USN, does this name mean something to you? Acronym ” Neckarsulmer Strickmaschinen Union “, this A German manufacturer that experienced its golden age in the 20th centurybut which has since joined the pantheon of forgotten brands as Borgward, Glas, DKW or even Horch. His activity began in 1880 with production of knitting machines (strickmachines in German). He went on an adventure 1886 bicyclethen in that Fr 1901 motorcycle. And cars? The first NSU ATV rolled off the assembly line in 1905. The car division of the brand was difficult until the end of the war, between takeovers, mergers and various projects. In 1957, the first modern model finally left the chains: the Prinz. THE Roadster spider will follow in 1964, then sedan Ro80 in 1967. The latter, thanks to the invention of Felix Wankel, will have the feature of having rotary enginelike Mazda later…

All of Germany in one car!

Let’s go back to Prince… This iconic model was introduced in the post-war period to meet demand economical cars. Prinz I, launched in 1957, carries 583cc rear twin engine. Subsequent generations brought their share of mechanical and aesthetic improvements. The most famous version, Prinz 4 launched in 1961equipped with a 598 cc engine and a four-speed gearbox. It is she who will make the reputation of NSU, thanks to attractive prices, low consumption and compact dimensions. She was widely exported throughout his careerespecially in the United States. Its production stopped in 1973 with the introduction of NSU TTS. Now it’s an icon a classic that left its mark on the German automotive industry, and remains highly valued by collectors. 1973. See where we’re going? Yes, This year marks the 50th anniversary of Prince’s disappearance!

Return after 50 years!

But apart from this sad anniversary, we especially celebrate 150 years of the historical factory in Neckarsulm, now the Audi assembly plant. For a little story, in 1969 Volkswagen absorbed NSU and forced it to disappear in favor of Audi to which he had rights at that time. Therefore, the students of the site wanted to pay tribute to the famous Prince with the help of a neo-retro version. Called EP4 for “electric Prinz 4”, it restomod based on a 1971 example. The 30-horsepower heat engine was replaced by 240 horsepower electric unit from Audi e-tron. At the front, the tank disappeared in favor of a Audi Q7 TFSi e Quattro hybrid battery. The students had fun, and the body is modernwith some futuristic attributes gray and neon. Admire, in particular, those prominent wheels and those large safety arches in the cab. 50 years after his death, Prinz definitely hasn’t said his last word!

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