The Ro 80 won Car of the Year in 1968, then NSU's rotary engine proved so fragile under warranty it helped sink the company into Audi.
Lead trim: Ro 80 995 cc twin-rotor Wankel
NSU Ro 801967–1977
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a NSU Ro 80 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.
FactThe Ro 80 won Car of the Year in 1968, then NSU's rotary engine proved so fragile under warranty it helped sink the company into Audi.
The NSU Ro 80 is a four-door, front-engine executive sedan manufactured and marketed by NSU (later Audi NSU Auto Union) from 1967 until 1977, noted for innovative aerodynamic styling by Claus Luthe and a technologically advanced powertrain: a 995 cc (2 x 497.5 cc) twin-rotor Wankel engine driving the front wheels through a semi-automatic transmission with a vacuum-operated clutch system (a three-speed Fichtel & Sachs manual with automatic clutch and torque converter, with no clutch pedal). It was voted Car of the Year for 1968, and 37,398 were made over ten years in a single generation. Four-wheel ATE Dunlop disc brakes (the fronts mounted inboard), independent suspension on all four wheels (MacPherson struts in front, semi-trailing arms behind) and power-assisted ZF rack-and-pinion steering were also unusual. The page gives its output as 115 PS (113 hp), 84 kW (113 bhp) and, for the Comotor unit, 80 kW (107 hp) at 6,500 rpm with 137 N·m (101 lbf-ft) at 3,000 rpm ("all figures approximate"), so no horsepower is entered. Wheelbase 2,860 mm (112.6 in), length 4,780 mm (188.2 in), width 1,760 mm (69.3 in), height 1,410 mm (55.5 in).
Collectors Spotted in the NSU Ro 80 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the NSU Ro 80 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ro 80 995 cc twin-rotor Wankel | 1967–1977 | 1.0 L Wankel rotary | 113 hp | — | — | FWD | — | — |
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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