NSU Typ 110 (1965 – 1967) NSU 1200 (1967 – 1972) | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | NSU Motorenwerke AG |
Production | 1965–1972 |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | 2-door sedan |
Layout | RR layout |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 1,085 cc (66.2 cu in) air-cooled four-cylinder (1965 – 1967) 1,177 cc (71.8 cu in) air-cooled four-cylinder (1967 – 1972) |
Transmission | 4-speed manual all-synchromesh with hydraulically operated single plate dry clutch [1] |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 2,440 mm (96 in) [1] |
Length | 4,000 mm (160 in) [1] |
Width | 1,490 mm (59 in) [1] |
Height | 1,390 mm (55 in) [1] |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | none |
Successor | Audi 50 |
The NSU Typ 110 is a small car that was made by NSU between 1965 and 1972 (branded as the NSU 1200 after 1967). It was first presented at the 1965 Frankfurt Motor Show, widening NSU's range in the process. It was based on the NSU Prinz 1000 but with a longer wheelbase and a front overhang which increased available space both in the passenger cabin and in the luggage compartment. With an external length of four metres the car took NSU into the lower rungs of the middle class saloon sector, as it existed at that time in West Germany. It was to distance the model from the small car sector that for this model NSU abandoned the Prinz name which had till then been carried by their passenger cars.
Viewed from the front, large rectangular headlights differentiate the Typ 110 from the smaller models, flanking a large chrome-effect panel that might have passed for a false grill. Inside, domestic market cars featured a fashionable strip speedometer reminiscent of that found on the Opel Rekord B which had been introduced a couple of months earlier. The Typ 110 came with a strip of 'simulated wood' [1] veneer across the width of the dash board, while a new heating and ventilation system testified to the car's middle class aspirations. Reclining front seats were available at extra cost. [1]
The Typ 110 and the Prinz 1000 were powered by rear-mounted air-cooled four-cylinder engines. These were noted for their relatively advanced configuration for the times, being mounted transversely and having a chain-driven single overhead camshaft with an inline-mounted distributor. Initially the Typ 110 came with a 1085 cc engine with a claimed output of 49 PS (36 kW), which would also find its way into the sporting smaller Prinz 1000 TT, albeit with a slightly higher claimed output of 40 kW (54 PS; 54 hp). In the autumn of 1966 a larger engine of 1177 cc 60 PS (44 kW) became available in a version designated as the NSU Typ 110 S or 110 SC. [2]
The independent rear suspension design was of semi-trailing arm configuration and, similarly to most of the body and floor pan structure aft of the A-Pillar, was shared between the 1000 and Type 110. However, the front suspension of the Typ 110 was a new double-wishbone design with longer wishbones, better noise isolation and longer wheel travel than those of the 1000 models.
Later in 1967 NSU simplified their model range. The NSU Typ 110 was rebranded as the NSU 1200, with claimed engine output now reduced back to 40 kW (54 PS; 54 hp). In this form it continued to be offered in Germany until December 1972. A "C" ('comfort') version had a 'generous range of special equipment'. [3]
In January 1966 Britain's Autocar magazine tested a 1085 cc NSU Typ 110. [4] In July 1967, the larger-engined 1177 cc Typ 110SC having become available in right hand drive form on the UK market, they tested the newer model and compared results from the two tests. The top speed achieved had increased from 87 mph (140 km/h) to 93 mph (150 km/h). [4] The acceleration time from 0 to 50 mph (80 km/h) had come down from 12.3 seconds to precisely 10.0 seconds. [4] There was also a 10% improvement in overall fuel consumption for the test from 26.9 mpg‑imp (10.5 L/100 km; 22.4 mpg‑US) to 29.7 mpg‑imp (9.5 L/100 km; 24.7 mpg‑US). [4] Other sources indicate even better performance for the Typ 110 SC, but by any reckoning it is apparent that the car's relative lightness of build and its energetic engine tended to place it at or near the top of performance tables for smaller saloons, albeit at a time when the German market best seller was still the relatively heavy Volkswagen Beetle offered, at this stage, only with 1200 or 1300 cc engines. Disc brakes at the front ensured reasonable stopping power. [1] Less in the NSU's favour was its poor directional stability in cross winds, a particular issue for Autobahn cruising. German reports nevertheless commended the car's ease of handling in city traffic and on mountain roads where the positioning of the engine above the driving wheels, at the rear of the vehicle, conferred a traction advantage in winter conditions.
In 1967 the British car market still sheltered behind significant import tariffs: in the UK the Typ 110 SC carried a manufacturers' recommended retail price of £799 at a time when the similarly angular (if 4 inches (10 cm) shorter) Triumph Herald 12/50 was retailing on its own home market for £678. [4]
The Typ 110 was also unusually easy to repair, with care taken to ensure easy replacement of key components: it was claimed that the entire clutch could be changed in just 30 minutes. Zinc coating on the under body promised superior rust resistance. Recommended service intervals of 7,500 kilometres (4,700 mi) [1] at a time when competitor vehicles typically required a routine service every 5,000 kilometres (3,100 mi) also gave the car an advantage in a cost conscious market place, and pointed to a future when less than a decade later NSU's new parent company, Volkswagen would lead the way in extending recommended service intervals to 15,000 kilometres (9,300 mi) with their new front engined ranges.
Between 1965 and 1967 approximately 74,000 NSU Typ 110/110SCs were built. After the car was rebranded, approximately 256,000 NSU 1200s were built between 1967 and 1972. [5]
DKW was a German car and motorcycle marque. DKW was one of the four companies that formed Auto Union in 1932 and is hence an ancestor of the modern day Audi company.
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a series of compact executive cars produced by Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 (W201) range, the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's line-up until the W168 A-Class arrived in 1997. The C-Class has been available with a "4MATIC" four-wheel drive option since 2002. The third generation (W204) was launched in 2007 while the current W206 generation was launched in 2021.
The Mercedes-Benz W201 was the internal designation for the Mercedes 190 series sedans, a range of front-engine, rear drive, five passenger, four-door sedans manufactured over a single generation, from 1982 to 1993 as the company's first compact class automobile.
The NSU Ro 80 is a four-door, front-engine executive sedan manufactured and marketed by the West German firm NSU from 1967 until 1977.
NSU Motorenwerke AG, or NSU, was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and pedal cycles, founded in 1873. Acquired by Volkswagen Group in 1969, VW merged NSU with Auto Union, creating Audi NSU Auto Union AG, ultimately Audi. The name NSU originated as an abbreviation of "Neckarsulm", the city where NSU was located.
The W110 was Mercedes-Benz's entry level line of midsize automobiles in the mid-1960s. One of Mercedes' range of "Fintail" models, the W110 initially was available with either a 1.9 L M121 gasoline or 2.0 L OM621 diesel inline-four. It was introduced with the 190c and 190Dc sedans in April 1961, replacing the W120 180c/180Dc and W121 190b/190Db.
The Mercedes-Benz W114 and W115 were the internal designation Mercedes-Benz used for a generation of front-engine, rear-drive, five-passenger sedans and coupés introduced in 1968, with three-box styling by Paul Bracq — succeeding the W110 Fintail models introduced in 1961; and manufactured until model year 1976, when the W123 was released.
The Mercedes-Benz W123 is a range of executive cars produced by German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz from November 1975 to January 1986. The W123 models surpassed their predecessor, the Mercedes-Benz W114, as the most successful Mercedes, selling 2.7 million units before production ended in the autumn of 1985 for the saloon/sedan versions and January 1986 for coupés and estates/station wagons.
The Mercedes-Benz W124 is a range of mid-size cars made by Daimler-Benz from 1984 to 1997. The range included numerous body configurations, and though collectively referred to as the W-124, official internal chassis designations varied by body style: saloon (W 124); estate (S 124); coupé (C 124); cabriolet (A 124); limousine (V 124); rolling chassis (F 124); and long-wheelbase rolling chassis (VF 124).
The Mercedes-Benz W108 and W109 are luxury cars produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1965 through to 1972. The line was an upgrade of the Mercedes-Benz W114/W115, to succeed the W111 and W112 fintail sedans. The cars were successful in West Germany and in export markets including North America and Southeast Asia. During the seven-year run, a total of 383,361 units were manufactured.
The Mercedes-Benz W116 is a series of flagship luxury sedans produced from September 1972 until 1980. The W116 automobiles were the first Mercedes-Benz models to be officially called S-Class, although earlier sedan models had already unofficially been designated with the letter 'S' – for Sonderklasse or "special class." The W116 was selected European Car of the Year in 1974.
NSU-Fiat was a German automobile manufacturer which produced Fiat vehicles under license at a plant acquired from NSU in Heilbronn from 1929 to 1957.
The Mercedes-Benz W111 was a chassis code given to a range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles produced between 1959 and 1971, including four-door saloons (1959-1968) and two-door coupés and cabriolets. Their bodywork featured distinctive tailfins that gave the models their Heckflosse nickname — German for "fintail".
The NSU Prinz (Prince) is an automobile which was produced in West Germany by the NSU Motorenwerke AG from 1958 to 1973.
The Mercedes-Benz W189 model 300 was a four-door luxury tourer produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1957 and 1962. It was the company's flagship model at the time, equivalent to the modern S-Class and Maybach.
The Mercedes-Benz W112 is a luxury automobile produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1961 to 1967. Marketed as the 300SE, it was available as a coupé, convertible, sedan, and stretched sedan (Lang), all generally similar in appearance to the corresponding Mercedes-Benz W111.
The Mercedes-Benz W186 Model 300 was a four-door luxury sedan produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1951 and 1957. It was the company's flagship model at the time, succeeding the World War II era W150. Three versions were produced in succession, known informally as the 300a, 300b, and 300c. An enlarged "300d" variant built on the W189 chassis succeeded it in late 1957.
Heinz Melkus was an East German race car driver and constructor of sport cars.
The NSU Spider is an automobile which was produced by NSU Motorenwerke AG from 1964 to 1967.
The Mercedes-Benz W11 was a midsize six-cylinder automobile introduced by Daimler-Benz it 1929. It was developed from the Mercedes-Benz W02 first seen in 1926, and the W11 shared its chassis and bodywork with the W02, but the W11 came with a larger more powerful engine, a new name and a wider list of “standard bodies” from which customers could choose.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires |journal=
(help)Media related to NSU Typ 110 at Wikimedia Commons