in

NSU-Fiat, a fight divorce

Topolino C 1953

NSU, ​​we know that. It stands for the Neckarsulmer Strick machineUnionyes, the 'knitting machine union'. A striking number of car manufacturers were born 'in the textile industry'.

And yes, Fiat, who doesn't know that. One of the largest car companies in the world. Fiat also has a meaning: the FAbbrica Italiana Acars Torino.

Once upon a time there was a brand called NSU-Fiat. And the story of that brand is of Mice and Mussolini, of friendship and war, of love and hate. And it started with a forced marriage.

1921: The German Crisis

In 1918 NSU was a fifty years old, well-established manufacturer of bicycles, motorcycles and all kinds of industrial machinery and equipment in Neckarsulm. With peace descending on Europe and the world, the brothers who ran the family business decided to take the leap into making cars. Land was bought and a car factory was built, but the timing was unfortunate. Designing a new car is extremely expensive. Banking investments are needed, and although they succeeded, the economic situation in pre-war Germany since the early XNUMXs has been nothing short of catastrophic. The country was forced at Versailles to admit full guilt for the First World War and had to pay sky-high war indemnities. The country, already bankrupted by the war, was now completely collapsing. To raise money, the Weimar government ran the banknote printing presses at full speed. Hyperinflation was the result: who got his reward on Friday had to spend that same day, because on Saturday it was only worth half. It became so serious that people with suitcases of money went to buy a loaf of bread. Walls were hung with billion Reichsmark banknotes. There was massive unemployment. There was hunger.

In such a situation, developing a new car model is far too risky. NSU's banker, Dresdner Bank, decided to sell the new factory to a foreign automaker to help the company through the crisis with hard currency.

1929: New NSU-Fiat . brand name

The buyer who came forward was Fiat. In contrast to the Germans, the Italians had a growing economy (the fascists were in power and they quickly created a war industry) and they had a new model mini-car, the 500, which probably had a German buyer. for laundry.

And so NSU got to hard Italian Lire and Fiat to a new factory. The car, the Fiat 500 'Topolino' (mouse) was a marvel of technology. A small two-seater, although with a little imagination and complacency someone could still be squeezed into the back, extremely economical, cheap to buy, use and maintain, but still a full-fledged small car. Also in France, in 1934, production of this was started at the , founded by the Italian Enrice Pigozzi Sompany Iindustrial de Mecanique et de Cbodyshell Aautomobile, SIMCA.

The contract was crystal clear: Fiat acquired the ownership rights to NSU Heilbronn's machines and accessories and was allowed to take advantage of NSU's excellent reputation by including the name in the brand name and logo, NSU-Fiat. A proud brand! From the autumn of 1929 was the German NSU-Fiat 500A "Topolino" for sale by dealers.

1939: War

On September 1, 1939, Germany attacked Poland. As a result, France and England declared war on Germany. Immediately, all civilian production was discontinued and the entire industry switched to war production. Because the NSU factories in Neckarsulm and the NSU-Fiat factories in Heilbron were four kilometers apart, there was ample cooperation and joint production of weapons, motorcycles, car engines, generators and equipment. Mussolini's Italy was an ally of Hitler's Germany. And it is unfortunately a fact: for car manufacturers a war is good news, it means a full order book and butter to the fish.

1945: After the German capitulation, the factories were located in the American sector. NSU applied himself in the postwar years to the production of two-wheelers from mopeds to heavy motorcycles. It was such a success that they were for a while the largest engine manufacturer in the world. NSU-Fiat continued to develop the Topolino's after the war.

1957: the draft

In 1957, Fiat decided to produce their 1100 in Heilbronn, the NSU-Fiat Neckar. A small but practical four-door family car that was slightly more expensive in the German version, but also more luxurious and faster. No parts were purchased from NSU for this 1100, but everything came from Turin. That already soured the mood somewhat.

1954 NSU FIAT 1100
1954 NSU FIAT 1100

Also came in place of the old Topolino become a new Fiat 500 in Turin, the Fiat Nuova 500 or 500D Dante Giacosa. A genius thing with air-cooled two-cylinder in the back. And a German version was developed for the production in Heilbronn: the NSU-Fiat 500.

And that is exactly what NSU wanted to use to conquer the mini-car market. The NSU Prinz was developed in Neckarsulm, an equally genius thing as the Fiat 500 with just such a two-cylinder and a direct competitor in the same target group and price range.

And that's where it went wrong. Suddenly there were two small cars on the market with both NSU in the name, which were unrelated, even sharp competitors. It was done with good cooperation, joint card evenings and exchange of components, machines and people. The manufacturers stood against each other like ruffs and went to court with expensive lawyers.

NSU argued that they had registered their name in 1871 and thus had the oldest rights.

Fiat argued that they had honestly bought the factory by name in 1929 and had no intention of reversing that investment, especially now that new models had been launched. And yes, after thirty years NSU-Fiat could also call itself an established order. Should have complained sooner! Now it was too late!

Ultimately, the judge put the interests of the consumer first: the car buyer would benefit from clarity with brand names. And just like previous lawsuits over in East Germany produced by BMW and DKW gold here the principle of the oldest trademarks. And the oldest brand was NSU (1871), not Fiat (1899).

1959: Neckar

Fiat licked the wounds, but not for long. The NSU-Fiat 1100 was renamed Neckar 1100. It didn't matter for sales, this excellent and affordable car climbed to a production of 25.000 units per year.

1957 Neckar
1957 Neckar

Jagst, Weinsberg and Adriatic

In the sixties, in addition to the 1100, other modified Fiats were produced. There was the German version of the Fiat 600, the Jagst 770. Faster and more luxurious than the original, just like the Austrian Steyr-Fiat 600D.

NSU Fiat Weinsberg Limousette BJ 1960
NSU Fiat Weinsberg Limousette BJ 1960
Neckar 1965 NF64 S1A
Neckar 1965 NF64 S1A

The Jagst Rivièra was a beautiful sports coupé based on the Jagst 770 and the Neckar Adria, a luxury version of the Fiat 850. Autobianchi had meanwhile become part of Fiat and the Germans took the Bianchina Giardinera version into production under the name Panorama. The Weinsberg 500 was the German variant of the Fiat 500D.

Jagst 770 'Riviera'
Jagst 770 'Riviera'

 

Neckar 'Adria' 850
Neckar 'Adria' 850

Pull out the plug

At the end of the sixties, Fiat became reluctant with the production in Heilbronn. Due to the EEC, import duties were no longer so high and German wages had risen sharply in the meantime. The production was, in short, no longer profitable and the Germans did not have permission to build the new Fiat 124. Grumbling and complaining everywhere, because the Spanish SEAT, Turkish Tofas and Russian AutoVAZ received that do right. But yes, that also had to do with Spanish, Turkish and Russian need for hard currency. In the end it is always money that determines the course of things.

In short: in 1971 the curtain fell for Neckar, previously NSU-Fiat

By this time, NSU itself had been dying for years from the invasion of beautiful and fast Japanese motorcycles and from the costly development (and the many exchange engines) of their new Ro80. The ancient brand was taken over by Volkswagen. They sold the last NSU development, the K70, under the VW label and the brand name became Audi-NSU, until it also died a quiet death in 1985.

DON'T MISS ANY ARTICLE AGAIN

REGISTER FOR FREE

AND WE SEND YOU OUR NEWSLETTER EVERY DAY WITH THE LATEST STORIES ABOUT CLASSIC CARS AND MOTORCYCLES

Select other newsletters if necessary

We won't send you spam! Read us privacy Policy .

 

18 Comments

Leave a Reply
  1. Thanks again!!
    For me, Italy is the cradle of the European automotive industry, especially when it comes to car design.
    SIMCA-FIAT and SEAT were already known to me, the German branch was still unknown to me.
    FIAT has also asserted itself in mother Russia.

  2. hans frommé again a beautiful story with a lot of history, many things I didn't know, especially all those
    so-called collaborations between the Germans and the Italians, TOP

  3. "From the autumn of 1929, the German NSU-Fiat 500A 'Topolino' was for sale at dealers." It was already special (but correct) that the French Simca presented the 500 in 1936 a few months earlier than Fiat itself, but that the Germans did that seven years before that is really not correct.

  4. Great story and educational too!
    And yes, car manufacturers sometimes started in textiles. In any case also Opel. He also made sewing machines and afterwards cars. Nice cars too!! Which car manufacturers have further developed from the textile industry, unfortunately eludes my knowledge. Still have an ignition key from an NSU Prinz lying around here somewhere.

    • That was exactly the problem. The Fiat Nuova 500 and the first Prinz were exactly the same concept. Unintentionally, but still. Both compact, air-cooled two-cylinder in the back and the same price when introduced. The NSU came on the market for 3.300 DM and that was a bargain, especially when you know that NSU delivered top quality.

  5. Nice models and then also easily accessible for Jan Modaal, also the affordable coupe versions.
    I have always been charmed by the Fiat 600. This model lasted no less than 25 years in unaltered form (except for the direction of rotation of the doors) (from 1955 to 1980 as Zastava)

Give a reaction

The email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

The maximum upload file size: 8 MB. you can upload: image. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here




Now on newsstands

View the nearly forty-page preview at this link or a click on the cover.

The December issue, containing:

  • Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 Super
    Erik van Putten explores the timeless charm of the Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300 Super, with images of Bart Spijker and himself. The story delves into the world of Alfaenthusiast Koen de Groot, whose family is deeply rooted in the Alfa Romeo culture. Koens' special relationship with his Giulia, a car he has cherished for years and which will soon receive an impressive upgrade, is highlighted. The Giulia symbolizes car love and heritage, a passion enriched by Koen's father Frans, a Alfa Romeo expert and enthusiast.
  • Double Used Type Designations
    Peter Ecury unravels fascinating stories from the automotive world in the 32nd episode of his series on double-used type designations. This edition provides an update on the rumors surrounding Peugeot and Porsche and delves into the history of the type designation '142', used by brands such as Volvo and Austin. Ecury also discusses the evolution of the term 'GT' and the controversial use of the letters 'SS' in car names after WWII, with examples such as the Chevrolet Impala SS and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta SS.
  • Ducati 750GT, 860GT and 900GTS
    Hans Smid highlights the Ducati round carts, produced from 1972 to 1974, which combine minimalist beauty with unique technology. This article describes Ducati's drive for innovation and the creation of these models, highlights the challenges and costs of collecting them, and shows Ducati's journey from near ruin to iconic status.
  • Horex Imperator
    Marina Block tells the story of the Horex Imperator, an iconic motorcycle from the 50s, known for its sportiness and advanced technology. Despite the closure of the factories, Horex remained known, partly due to the cartoon character Werner and recent reissues. The Imperator, with its innovative parallel twin and overhead camshaft, inspired later designs and has been praised for its quality and design, despite limited sales success.
  • ClassicPost
    Readers of Auto Motor Klassiek share their discoveries and experiences. Eddy Joustra discovers a Peugeot 203 pickup in Heerenveen, while Robert Reessink photographs a unique Moto Guzzi moped in Italy. Stories range from Chris van Haarlem's Scottish scooter adventures to Bram Drooger's discovery of a Rolls-Royce Corniche and two FIAT 850s. Ben de Man finds a special Chevrolet Step-Van in the Netherlands, and readers share corrections and additions to previously published articles.
  • Nissan Silvia 1.8 Turbo
    Aart van der Haagen reveals the history of a rare Nissan Silvia 1.8 Turbo, originally registered as a commercial vehicle. The first owner transformed the car into a family-friendly vehicle, and Jan Manenschijn now cherishes this unrestored gem with only 67.000 kilometers on the odometer.
  • Peugeot 205 collection Team VCC Twente
    Aart van der Haagen highlights Team VCC Twente's collecting passion for Peugeot 205 models. Brothers Peter and Niek Olde Veldhuis collected unique examples such as the GTI and CTI, and even a rare 1.9 GTI Dimma. Their collection shows the transformation of a once ordinary model into a special classic.
  • Volvo and Classic Cars
    Alain Pondman from Volvo Lotte speaks about the true value of classic cars. He criticizes the trend of cheap, poorly maintained classics on Marktplaats, emphasizes the importance of making memories with vintage cars, and advises buyers to invest in quality and durability.
  • Volkswagen Beetle 1955 - Second life
    Max de Krijger tells the story of Hendrik Jan Hofman, a passionate Kever restorer. Hofman brought a badly damaged 1955 Beetle back to life with a dedication to perfection and detail. This green Beetle, complete with handmade high chair and open roof, reflects his craftsmanship. Hofman is now considering selling the Beetle to focus on a new project.
  • ClassicPost
    In the KlassiekerPost section of Auto Motor Klassiek enthusiastic readers share their unique finds and personal experiences. Eddy Joustra comes across a rare Peugeot 203 pickup in Heerenveen. Robert Reessink captures a unique Moto Guzzi moped on camera in Italy. Chris van Haarlem shares his Scottish scooter adventures, including an unexpected encounter with an Austin A30 on the Isle of Skye. Bram Drooger spots an elegant Rolls-Royce Corniche and two FIAT 850s. Ben de Man discovers a special Chevrolet Step-Van in the Netherlands. This section illustrates the diversity and deep-rooted passion of classic car and motorcycle enthusiasts, with stories ranging from local discoveries to international treasures. In addition, readers provide valuable corrections and additions to previously published articles, such as PBTM Matthijssen's input on the Ardie/Dürkopp Dianette, which contributes to the rich and versatile content of the magazine.
  • Once again almost twenty pages of short messages about everything that has to do with classics
  • And of course our section 'Classics' where you can shop around in search of your next classic.

The perfect reading material for an evening or more of undisturbed dreaming. It is now in stores. A subscription is of course better, because then you will no longer miss a number and you are also much cheaper. Not bad in these expensive times.

The Paladijn as it was without cockpit

The Paladin. The constant factor – column

Renault 4 CV

Renault 4CV. My father's great car love