From May 26th to 28th, the 29th national gathering of NSU Club Italia took place in Ascoli Piceno and its surroundings.
The Anniversary: One hundred and fifty years of NSU.
The event was a great opportunity to celebrate the German brand, which is marking its 150th anniversary since its foundation. NSU was established in 1873 by Christian Schmidt and Heinrich Stoll, initially as a manufacturer of knitting machines. It later expanded into bicycle production and eventually gained recognition for its significant motorcycle production. In the early 1900s, NSU ventured into automobile manufacturing as well.
It has been about 40 years since the brand’s closure, following its acquisition by Audi. However, the group of enthusiasts of these German vehicles is still very much alive in Italy, especially due to the widespread popularity of the best-selling Prinz 4, which was the best-selling foreign car in Italy in 1970.
The Italian NSU event: from Offida to Ascoli and San Benedetto
During the 3-day gathering, masterfully organized by Roberto Martorelli and his family (with the collaboration of some friends from the group), on Friday, the participants went to Offida, where they had the opportunity to visit the De Castellotti Museum Complex, the Church of Santa Maria della Rocca, and the Serpente Aureo Theater. On Saturday morning, the participants made a stop in Pretare for an aperitif before continuing to the Piani di Castelluccio.
In the afternoon, the NSU vehicles went to Ascoli Piceno, where they were welcomed in Piazza del Popolo by the flag-wavers and drummers of the Quintana di Ascoli Piceno from the Sestiere Piazzarola.
The participants of the gathering visited the city with a tour guide. On Sunday, the group reached San Benedetto del Tronto, where they proceeded to visit the Tower of Gualtieri.
The cars of the event: from the NSU Prinz to the Brixner
Among the participating vehicles, there was ample space for the small “Prinz 4L,” but there were also exceptional appearances, starting with the futuristic “RO80,” Car of the Year in 1968 featuring the innovative Wankel rotary engine, a technology in which NSU was a pioneer.
The rare and stunning “1000 TTS” in red was also present, produced for only 4 years from 1967 to 1971. It was the ultimate sports evolution of the Prinz 1000, equipped with a 1000cc engine delivering 70 horsepower.
The presence of a Brixner was also of interesting. It’s a racing car kit built on the NSU TT mechanical base, capable of achieving Class wins at the 1000 Km of Nurburgring.
Alongside the event, there were also other non-NSU vehicles present, but in line with the brand’s more recent history, such as the Volkswagen K70 S and a rare Audi 80 1600 LS Automatic.
Special thanks to Gilberto Santimaria and NSU Club Italia for their collaboration in the preparation of this piece.
