[1] Noted for innovative, aerodynamic styling by Claus Luthe and a technologically advanced powertrain, the Ro 80 featured a 84 kW (113 bhp), 995 cc (60.7 cu in) twin-rotor Wankel engine driving the front wheels through a semi-automatic transmission with an innovative vacuum-operated clutch system.

[clarification needed] The Ro 80 was voted Car of the Year for 1968[2] and 37,398 units were manufactured over a ten-year production run, all in a single generation.

Indeed, comparisons have been drawn between the design of the Ro 80 and the aerodynamic 1982 Audi 100 built in the same factory some 15 years later.

From September 1969 the rectangular headlights were replaced with twin halogen units, and air extractor vents appeared on the C-pillar behind the doors.

The motor's design caused the centre section to wear more quickly at cold starts compared to the other pieces; the worn centrepieces allowed the two other parts of the seal to move, which in turn allowed combustion products to escape the seals.

By the 1970 model year, most of the reliability issues had been resolved, but a necessarily generous warranty policy and damage to the car's reputation had undermined NSU's financial situation irreparably.

NSU was acquired by Volkswagen in 1969 and merged with Auto Union to create the modern-day Audi company.

[4] Ultimately, it was the contrasting success of the similarly sized Audi 100 that sealed both the fate of the Ro 80, and the NSU brand as a whole within the Auto Union-NSU combine, as parent company Volkswagen began nurturing Audi as its performance-luxury brand in the late 1970s.