If you look under the bonnet of the Ro 80 and look for the engine, all you see at first is a large air filter and a battery. Underneath, he then discovers the compact drive unit: the water-cooled two-rotor four-stroke rotary engine with the transmission unit behind it.
The engine is eager to rev, runs with low vibration and whirrs like a turbine. The power was specified as 115 hp (at a speed of 5,500 rpm). A semi-automatic three-speed transmission with a centre shift lever takes the car, which is driven via the front wheels, from 0 to 100 km/h in just 12.5 s and to a top speed of 180 km/h.
Claus Luthes body, a wind tunnel masterpiece with a brilliant cw-value (0.35), is of self-supporting design. Well-formed seats and a long wheelbase make driving comfortable. The large window area and sufficient all-round visibility add to the driving pleasure. The three-spoke steering wheel with impact absorber is very easy to operate thanks to the smooth power steering.
The Ro 80 has independent front suspension, wishbones, coil spring struts and a stabilizer bar. The suspension struts are mounted rotatably at the top and bottom. At the rear there is also independent suspension. All four wheels are equipped with disc brakes. The large trunk (approx. 580 l) has a through-loading possibility.
The purchase price amounted to 14.150,- DM in 1967 and increased to 23.620,- DM until 1977. It was a car for individualists and self-employed persons, but this circle was too small to make it profitable in the long run.
We offer club members the opportunity to have their Ro 80 entered into our vehicle register and vice versa to download the register with over 500 registered vehicles.
Around 37,400 Ro80’s were built between 6 October 1967 and August 1977, from 1967 to 1969 as NSU Ro 80 and from 1969 to 1977 as Audi-NSU Ro 80 (in March 1969 NSU was incorporated into Audi-NSU Auto Union AG).
The last car that rolled off the assembly line was made available to the Deutsches Museum in Munich. Today there are still about 800 cars on German roads.