000 in Uruguay (1963–1964, where Nordex built the P6 and P10). Wheelbase 2,040 mm (80.3 in), length 3,440 mm (135 in), width 1,490 mm (58.7 in), height 1,360 mm (53.5 in), with a 4-speed all-synchromesh manual.
Collectors Spotted in the NSU Prinz 4 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the NSU Prinz 4 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prinz 4 598 cc air-cooled OHV twin | 1961–1973 | 0.6 L Inline-2 | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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