{"id":6601,"date":"1973-10-04T19:29:00","date_gmt":"1973-10-04T19:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ooooiykyk.com\/audiarchives\/?p=6601"},"modified":"2026-03-29T19:41:58","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T19:41:58","slug":"nsu-trapeze-1973","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ooooiykyk.com\/audiarchives\/1973\/10\/04\/nsu-trapeze-1973\/","title":{"rendered":"NSU Trapeze (1973)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\/Concept Cars & Design Studies<\/mark><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What:\u00a0<\/strong>NSU<\/a> Trapeze Concept by Bertone<\/a>
Model Family:<\/strong>\u00a0N\/A
Era: <\/strong>NSU Postwar<\/a>
Debuted:<\/strong>\u00a01973 Paris Motor Show<\/a>
Year:<\/strong>\u00a01973<\/a>
Registration Plate: <\/strong>N\/A
Status:<\/strong> Bertone collection
Number Produced:<\/strong>\u00a01
Model \/ Generation Code(s):<\/strong> unknown
Chassis \/ Matrix:<\/strong> unknown
Layout:<\/strong> Mid-engine, 2+2
Engine:\u00a0<\/strong>2-rotor Wankel<\/a> Rotary Engine<\/a> (derived from NSU Ro80)
Transmission:\u00a0<\/strong>3-speed semi-automatic \/ manual with torque converter
Drivetrain: <\/strong>Rear-wheel drive
Power:\u00a0<\/strong>approx. 115 bhp
Weight:<\/strong>\u00a0unknown
Length: <\/strong>~4,080 mm
Width: <\/strong>~1,830 mm
Height: <\/strong>~1,100 mm
Wheelbase:<\/strong> 2,480 mm
Exterior Paint Color: <\/strong>unknown two-tone white and blue
Wheels: <\/strong>unknown<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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BACKGROUND<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the early 1970s, NSU existed in a precarious position. Once a pioneering German automaker\u2014particularly in the development of the Wankel rotary engine\u2014the company had been absorbed into Volkswagen following mounting financial strain tied to the ambitious but troubled Ro80 program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, Volkswagen Group was in the process of rationalizing its portfolio, ultimately consolidating around Audi as its premium brand. NSU\u2019s future was uncertain, and within that uncertainty lay an opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Italian design houses recognized this moment. Bertone, fresh off its work on the Audi 50, sought to strengthen ties with Ingolstadt. Meanwhile, Giorgetto Giugiaro and Italdesign were pursuing a parallel path with the Audi Asso di Picche<\/a>. The Trapeze emerged as Bertone\u2019s counterpoint\u2014a deliberate move to demonstrate design leadership and secure future collaboration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than compete directly under the Audi nameplate, Bertone chose NSU as its canvas. The result would be one of the most unconventional concept cars of the decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CONCEPT AND MISSION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Trapeze was conceived as a halo concept\u2014an attempt to reposition NSU as a forward-thinking performance brand while showcasing the architectural advantages of the Wankel rotary engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compact, lightweight, and capable of being mounted midship, the rotary offered something traditional piston engines could not: packaging freedom. Gandini, who historically expressed reservations about mid-engine practicality, saw an opportunity to rethink the format entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brief was ambitious. Not simply a sports car, but a mid-engine 2+2 capable of accommodating four full-sized adults\u2014a near impossibility within conventional packaging constraints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The defining innovation of the Trapeze lies in its seating architecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than placing rear passengers behind the front seats, Gandini positioned them outboard on either side of the centrally mounted engine, creating a trapezoidal layout when viewed from above – thus the name “Trapeze”. The front occupants sat tightly grouped at the centerline, while the rear seats flanked the engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This configuration achieved several objectives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n