100 Cars That Changed History

“NSU RO 80 front” by Oliver Kurmis – Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

77. NSU Ro 80 1967–1976 Germany

The NSU Ro was a technologically advanced sedan manufactured by the NSU firm of West Germany. Its powertrain, a 113 bhp (84 kW; 115 PS), 995 cc twin-rotor Wankel engine driving the front wheels with a semi-automatic transmission, which employed an innovative vacuum system, was regarded as particularly advanced for its time. It also featured four wheel ATE Dunlop disc brakes, the type of brakes which at the time were only featured on sports and luxury vehicles. Unfortunately for the Ro 80, it gained an early reputation for unreliability which it could not shake, despite the fact that its last production year vehicle won the 1968 Car of the Year Award from the European motoring writers. It was a Car of the Century Nominee.