Makes › NSU › Wankel Spider · Rare production · 1964–1967 Rare
NSU
Wankel Spider
World’s first production car with a (single-rotor) Wankel engine; Bertone-designed two-seater built only 1964–67.
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: MartinHansV · Public domain
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 2,375 Built
- Years
- 1964–1967
- Engine
- Not yet verified
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The NSU Spider of 1964 was the first rotary-powered car to reach the market, ahead of Mazda, which had started its own Wankel work with an NSU study contract in 1959.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionunits built by July 1967 (Neckarsulm) | 2,3751 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Felix Wankel began work on a new kind of engine at NSU in 1951, a first rotary engine concept was shown in 1954 and the DKM 54 prototype first ran on 1 February 1957. NSU brought the Spider to market in 1964, and Mazda, which had signed a study contract with NSU, answered with rotary engines at that year's Tokyo show.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Wankel Spider.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | KKM 5022 Independently researchedTaken from a table in a Russian engine journal whose column headers are unreadable in the cached copy, so no other values are used. |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
Audi Tradition – Sporty, beautiful, and innovative: the NSU/Wankel Spider Level A
- 2375 units built by July 1967 (Neckarsulm)
-
2
Rotary engines in cars (table of Wankel engine applications) Level D engine.aviaport.ru (archived 2011) · 2011-10-02
- NSU 1964 KKM 502 ... Spider
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