CAR OF THE YEAR TOP 50
No. 01: NSU Ro 80
Cars
| 09-02-2022
On February 9, 1968, the trophy for the Car of the Year 1967* was presented to the president of the NSU factory in Neckarsulm at the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam. The car that won then is also the number one in this Top 50 and therefore the biggest winner of the title ever. That must be an exceptional car – and it is!
The NSU Ro 80 was not only praised when it was introduced, but also when production stopped after ten years. A Dutch newspaper from April 1977 writes: “The car was so uniquely styled that now, ten years later, it is still extremely modern.” It has now been 55 years since the introduction of the Ro 80, but I think it's still a beautiful design. I see it somewhat as the German equivalent of what the Citroën DS was in the 1950s. As well as being very modern, the Ro 80's styling was also remarkably aerodynamic, with a drag coefficient of 0.35 – almost as streamlined as the Ford Sierra fifteen years later.
The Ro 80 further excelled in handling and comfort. Partly for this reason, the model was declared Car of the Year 1967, with no less than 89.5% of the maximum achievable 220 points that year. The jury also praised the safety and noiselessness. The latter was partly due to the revolutionary Wankel engine. This rotary engine had low-vibration operation and a lower weight than a conventional piston engine of comparable power. Unfortunately, the engine turned out to be especially good on long distances and not so much on short ones and was quite uneconomical. The latter in particular had no positive effect on sales in a period of oil crises.
When production of the Ro 80 ended in 1977, Audi NSU Auto Union discontinued the NSU brand as well. The Audi 100 was intended as a successor to the Ro 80, but the plans to deliver that car with a Wankel engine eventually were cancelled. However, the Ro 80 can be seen as the first step towards the luxury brand that Audi is today. And as one of the most progressive cars in the history of the automobile, both in design and engineering.
The NSU Ro 80 was not only praised when it was introduced, but also when production stopped after ten years. A Dutch newspaper from April 1977 writes: “The car was so uniquely styled that now, ten years later, it is still extremely modern.” It has now been 55 years since the introduction of the Ro 80, but I think it's still a beautiful design. I see it somewhat as the German equivalent of what the Citroën DS was in the 1950s. As well as being very modern, the Ro 80's styling was also remarkably aerodynamic, with a drag coefficient of 0.35 – almost as streamlined as the Ford Sierra fifteen years later.
The Ro 80 further excelled in handling and comfort. Partly for this reason, the model was declared Car of the Year 1967, with no less than 89.5% of the maximum achievable 220 points that year. The jury also praised the safety and noiselessness. The latter was partly due to the revolutionary Wankel engine. This rotary engine had low-vibration operation and a lower weight than a conventional piston engine of comparable power. Unfortunately, the engine turned out to be especially good on long distances and not so much on short ones and was quite uneconomical. The latter in particular had no positive effect on sales in a period of oil crises.
When production of the Ro 80 ended in 1977, Audi NSU Auto Union discontinued the NSU brand as well. The Audi 100 was intended as a successor to the Ro 80, but the plans to deliver that car with a Wankel engine eventually were cancelled. However, the Ro 80 can be seen as the first step towards the luxury brand that Audi is today. And as one of the most progressive cars in the history of the automobile, both in design and engineering.
*The Car of the Year organization later revised the count and now calls the Ro 80 the Car of the Year 1968, but I stick to the title as it was awarded at the time.
CAR OF THE YEAR TOP 50
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CAR OF THE YEAR TOP 50
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