NSU Prinz History

Announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1957 and entering volume production in March 1958, the NSU Prinz was the company's first post-war automobile. It used a rear-mounted, air-cooled two-stroke 583 cc twin — similar in principle to contemporary small European cars — with a four-speed manual and rear-wheel drive, sold under the memorable slogan 'Fahre Prinz und Du bist König' ('Drive a Prince and you're a king').

The Prinz 4 (from 1961) was the volume backbone of the range, using a 598 cc air-cooled OHV twin and a body that drew stylistic comparisons to the much larger Chevrolet Corvair — a flattering resemblance achieved at a fraction of the price. It remained in production right through to 1973, accounting for more than half of total Prinz sales.

A companion Sport Prinz coupe, styled by Franco Scaglione at Bertone, ran alongside the sedan from 1958 to 1968, with 20,831 built. When Volkswagen acquired NSU in 1969, the Prinz family was phased out by 1973 as production capacity at Neckarsulm shifted to larger Audi models.