RE: NSU--slight Audi content

[Tom Haapanen <tomh@metrics.com>]

You are correct in that the K70 never appeared as a NSU -- it was
already a VW when the prototypes were being tested in 1970 (I have an
old magazine article...).  When it appeared, part of the reason for its
lack of success was the conflict with the VW 411, which really wasn't
much smaller.  Its eventual demise in 1974 was not dictated by the
appearance of the Audi 100, though, but by the introduction of the
Passat, the first of the new generation FWD water-cooled VWs -- there
wasn't room for both the Passat and the K70 in the VW showrooms.

Nevertheless, my parents had several K70s in the early 70s.  Then there
was a Passat, followed by numerous Audis...  :-)

Me, I'm still waiting for my A4 1.8T quattro (manual) to arrive and
replace my Passat ...

-----
Tom Haapanen -- Software Metrics Inc. -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
A Microsoft Solution Provider Partner -- http://www.metrics.com/


>-----Original Message-----
>Date: 13 May 97 23:59:04 EDT
>From: Andrew Buc <72220.443@compuserve.com>
>Subject: NSU--slight Audi content
>
>There was also the NSU K70. This was a piston-engined 4-door sedan that was
>in 
>production briefly, beginning in 1967. It wasn't just a Ro80 body shell 
>w/piston engine (it was a bit boxier than the Ro80), but I understand there 
>was some relationship under the skin. Actually, I'm not sure if any hit the 
>street with an NSU rather than VW badge--this was around the time VW bought 
>NSU. I remember that in the interest of cost-cutting, VW was changing the NSU
>2-piece cylinder head design to a 1-piece. So presumably it was conceived as 
>an upmarket car. I understand that it didn't stay in production long because 
>it competed with existing or projected Audis.
>