Wow this was a review that really touched my heart. My late father had 2 NSU RO80's and for some reason he absolutely adored them? I know they were both later models and one of them had the wankel engine replaced for a Ford V4 which attached to the semi auto gearbox ran absolutely beautifully, the other had its original rotary engine. My father passed away in January this year and his passing has had a really bad effect on me, you think your Dad will always be around and when the day comes when he's suddenly not here anymore without warning or any indication the devastation is unbelievable, so seeing this review by Harry today on a car I would most associated with my father has really cheered me up and for the first time in a long time a little smile to go with it. Thanks Harry...👍🙂👍

Nice to see unusual older cars for a change.

Always been obsessed with those ever since seeing one in the Audi museum in Ingolstadt as a kid. My dad always told me how Ro80 drivers would greet each other by holding up as many fingers as they had replacement engines :D

A neighbour of my parents had one in the early 70s. To put the late 60s £2,100 new price into context, we lived in a typical early 1960s 3 bed semi on a new estate. My parents bought the house in 1965 and paid £2,300 for it.

While it might be tempting to enjoy the higher viewer figures on the modern sports cars, Harry, please carry on pulling in the oddball cars such as this one. Really enjoyed learning about this innovative car.

A time when car company executives were optimistic and willing to take chances. Love it.

Hi Harry, 1969 Ro80 owner here. You can smooth the changes between gears by double clutching, push it out of gear letting go of the lever, give it a rev, then place it in the lower gear. Takes a bit of practice to remember to not touch the gear lever between actions but makes a big difference to the smoothness of the change. The stalling at rest can also be overcome by a tuneup and adjusting the strength of take-up of the vacuum clutch which you adjust with the silver valve unit attached to the RH front inner fender. Thanks for the video, makes me want to take mine for a drive again and to get its paint issues resolved. Hello from Australia.

My all time favourite car. To put things in perspective this car was launched 3 years BEFORE the Morris Marina. NSU were light years ahead in many ways but sadly like many others the financial success didn’t follow. Anyone remember Freddie Laker and his “walk on walk off” cheap transatlantic air service ? Twenty years before Ryanair and EasyJet etc.

Wow Harry, this brought back memories! My Dad replaced his Aston Martin DBS6 Vantage, with a Ro80 (4 kids into an Aston just doesn't work!). I don't think the one you were driving was in very good health? - my over-riding memory of it was just how silent it was! Thanks for the show. Definiteley the best car show on the internet! Thank you. :)

As a 59 year old this brings back memories, my Dad had exactly the same spec car in that blue from brand new & it received admiring looks from passers by, we had an orange car before. I would love to know the history of this one to see if it was ours. We travelled down through France, Germany, Austria to Italy to the Audi campsite on an epic holiday all those years ago towing a caravan all the way.

There was the time that Citroen and NSU were close to each other, They had a company named Comotor to produce Wankel engines, NSU used them on Ro80 and Citroen on GS birotor and M35, also they shared semi automatic idea, Citroen used semi automatics on DS and CX, also you can see other similarities like inboard brakes etc.

In an era where cars have all the visibility of a duck blind, this airy, flowing design with its lovely greenhouse is a breath of fresh air. Looks as modern as the day it came out. Thanks for covering this amazing bit of automotive history.

Love the Ro80, so advanced, the Audi 100 of 1982 was based on this shape, this car was quick for its day, it’s obvious that something is not right with the engine tuning

My dad had a garage in Lewisham and he sold NSU as a main agent. The first RO80 came from Germany and to my dads two days before the motor show opened. The following day it went to the show. After the show it came back and my dad purchased it. We had friends who lived in Cornwall we went to see on our first trip. My dad driving it like he stole it. Everyone in the car except my dad was sick. It was a great looking car. When you consider you could still get a morris minor. Anyhow good times

I have an Austin Westminster made in the same year - and that thing might as well be science fiction in comparison. So modern looking!

Finally, Harry did my alltime- favourite car! I like how he really gives the revs to these rotors. The Ro80 is just a piece of art.

To be nerdy, the first Ro-80s had twin plugs per chamber and were perkier - de-rated with just a single plug per chamber in later ones in search of better longevity, though I think no less thirsty. And oh dear, that gearbox on the press fleet car! I remember my dad brought home the Motor's early road test car, which would go from standstill to 80-ish, all in second, with just a turbine-like whoosh - very impressive. I don't remember it being so roley-poley, either! Still looks good, though.

My father bought a Volkswagen K70 in the exact colour of the example in your video! A sort of deep yellowish gold hue. It was a 1.6 litre petrol and he loved it -although it replaced a Jaguar Mk2 3.4 litre. That was proving a bit thirsty in the '73 petrol crisis. The K70 was roomy, comfortable with massive, squashy front seats. It was reliable and economical over about eight years, then it started blowing out engine core plugs and VW dealers couldn't seem to effect a permanent cure. So he got rid after about three repair attempts. He bought an Alfa Sud after that but it began to rot almost immediately so I persuaded him to go SAAB! He was on his third 99 when he died suddenly in 1995.

As a 17 year old buying my first car back in 1993 you could still find these around for £1000 or so, usually with a SAAB/ Ford v4 fitted. Triumph 2000s were my second choice. Then insurance costs suddenly went crazy and I could only afford a 1.0 metro…. I eventually got a Triumph 2000 which was a brilliant old car but have never even driven an Ro80 😢

Really a variety of content on your channel, you never know what to expect next

This is my enduring memory of driving a Ro 80. As Harry said, the car is a semi-automatic, meaning it has a shifter but no clutch pedal. The first time a drove one, I tried upshifting from first to second. With my hand on the gearstick, I stepped on what I thought was the clutch. What I did, in fact, was stomp the brake pedal, nearly putting myself and my passenger thru the windshield. Aahh, memories.

Loved the RO80 my father had one in white. I remember the stories of drivers waving their fingers at each other when passing to signify how many engines they had gone through.

Dad got an NSU1000 back in the 70s. I recall it had two levers between the front seats for heater and choke. My mum was a very nervous driver and when she turned into our drive I would open the choke to make the car lurch forwards. She never figured out why it did that. #goodolddays

I just saw a RO80 today! On the road, near Heidelberg in Germany, a very beautiful example in bright orange color. And now, Harry shows this car in his video... Perfect day! And he drives this RO80 quite sporty. 😉 The engine likes to rev, like no other engine of this period. Amazing was, back in the days, it was very smooth and quiet at high speed, not like this is example... Thanks for this amazing video!

In 1978 in BAOR, one chap had one of these...it was something else indeed! Most of us had the run of the mill VWs / BMVs / etc. One lad had a VW Porsche - very exotic! I had my first car - a Citroen 2CV, which I loved; then a Ford Taunus, which covered a lot of miles.! Some time later, I owned a K70, too, but not for too long! My best fun drive was a 432! lol

That was utterly fascinating! I’ve always been a big fan of the Ro80’s looks, but until now have never seen a video which explained properly how they drive. And on this basis, had I been wealthy enough to buy one when they were new, after a test drive, I think I’d have either bought an XJ6 or a Rover P6 - this looks awkward to drive, and as you rightly say, the gear change is especially odd! Thanks again!

Very late VW beetles in the US had what VW called the "Automatc Stick Shift" which worked the same way. Both were made by Sachs as I recall. I worked in the VW parts business for most of 20 years and the only repair parts these needed were the micro switch at the bottom of the gear lever and the vacuum servo or repair kit for it.

I live in New Zealand. We had these nice cars on our car market in limited numbers. It was very expensive to buy. The design is fantastic. Way ahead of its time. Especially when looking at other cars of the time.

Now it's time to review an RX-7. : ) Have been waiting to hear Harry's thoughts on one ever since I picked up my third-gen. There have to be a few worthy examples rocking around Britain.

I have one. One of the things I remember when I first bought it was how unnatural it felt to change gear without using a clutch pedal. One night, not long after I bought it, I was pulling onto a dual carriageway and I accelerated hard off the slip road and went for a gear change. 15 years of driving gave me a second nature of changing gears using a clutch, only there was no clutch pedal! Let me tell you that the brakes on a RO80 are very good and that I’ve never been so terrified in my life!

Make no mistake having a look at past cars makes great content. Great review.

Picked watching Harry’s garage, rather than church today.

When I was a teen, my dad had a K70, whilst my best mate's dad had a Ro80. I loved going in the NSU. So smooth!

Wow. I worked on these as a mechanic in an NSU dealership in the sixties and this review brings back so many memories. You must hold the shifter by the shift knob to activate the points in the knob or the clutch servo would not activate. The shifter had a slight rocking motion to it. That’s one of the big things I remember from road testing them.

They were so advanced that most of the trade were scared of them ,when they failed people often used the v4 engine from the Corsair which was short enough to fit and was a bit more dependable. What a great car the Prinz tts was very engaging .

It’s a product of an era when engineers ran car companies - not marketing people or customer clinics - absolutely loved the review - brought me back to my childhood along with all the other positive comments !!

Adored this as a 15 year old interested in becoming a car designer. Still think it is one of the most beautiful and well thought out cars ever. Thanks.

My first job when i left school was in a garage that worked on RO 80's , the yard was always full on them waiting to be worked on,always low compression.Back in the day it was one car that really stood out,totally different from anything else at the time.

I had a VW history book when I was a kid and the RO80 was hands down my favorite car in the whole book. It blew my mind that a car that still looked fairly modern even then in the early 90s was designed in the mid-60s. Learning about rotary engines when I was older made the car even more special. If I ever win the lottery, there will be at least one euro-spec RO80 in my garage.

Such a timeless looking car. Love it.

as a kid, riding in the back seat of a "Knall Orange" Taunus 2.0 Kombi, back in '76, I saw a few of these running flat out on the Autobahn. They were quite fast, probably due to the aerodynamics.

I owned one of these beautiful cars in the mid seventies. It’s design and smooth shape sliced through the air. It’s engine was incredible smooth running. Even now it’s design doesn’t look out of place over fifty years later…It’s Achilles heel was the Engine though….the early cars were underdeveloped, the rotor seals being a major problem…..mine being one of them…l still remember it fondly though

Lovely to see an Ro80 review. It seems pretty clear that although good cosmetically this example was not in the best mechanical health although Harry is undoubtedly too much of a gent to say so in his review. In period the Ro80 was actually complimented for its handling - the suspension on this one seems shot. Similarly, I am sure that the car should not fail to hold the idle when the car is held on the footbrake or that the gearbox should shriek like that. Doubtless all things that can be fixed with a bit of cash. I recall them when a boy in period when they held a bit of a fascination. I was particularly impressed when a neighbour took delivery of a new one in 1975 as they were then only available to special order in the UK at a considerable jump in price from previously. It did not occur to me then that it was probably unsold old stock from 1974 as the message that they were trouble had even reached this schoolboy. I had always fancied the idea of having one - possibly as a spiritual successor to the Citroen SM I used to own - but, even allowing for some mechancial tiredness in this example, Harry's review has made me realise I do not really want one.

"A what?" is EXACTLY what I said when i saw the title. I've never heard of that car. Harry's channel is constantly entertaining.

Back in 1977 my friend at technical college had three . One the same colour blue as that , but he converted the engine to a granada 2.8 but kept the three speed semi auto box .

I used a Mazda Capella Wankel engined car here in Australia. It was marvelous!

I had the matchbox of this in the 1970s. Good times.

My father a civil engineer was obsessed with the rotary engine & wanted it! Unique machine! Thankyou Harry!

Thank you Harry for covering one of the most forgotten cars of the 60's and 70's. I was fascinated by the design when it was launched but have never ever seen one in the metal before. Fascinating video! Thanks again, Harry!

I find absolutely amazing that me as a car guy, started playing the first gran turismo games on playstation, and always observed cars in general and theres always a new one that i never knew.

My grandfather Gerd von Heydekampf was head of the company (NSU) when the Ro 80 was developed and built. Our family had one from the late 60s to the mid-70s. Still a beautiful machine, in spite of its problems.

One of the cooler cars you have had on the show! Fascinating transmission and I'm sure you'd adjust to it.

A blast from the past and still a pretty car. I didn't think they were noisy like this one.

Yay! The Ro80!! I just love futuristic odd ball cars!

Seeing those seatbelt buckles just brought back an inch of childhood I'd forgotten

The Ro80 do also have the most unsual steering setup I remember seeing. It have a big swing arm mounted at the top of the cowl in the center, a half rack and pinion mounted on one side of it and a seperate hydraulic cylinder on the other side. The low end of the swing arm do then connect to the wheels by a center link.

I Remember when I first started driving in 1976 scrapyard absolutely full of these, Ro80s and they weren’t very old, and they all looked in good condition, but every one of them had a fried engine. Beautiful cars well ahead of their time if you look at the way Audi went in the 70s and 80s a lot of the design features got transferred over thank you, interesting video

In the mid 80s I drove a '74 Porsche 911 (2.7L, mechanical fuel injection) that had a semi automatic gearbox. Brilliant! At the time I was also jumping in and out of many Citroens fitted with the C-matic, semi automatic.

Thanks for the great video! We have a 1970 Ro80 in padma green for nearly 20 years (with only one previous owner). Once we even took her to England to the Goodwood Revival... the guard initially didn't want to let us in the classic car park as he thought the car is too modern ;-) Eventually we parked next to a Rolls Royce, whose owner was so delighted to see a Ro80 that he gave us free passes for the paddocks. In general I was surprised how many people in the UK knew and like the Ro80.

Thank you for taking this car out for a ride. I have had a very soft spot for them ever since their launch. It was a beautiful shape and pushed the mechanical boundaries so far - if a little bit sad that it was released before the power plant was fully developed. The German car industry was seriously flirting with the Wankel engine in the 1960s - who can forget the Wankel powered Mercedes C111, which was an amazingly striking design of that period? Thanks again for showing this to everyone.

A more successful application of the Wankel was the Mazda Rx7. Would love you to review this Harry and more JDM stuff in general 😊

Really enjoyed riding along in this gorgeous blue NSU Ro 80. The driver was really brave throwing it around the curves. The body roll was nostalgic.

Harry just joyrided a childhood favourite 😊

What a wonderfully quirky car, I haven't seen a video of these in ages. It's nice to be reminded how charming the little Ro80s are.

I passed my test in the late 196Os. I went to the local NSU dealer to look at this car and was amazed at how futuristic it was compared to any other contemporary car . Afterwards , I jumped in my Hillman Imp and decided to try my hand at the football pools ,to win enough money to cover the purchase price . Didn’t work !

I had 2 older first generation prinzes, 59 and 60 models, with the 20 hp air cooled rear engine of 583cc... Nsu is very dear to my heart as the 59 was my first car. You didnt see many of them in new england

I remember my dad owning that same yellow VW K70 in about 1973. It was a great car.

I've always wanted to drive a semi automatic gearbox like this. Seems like it could be a really nice solution, having a torque converter for creeping along, then clutching fully in once under way, and not needing to stand on the clutch pedal while in traffic.

Hi Harry. I think it would be great if we saw a few more classic cars on the channel. Maybe the sort of car that would be in the same class as the Rolls Royce. The car you might have seen on a suburban driveway back in the 60's, 70's or even 80's. The sort of car that caught your eye as you passed it on the way to school or the bus to work every day but knew it would always be out of reach.

Love it, my father drove one. I‘ll never forget that Sound ❤

that is a gorgeous car. I remember them. Glad to see there's still one running

My uncle had a bright red Ro80, way back when. His technique for shifting gear was to cradle the knob with the stick between middle and ring finger and his thumb on the button top to operate the clutch. Very helpful, when you're waiting at the lights or a junction, as you only had to lift your thumb to engage the drive. I definitely remember it being super quiet compared to the standard family cars of the day.

My dad had one of these when I was a kid , brought the memories back 😊

Used to walk past one of these every day on my way to school - looked marvellous and the few occasions I saw it moving it was appeared very quiet and smooth to pull away !

I was in junior high here in Texas when this showed up in the car magazines. We just loved it. Never saw one on the roads here, of course.

This takes me back to my youth. My dad had 2 Ro80s. One to drive, one for spare parts! I remember helping him change the engine once. Perfect car for someone like him: an engineer and aircraft mechanic; not so good for somone who just wanted a car with a reliable engine. The Ro80 was in its element at speed on the motorway on long journeys. It would hit its cruising speed and become a quieter, smoother ride. I’d forgotten about the seat belt arrangement without a buckle, but definitely remember the semi-automatic. Apart from losing engine compression, they were such great cars. Worth noting that the protectionist import policies of the UK at the time probably also helped see the demise of this brand.

Yes, I remember the NSU so well from my teenage and early 20s years. I thought they looked amazing but they suddenly seemed to disappear and nobody talked about them. I'd almost begun to believe it was a figment of my imagination. This was a wonderful and fascinating review. Much appreciated, thanks 👍☺

Never heard of this before. I’m 31 years old. Thank you Harry, more like these please!

My Dad had one of these. Very plush inside, ultra quiet ride and all the neighbours were jealous. What amazing memories this brought back. I would definitely say this car was not 100% healthy!

Saw a beautiful Ro 80 in a scrapyard near Hailsham in the late '80s, it looked in great condition (I just assumed that it was being scrapped because of the rotor tips) and the design still looked modern and stylish.

Great to see the Ro80 on your site, I have had 3 in the past and still own one now, although it doesn't get driven. With the rotary engine you had to drive them, plenty of revs. The first one I owned had engine problems the chambers had scored, so I decided to fit a Ford corsair GT V4 engine, made up an adapter plate so was able to keep the same transmission. The second Ro80 I bought was from a scrapyard it was only 2 years old but the previous owner, ( a well-known DJ in the UK with initials JP) decided to scrap it rather than repair it. Originally I replaced the engine with a V4, but my ex-wife used to like racing Jags away from the traffic lights in it, and eventually the diff gave out. I managed to keep the car after the divorce, and replaced the engine and transmission from an Audi 100, the Audi also ran front wheel drive with inboard disc brakes, it was quite a difficult alteration, as the Audi engine is a lot longer than a twin-rotor, I had to push the radiator forward, use electric fans for cooling, ended up with 10mm between the engine and radiator.

Great video Harry, thanks. My dad bought one new in 1976 (I was 21) and I drove it extensively. I remember it has adequate performance and the smoothest and quietest engine I had experienced, so I'm so disappointed that your example was so rough and slow, especially coming the the Audi fleet.

I remember having a Corgi die-cast model of the NSU Ro80 when I was a kid in the 1960's. I reckon it was the inspiration for the styling of many General Motors cars in Europe, the UK and Australia in the mid to late 1970's. The Holden Commodore in Australia was one of them. It's also interesting that Mazda has revived the Wankel engine for use as a generator in its hybrid CX-90 SUV.

This is the one I’ve been waiting for, absolutely fantastic! What an interesting car, more reviews of quirky cars like this please

Harry's enthusiasm is fantastic- His videos are very addictive regardless of the actual car- great job!

Thank you for the video, it brings back a long forgotten memory. Probably around 1976 I was in High School, and a friend's father had an NSU Wankel car. One evening he borrowed it, without permission, and our group took it out for various hi-jinks. It was parked for a time while we did I forget what, and when we returned, the battery had gone flat and the car would not start. We managed to cajole the assistance of someone who had a car and jumper cables, and all we needed to do was connect them to the battery and we would be saved. So where was the battery? Not in the engine compartment, we found. Nor was it in the boot. After a long mad panicked thorough search that would have done a drug enforcement agent proud, the battery was finally located under the rear passenger seat, and we were reprieved.

Wow, memories, used to work on these when new, worked at Merc/Porsche dealer who also had NSU in the 70's. These were magic carpets, quiet, smooth, and you could wind them up, then Audi 100 arrived........

What a crazy car. Fascinating to see Harry throw one around and learn a bit about them!

I think it is still a great looking car. Would not look out of place today and, l believe, the wear problems with the rotary engine have been solved. Great sound. Very courageous of VAG to loan this icon to Harry, somebody may be in for a bollocking if the "high ups" see the video!!

I've waited a long time to see some rotary content on your channel. The Ro80 was misunderstood in period by both customers and service departments. It quickly gained quite an unfair reputation for unreliability. A lot of engines replaced under warranty were not even terminal in the first place! Basic servicing and maintenance could have prevented a lot of issues. It is a car that has aged well in terms of design and it is great to see the Ro80 getting some time in the spotlight. Thanks for posting.

The standing joke was that if you were driving an Ro80 and saw another, you’d not wave, but instead hold up the number of fingers that corresponded to how many engine you’d gone through. Love it!

I enjoy these glimpses into automotive history. Thanks, Harry.

Thank you so much for this video! Really enjoyed it. I hoped you might do one on the RO80 when I spotted it in your garage a few videos ago. Always loved the look of these!

My first exposure to Audis was by way of my high school friend Michael - his Dad (and my friends family) had been stationed in Germany via the United States Army in the mid 60s and Bud (my friend's father) took a liking to German automobiles, particularly the early Audis. Fast forward to 1975 and Bud had an immaculate 1975 Audi 100 sedan, fully optioned, all leather with a Blaupunkt stereo and sunroof in a light silvery metallic gold paint. What a car! My limited experience with foreign cars was mostly Japanese family econoboxs, the random Fiat, Jaguars and Mercs. I was enthralled by this gorgeous beast of an Audi , quiet, somewhat powerful, elegant and altogether different than any thing else at that time. Bud used to toss us the keys and advise us to bring it back washed, vacuumed and full of gas! The interior was so comfortable and cushy yet restrained and "very German." Bud would occasionally mention the NSUs he saw back in Germany but more like we talk about the old Chrysler letter series sedans, the Studebaker sedans and the early 60s Lincolns. He traded his Audis every two or three years to upgrade, moving through the evolution of the sedan to the 5000, eventually settling into a (now rare) Audi Avant. But I do remember him mentioning the NSU because of the Wankel engine. This one is so beautiful and so reminds me of the early US spec Audi sedans. But it does have a whiff of a Citroen.

I had a hand-me-down from my uncle in Hong Kong. It didn't come with air-conditioning. It had an after-market air conditioner fitted, which was very bad for the engine. So it was removed before I became the owner. The rearview mirror also housed the courtesy light. It had a safety feature - it wasn't rigidly fixed. If you hit your head or hand against it, it dropped off. Easy enough to fit in again. The turning circle was very small. It's not what you expect with a front wheel drive. The back seat back cushions were removable, very hand to put large items in the boot. The armrest had a slide panel behind it so that you could put skis partly in the boot and extending forward. If I felt in a sporty mood, I would go up to 35 mph in first and 70 mph in second. The manual called them "ranges" and not "gears" You wouldn't pull away from the car beside you until they had to change to 2nd gear and your were still in 1st.

A rotary on Harrys Garage ❤

Another great review Harry. I'm almost 60 and I (possibly) remember these from the annual motor show in Glasgow we used to visit. Looked like a bit of a rollercoaster ride during your drive. Well done. Brilliant.

Carl Kiekhaefer, founder of Kiekhaefer Marine which became Mercury Marine, had a NSU Sport Prinz he'd imported to the U.S. in 1967 so he could study the engine. It was the first car with the Wankel engine. I was 12 at the time and I still remember being amazed seeing it in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Thank you, Harry, that was fascinating. Please can you now take out a semi-auto Citroen DS for a test! The design of the Ro80 is truly timeless. I think it is interesting that both it and the DS had very long wheelbases - something that EV architecture encourages today. Perhaps that is one reason why the proportions of those two appear so modern. I owned a 1973 DS20 with the 4 speed semi-auto gearbox for several years and found the gears quite logical and easy. It strikes me that having the switch/gearstick on the steering column, as in the DS, with the gears clearly labelled might be an easier way to control the box than the Ro80's '3-on-the-floor'. The DS had a floor mounted parking brake too - like Mercedes and Mk 1 Volvo Xc90s - which worked well with the semi-auto and I would imagine slightly better than with the manual box. The engines of both the DS and the Ro80 were their Achilles Heels and both might be big beneficiaries of an EV conversion, especially the DS where the engine was one of the few parts of the design that showed absolutely no innovation. You are based quite close to Electrogenic (in Kidlington): could you ask them if you could drive the DS they converted to EV??? www.electrogenic.co.uk/cars/electric-citroen-ds

A great video of a stunning car. I did spot this in the background of another recent video and hoped you would review this. Thanks for taking the time to do this.