Rudi Klein, a German immigrant who arrived in the US as an immigrant in the 50s, went from a butcher to a small-time dealer of German automobiles. During his life, Rudi amassed a huge (and secretive) collection of cars in a junkyard in Los Angeles. Now, that collection is being brokered for sale by RM Sotheby’s in a special auction on October 26. Today’s Good Find Friday post, and perhaps several future posts, will be about one of these cars.

A lot of enthusiasts might not be familiar with the brand NSU. NSU Motorenwerke, commonly known as NSU, was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and bicycles. Founded in 1873, the company initially focused on knitting machines but later shifted to producing bicycles in the late 19th century. By the early 20th century, NSU ventured into motorcycle production and became a prominent name in the industry, known for innovation and performance. It became one of the leading motorcycle manufacturers globally by the 1950s, producing models like the NSU Max and NSU Quickly.

NSU also played a significant role in automotive history, particularly with the introduction of the world’s first rotary-engined car, the NSU Ro 80, in 1967. The Ro 80 was highly innovative but faced reliability issues, which eventually led to NSU’s decline. In 1969, NSU merged with Auto Union to form Audi NSU Auto Union AG, which eventually evolved into the modern Audi brand.

With an automatic clutch transmission, its Wankel rotary engine, and an elegant design with a CD of just .355, the ro80 was far ahead of its time for a car designed in the late 1960s. Four years after the debut of the ro80, Pininfarina showed up at the Turin Auto Show with a restyling of the futuristic car.

Why this design even appeared is a bit of a mystery, but perhaps it was part of an effort by Volkswagen—who at that time now owned NSU—to envision how the future styling of the brand could evolve. Of course, this design was never produced and 6 years later the last NSU rolled off the assembly line…forever.

Not typically smitten with boxy, 4-door sedans, this 1971 NSU ro80 Pininfarina Concept on auction in October by RM Sotheby’s has nonetheless has captured my heart. The primary reason is its interior, but there are some stylistic touches that impress me. Its boxy lines hint at cars like the Aston Martin Lagonda or Volvo 700 series.

Its very boxy design would be rather plain, if it weren’t for the dramatic scalloped sides that directly mirror the window line above. This reflective design is even applied to the bold vents on the c-pillar.

For me, the interior is where this car shines. It looks like the cockpit of a space vessel from a TV show in the 1970s. The bright orange upholstery is in fantastic condition, and the seat design is rather futuristic with its unbroken hoop containing the backrest and headrest in position.

The dashboard is a spare and square affair, save for a lightly engraved panel on which gauges and controls are orderly placed like a control screen from 2001’s Discovery.

Front and rear stereo controls are a novel feature, and rear entry is eased by suicide doors which open the opposite direction to convention, similar to a 60’s Lincoln Continental. The split rear seat with the stereo controls and climate control vents mounted on the dividing console reminds me of the rear seats of modern cars like the Aston Martin Rapide or Porsche Panamera.

Just visible in one of the interior shots is the expansive retracting roof panel, which according to the auction catalog slides into a recess in the rear trunk. That’s an operation I’d very much like to see on video!

If the engine bay looks odd to you, that’s because it’s got a Wankel rotary engine in place of a typical four-stroke internal combustion engine with cylinders and heads and such. Much more compact than a standard ICE powerplant, the rotary engine revved high and delivered 115hp but was plagued by reliability issues due to various design issues.

Power steering rack and pinion steering was standard on the ro 80, and one assumes that’s retained here. Suspension-wise, the car featured ATE disc brakes on all four corners, with the front brakes located inboard of the MacPherson struts to reduce unsprung weight. The rear featured semi-trailing arms, completing a suspension package that was wildly advanced for 1967.

This particular concept was one of Rudi’s later acquisitions and for many years was on display at the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt.

How much is something like this worth? Well, RM Sotheby’s has put a price of $60,000-80,000 on this piece of German automotive history. I readily acknowledge that this car’s styling is to an individual taste, but even so I think this car will sell for more than the high estimate.

Why? Well, Pininfarina is as storied an automotive design house as any, the base car is a highly usable platform with an innovative engineering story and usable concepts like this are getting popular. For example, the Lancia Stratos Zero concept car was sold to a private owner at auction some years ago (much to my chagrin), but the owner has driven it on the streets regularly rather than hidden it away.

I sure wish I could be a bidder on this beauty. Given the size and scope of this auction, I’ll almost certainly be featuring more cars from this catalog as well as preview and post-auction results posts. Stay tuned!

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisal and auction services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. We also provide importation services. Give us a call or drop us a line!