Wankel Engine: NSU Spider - Jay Leno's Garage 

This is Jay Leno's Garage at it's best. An interesting and unmodified old car, and a bit of a history lesson. Also, the absence of another person keeps the focus on the car, and Jay doesn't feel the need to recycle all his anecdotes to a new guest!

Jay’s NSU is just as exciting as some unobtainable 1200 hp monstrosity.

My grandfather was the head of NSU when this Spider and the Ro 80 were developed and built. My aunt had the hand-built pre-production model, a gorgeous azure-blue car with wooden steering wheel, which she took me into the Italian alps with. Great memories!

I have not seen one of these in years. In 79 - 82 I was stationed in Germany and had a 50 Km commute daily, half of which was on the autobahn, the other half through the Tanus mountains. I picked up a 1970 NSU Prinz 100 TT, which was a blast to drive, 1000 cc air cooled, 2 doors, and raced by a few local NSU clubs. It looked like a shrunken early Chevy Corvair. You could unbolt the engine and bring it downstairs to the basement and work on it. We would race the NSU Spiders, and could hold our own most of the time. The Spider handled the twists better, but the 100 TT had lots more power. A friend had a NSU RO Wankel which could easily eat our lunch on the autobahn, but we ruled the mountains. We took a trip to Neckarsucm to visit the old NSU factory and toured their assembly line and museum. By then Audi had taken over the brand.

I like it when Jay does his own cars. Best thing about COVID was Jay doing his own cars and filming it himself.

Jay, I am so happy that you drive these old cars. Many people keep them as museum pieces which is ok, but they are cars, which means they were meant to be driven. Still driving my Model T and it is 100 years old now! Keep up the good work!

Jay, the AMC Pacer was designed to have the GM Wankel installed in it, which would’ve greatly improved the power-to-weight ratio. I believe the Mercedes you eluded to was the C111. And I remember as a kid, reading in MT or C&D or R&T around 1975, GM actually was considering making a Wankel-powered Corvette, long before Mazda’s RX-7.

My Dad was a dealer for NSU and I got to spend a lot of seat time in one of these. Great little car!

NSU was the predecessor to AUDI. They and DKW had incredible engineering for their time. I have a NSU Quickly moped from the 1950's that still gets 100+ MPG!

This is why I love “Jay Leno’s Garage”. So much GREAT information about odd modes of transportation and the restoration blog. New Super cars are interesting but the old ones take this channel over the top. Keep them coming!!

So much more interesting with these smaller cars, than with 600 hp. multi million dollar builds. Thank you so much for y’et another great video.

What a fantastic little car. Jay, Thank you for sharing everything you do. You're an incredible custodian and educator in the automotive world. You keeping these old vehicles running so they can be seen, appreciated and enjoyed for many generations to come is hugely admirable. Your efforts in making these videos i believe is your finest work. A true natural passion. Thank you 🙏🏻

Great episode, It’s amazing how small the car looks when Jay is standing next to it.

My Grandfather here in Germany had exactly one of those, even in the same Colour! Sadly he sold it a long time ago in the early 90s. Either way, thanks for reminding me of this Jay and as a German i'm always happy when i see any NSU Car being taken care of and driven in the USA. In Germany that's not too uncommon to see, especially with all the NSU Car Meetings and Touring Events but i bet it's a rather rare sight in the USA, especially in such a great Condition! Thanks for sharing this one with us, Jay! Prost & Cheers from Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps

Love watching Jay Leno showing all these goodies...

Design is from Bertone. Sergio Sartorelli sketched it. It is a Cabrio version based on the Sport Prinz . A Little 600 cc 2 cylinder 30 bhp vehicle produced between 1959 and 1967

The RO80 was a beautiful car, styling ahead of its time. But yea the engine would only last about 60,000 miles before a replacement was installed by the dealer under warranty. I saw them in Germany when I was a kid, decades ago. My last visit to Germany a couple years ago, I did see a RO80 so they are still around. But very rare. Tks Jay for keeping these cars in the minds of enthusiasts.

WOW Jay - that certainly brought back memories for me. One of my high school teachers had this exact same car! Even in that same color. This teacher was over 6 foot tall and it was always interesting watching him slide into it. I always thought it was a great looking car. You reminded me of the unique sound it had when it 1st started up. Yes, it did sound a bit like an outboard motor. Being taken for a ride, I was impressed how smooth it rode and accelerated. Being so low to the ground and small, I am sure it felt a lot faster then we were actually travelling. Little did I know years later one of my University roomates would have a brand new NSU 1200 TT. That was a great car, really rare in Boston. I have always loved unusual vehicles. Jay you neglected to mention that NSU made a lot of motorcycles.

As i hear the tiny NSU Wenkel engine it reminds of the children's song and story of the The little red engine that said " I think, i think I know can". Great one Jay Thank you.

NSU started as bicycle manufacturers. At some time they where the largest in the world. Only relatively late after the war they started to build cars as well.

A friend of mine has three of them. One with two rotor, one with Prinz engine and one in parts. I testdrove the two rotor one with 130 hp. Nice ride with great Power to weight ratio and more spacious than I thought. It was also upgraded with Miata seats.

I remember back in the 70s my father had a fleeting interest in getting a car with a Wankel engine (not sure if it was a Mazda, probably was). The dealership had these little plastic models of the engine rotary system that they gave out, about the size of a coaster. That's what you needed, Jay, to demonstrate with! Much lighter than the actual assembly, lol! (I used to play with it for hours, turning it around and around, I was easily amused.)

Nothings better than watching a guy in a comfortable denim snap shirt with fluffy white hair demonstrate his toys. Makes each Monday a great day. Thanks Jay. 👍👍

What a wonderful little convertible, didn't know that one existed, knew of the Ro80 but didn't realise they made the Spyder, Rj in Oz

The engine was also used from Citroen for a coupe based on the Citroen Ami 8 only as a prototype called Citroen M 50

The NSU Spider is an absolutely fabulous car, that most people have never heard of, so thanks for posting a great video about it! I'm a huge fan of all Wankel engined cars, and I love NSU's. Used to own an NSU 1000C, another great little german car, and belonged to the club. I've only ever seen two of the Spiders in the flesh, but was lucky enough to get a ride out in an NSU RO80, which is an fantastic car, years ahead of its time as the engine is so smooth - truly glorious. You should definitely get one!

My Dad had a 1965 NSU Wankel Spyder, in 1967, one of 15 imported into Canada.

This is why I stop by Leno’s garage! Those fin-lettes are priceless!

Thanks for showing the car. Many people have not heard of NSU or forgot about them. I had the pleasure to drive one in the early 70’s.

Always loved these....the front end styling looks a lot like the Raymond Lowey Studebaker Coupe of 1953

Its actually nice seeing jay drive a manual, Good on him at that age! I hope my health lasts as long as his bless this man and give him eternal life!

My Father have a NSU TT since 1970, my birthday year. I went to university with him, it's a incredible car. We are sorry because in Portugal is very dificult to find some mechanic that realy now how to rebuild the NSU. Great video, amazing experience.

What a wonderful little car! I miss the days when a manufacturer could make a light small runabout and not have to worry about all the regulations and packaging of electronics, etc. Cars are big and heavy now just to fit all that crap in! Thanks, Jay and Crew, for another great episode! I love it when Jay shows off a piece of his collection!✌️❤️🙂🇨🇦

i used to drive around in one of these - as a kid, my father had one of these and the RO80, while he was working for NSU as a engineer - good times They tested the DKM version to 55.000 RPM in a reinforced testcell

That's the beauty of this channel. I was enough of a car nut that each year I'd buy the Cars of the World volume so I was aware of this model. But this is the only time I've ever had the chance to listen to one or see it in motion. Side comment: years ago I went to an SCCA race at MidAmerica raceway. I'm pretty sure the RX7 had not even been made yet, and the wankels that were racing were the RX3 coupes. I learned that an unmuffled wankel exhaust note quickly produced the worst headache I've ever had.

My stepdad had a NSU Prinz as his first car. NSU really made some fun cars.

Gotta love NSU. I picked up a 200cc NSU Lux bike right there in Neckarsulm a cpl weeks back and what shall I say, it still runs like a charm 70yrs after it was produced. Really fine engineering

The Geo Metro came with 55 horsepower, but it was 1750lbs. So you should be able to kick Metro butt in a race. Nice car Jay

I have been a fan of the Wankel for some time and really appreciate seeing this car in action. However, I must admit that the first shot of Jay next to the vehicle made it look like a pedal car!

I find cars / videos like this FAR more interesting than anything modern (i.e. hypercar, any new-ish Ferrari, etc.)

I remember in the early ‘70s having a ride in an NSU Ro 80 and It sounded and felt like sci fi future. So smooth and such a nice sound!.

Terrific car. I recently had a ride with a NSU Ro80 which is also rotary powered and it's only a three speed but you really don't notice that. The ride I had, the guy who drove it didn't get out of second gear. It's an extraordinary vehicle.

These are the best videos. Just me and Uncle Jay looking at one of his cars on a lazy afternoon.

Seems to me, that when I was still in High School here in Canada, someone had one of these NSU Wankel Engine Cars. We were so impressed, when he "revved the engine" & told us that "it revved to 10,000 rpm" at the time. 🤣 BUT, most of us believed him at the time! 🤭

I like the oddball cars too, definitely ones with interesting engines and backstories. Thanks for preserving these funky gems Jay, not just by caring for them in your garage but also showing them to the world and educating us about their history.

Hello Jay, I have never heard of the NSU until now. I like it, nice little convertible . I purchased a 1983 Mazda RX-7 from the original owner way back in 1985. It was pamperd, Garage kept, just 32k on the clock. It was a twin rotor engine 12-A , had 4 spark plugs, two plugs per cylinder, or rotor , one plug was the lead, and the second plug was the trail. Fired within seconds of each other. I loved that car. It had great acceleration and fun to drive. Thanks, Jay, for sharing your NSU .

Love Jay, just when I think I know a lot about cars, he comes up with a zinger…beautiful Sir, thank you. As always yore a true enthusiast. And you speak direto we fellow enthusiasts. And I absolutely love how you ask, hey wanna go for a ride…like my uncle, after I express interest in his old car…thanks so much for all you do. Really great.

Hello Jay. Recognised this immediately ! I was an avid reader of 'Car " magazine in the 1960's . And reading the same magazine (different issue ) l clearly recall a "world first " as they road tested a wankel engined Ford Mustang ! I also ,as a 17 year old , remember reversing into an RO80 in my 1963 Mini Countryman in 1971 and completely destroying the front end , with no visable damage to mine, (!) and only getting away with it as the owner was having an illicite affair with his sectretary ! Thankyou Jay

The sound of your NSU brought back fond memories of our Honda outboard cruising the lake.

Jay Leno- worth millions, sees used spark plug on eBay for $80, says “no thanks, I’ll look elsewhere.” Classic Jay- being frugal even when he doesn’t need to be! 😂

15:58 Jay, to be honest, I like the odd cars the most. Idiosyncrasies in cars are just so much fun!

I grew up surrounded by nsu, mostly with nsu 1000 and nsu 1200 and I love them. My favorite is NSU RO80

This is what we love Jay! A breath of fresh air in an electrifying world 👌

When I had an RX-8 in for review, the press car came with multiple warning labels (interior, engine compartment, fuel filler, IIRC) to *frequently* check the oil level - and with one or two containers of motor-oil in the trunk. :D So it doesn't seem to me that they ever truly perfected the rotary/Wankel. It's an interesting concept with lots of strong points - but asking folks to do oil-checks this frequently ..? Besides: When I check Mazda-enthusiast channels, it seems to me that even their latest iterations will still need plenty of in-depth maintenance and - every few years or so - a complete rebuild. Plus there's the whole thing about gas-mileage. That RX-8 was lots of fun, but it got pretty horrible mileage compared to non-rotary sporty cars - even ones with much more power. On public roads, I think I managed about the same MPG with it as I did with a 997.2 Carrera 4S.

My dad learned car mechanic as an apprentice here in Germany, with some courses by NSU in the late 60s, early 70s when the Wankels were around. His first own cars were two NSU Prinz 4, one after the other.

Down here in Australia, (where everything is upside down and hamburgers eat people) exists a rotary engine subculture that's been front and centre of the custom car and racing scenes for decades... We have some of the best rotary builders in the world down here, such as: PAC Performance, RaceOnly and Rotor Master; but to name a few. I'm not sure if we have a higher percentage of "elite level" custom cars being powered by Wankels or not (someone should really do a PhD on the Aussie car culture 🤔) or not. But it definitely seems as though, as with many things that evolve on this vast island, the local bred builds pack a little extra venom and a lot of extra attitude. The rotary boys tend to make up for their lack of size in the top trumps game, by brawling with the big V8s... Best described as extreme violence when challenged, and a willingness to push that extra few hundred RPM or that last handful of metres before the braking zones. Whenever I see a big power rotary step up at a PowerCruise, or assorted racing event, I always have a "oh yeah, I forgot how wild those little things are" moment before wondering why I've never had one in my life. May have to look into rectifying that in the not too distant future. Hmmmmm. 🤔

That NSU Wankel really brought a smile to my face. No, it's not the fastest, fanciest, or best handling car out there, but talk about a fun segment. Thanks for sharing this cool little car with us!

Always enjoy the "odd ball" cars, Jay! Engine placement reminds me of the V.W. Type 3s'. Remember the old t.v. add with Dustin Hoffman trying to find the engine in a type 3 Fastback? Would have been neat to see her up on the hoist for a look. Thanks, Jay for featuring this car, keep the good work.

Sounds like an old Arctic Cat and Johnson snowmobile I had that were rotary powered. Finding spark plugs for them are they challenge as well. Adding a little two-stroke oil to your gas on the Rotary really helps extend seal life.

My dad had a Mazda 1973 RX3, that car could punch and was so quiet. A windstorm finished it off a few years later.

Thanks for sharing this with us Jay. Pretty cool.

I love that it has a shortwave radio receiver in the dash...the car sounds like a bubble machine tho....thanks Jay...!

Jay what I truly enjoy about your collection is that it’s such an eclectic mix of unique vehicles. “Everybody“ got super cars, but you’ve steam, electric, wood burning, and other incredibly unique vehicles. Please keep sharing them, otherwise we’ll never get to see them, ever.

This is in my view one of the nicest pieces of Jay's collection ! Very handy, practical, tons of luggage space, and it purrs along like a happy cat. And a Wankel engine can't be that bad - Mazda at least won Le Mans with it.

This looks fun. My my alarm is set.

I used to love looking at that car in the Science Museum in Kensington London, when I was a kid... Hope they still have it, the last time I went the displays were atrocious compared to the 70s 80s...

Man! How could I be 60 years old and not see this car before? Its gorgeous! I think I'm in love.

A friend of mine had one back in the early 70's He gave me a ride in it. we made it part way across his yard before it broke down. Good Times!

I had a 2cyl regular 2door saloon prinz, a 59 and 60. That engine was from the 500cc sportmax motorcycle, it was so modern with no belts or clutter, there was nothing wrong with it. The wankel killed this company it was supposed to save, just like the Avanti finished off Studebaker. Nsu got bought out by VW who didnt want in house competition for their small cars, and folded nsu in with porsche/ audi. So, if you drive one of those, it may be mfgd in the old neckarsulm plant , the last nsu prinz was made in 1976... The first postwar car was the prinz for 1958 made in the fall of 57. Prewar, theyd made motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles, and, originally in the 1890s, sewing machines. They also made the motorcycle and scooters postwar, but, like zundapp, it also faded away eventually. There was also a separate nsu/ fiat company for a while, making fiat/ nsu cars under license . The last NSU designed car eventually became the Audi fox . I still have the hood ornament from my last 1960 prinz 3, the 1962 corvair like rework didnt catch my eye. The original, and these sport prinzes by Bertone were the cream of the crop. The ro 80 was magnificent and modern, and many survivors have ford v4 engines as replacements. Pity such a great company was lost, but always in my heart. ❤️👍

Unique sounds, cool one Jay. Thanks. 😎👍😎

Oh, I miss the times!! Thank you, dear Jay, for explaining all details I hadn't know ever albeit having had a steering wheel for decennials and Lederhosen, of-course, too.

That's a great design. Bertone made some truly beautiful cars... Thank you for sharing this with the world. It's a car I'd never have seen, most likely, if not for you...

My father had 2 NSUs, a 1000TT and a 1200TT. A family of 4 travelled 600 miles to holidays in South of France from Brussels, Belgium and back in these minuscule cars. He was dreaming of having a RO80 but could never afford one. Biggest issue with Wankel is lack of torque.

Cool! My uncle had one - The original engines didn't last long due to poor apex seals; amazing this one runs. In the early 70's he made it into a hybrid with his own design rotary that ran purely as a generator.

Hi Jay. Instead of the NSU RO80 you can also go for the Citroen GS Birotor. Same twin rotor wankel engine. Really rare but a more interesting story. And as a big bonus you have the hydropneumatic suspension.

I’ve got a ‘59 NSU in storage (for 24 years now). Sliding door windows. Planning on bringing it into the main shop for the winter. Maybe it should get a wankle swap. ✌🏽😎

First time watching Jay's videos on RU-vid. I appreciate the in-depth history and the way that everything is explained thoroughly. In retrospect, this car appears very small, but honestly it makes perfect sense. I love how slim the form factor of the power plant was, and it most certainly explains the appeal that Mazda took and ran with.

Really 31+ hrs this premieres thing is getting outta hand

I can't think of another celebrity that I admire and enjoy more than Jay. A national treasure, really. This channel is unadulterated joy.

Videos insanely quiet.........Your audio guy needs to watch a RU-vid video at 50% volume on his PC while finishing editing to test this video vs his audio. Makes sure everyone can hear it...you can always turn it down but only can turn it up so high.

Thumbs up for the "odd cars"! Thanks Jay.

Cool beans! My friends dad had one back in the 70's. He worked in the engine test cell at NASA's Lewis research center, Cleveland, Oh. On his garage wall was a 8x10 picture of a Curtiss Wright aviation Wankel with the exhaust manifolds cherry red, being wrung out on the dyno. These engines ran like a "raped ape".

I saw one in a SCCA sprint race at Lime Rock in the late 1960s. Wasn't very fast, but it wasn't the slowest car in its class.

I grew up by the NSU plant in Neckarsulm Germany. There are still lots of NSU cars in the area. Now it is an ever-expanding Audi plant that fills the valley.

Had an '86 RX7. Loved the dual rotor engine. Problems with the instrument cluster and ventilation controls was a downer. Scraped it when I had engine problems. Became a money pit.

I own one of the rare electric cars from that era of automotive experimentation, the Henney Kilowatt, built on a Renault Dauphine chassis, also rear engine. I also once had a 1980 Renault Le Car (R5) a car that was supposedly designed to have a Wankel engine in the front wheel drive configuration much like that NSU has in the rear. But the deal never happened, so a four cylinder inline (not tranverse) was shoehorned into it taking up much of the front passenger leg room in the process. If that car had been built with the Wankel, It would have had lots more room, but that car was only 1800 lbs and also handled very well for its engine mass placement. Thanks Jay for letting me know how anemic sounding and accelerating that R5 would have been with the one rotor NSU in it. I had a lot of fun with that Renault off road. It had five inches of travel in its rear suspension, and floated through big potholes with elan. No wonder it placed well in Paris to Dakar.

WOW...I had a '59 NSU Prinz III. I miss that car ! NSU was the first Beetle prototype before VW !

Wow does this bring back memories! I had a job at the county fair and they had the dealer there with a red one like that. I had all the sales books and all. Quite nice for the time. Not quite old enough to drive but I sure wanted one! Yep I have a few years under my belt.! I saw the short about "best car" mine was anything I could repair. I do have one now I consider the most fun, CTS-V coupe. Just the thing to go to the grocery store in my old age!

Finally not another advertisement for the failing ev industry. Thanks Jay for returning to your roots.

Fabulous looking car. I used to see them on this side of the Pond, in Europe -- a dream car for a kid. If the vehicle were a little bigger, featuring a regular 4 Cyl/, she would be very competitive vis-a-vis MGs, Triumphs, Fiat 124 Spyder, etc. One of our neighbours owned a NSU R 80 -- gorgeous and futuristic looking sedan. Even today the R 80 looks sleek and modern. Thank you Jay for another awsome video.

I hope one day whenever Jay's cars are on public display, these videos will also be viewable with each car

I'd only seen stills of this car before, so getting to see a video of it and get an impression of the sound it makes, is very cool indeed.

Nice to see such an old Wankel. I had a '79 RX-7 that I loved to drive on the twisty back roads of New Brunswick. Above 130 Km/h, it really sang and would exploit its aerodynamics (but it terrified my wife).

Had my RX-8 for over 13 years. Properly maintained (easy to do; few Americans could be bothered), it was super reliable, fired up each and every time, maybe my favorite car (and I’ve owned a lot of cars). ❤️

Thanks for being who you are J.. Your like a kid that gets to live a Disneyland everyday and you share it with us all..

Although not commonly known one of the first uses of wankels engine was in german torpedo's on u-boats. I had an RX-3 station wagon and loved it, really fast I got stopped in California (I have Arizona plates) and the HP officer did a auto pollution emissions test. I watched as he put two probes in the two pipes under the rear of the car. I told him that only one was an exhaust pipe and he got nasty and told be not to tell him how to do his job. I went quiet and let him do his test. He did the test three times and then called another officer over showing him the results.They pulled a police car over and did the test on it and it showed normal emissions. The first officer came to me and said you have the cleanest running car he has ever seen. I smiled and left with my wife and 3 kids laughing at the officer. The second pipe was an air pipe used to cool the exhaust system. I had good laugh at the officer that knew how to do his job.

My first car was a 1974 Mazda RX2, after that I had an RX4 small camper/pick-up, then a 1982 RX7. The rotary was the best! I do wish that they still has those engines now. SO smooth and as recall pretty good gas mileage. But yes, it drank up oil pretty fast. And I do remember trying not to over-rev the engine.

My uncle had an alouette snowmobile dealership in 1974-6. They built wankel engine snowmobile. Had lots of good time with that.

I remember seeing one of these in the early 70's in the pebble beach car show parking area. My father parked his Mk1 Sprite next to it. They were about the same size. Down the way was an AC Bristol, a twin cam MG and Healey 100. Great times for a gear head kid. I had more fun touring the parking lot.

Jay - you, your collection, your knowledge, and your videos are literally a national treasure. Thank you