The fun part of having a lot of cars is trying different propulsion systems. I’ve gone from internal combustion to steam to electric – vintage electric, of course – to turbines, as in the Chrysler turbine car, to a jet (my street-legal home-built EcoJet uses a Honeywell LT101 jet engine, from one of the big attack helicopters) and the one I’m going to drive today: the only totally new powerplant of the 20th Century.
I have a very rare 1966 NSU Wankel Spider. The NSU was the first production car to be powered by this then-new and revolutionary power plant. Although Mazda had a very successful run with the Wankel, it’s been out of the American market for years, although I’m told it’s coming back.
If you’re reading this magazine, I’m sure you’re familiar with how a rotary engine works so I don’t need to go into it here. The Mazda version had twin rotors, the early NSU just one, with one spark plug and about 54 horsepower – enough to push it along, as it weighed only 1500lb. I hadn’t driven mine for a while but, after about two minutes of cranking, it fired up. When idling, it sounds a bit like a two-stroke motorboat burbling in the water.
It’s important to keep your eyes on the tach in these things because they rev so smoothly and go well into the red before you even notice anything is wrong. Rotor tip seals are always the Achilles’ Heel of these engines, but as long as you keep them below six grand they last a reasonable amount of time. Also, one needs to check the oil frequently and the gas mileage is nothing to write home about, either.
Now the upside. The sheer smoothness of the engine gets me every time and I end up with a huge smile on my face. When new they cost about $3000 in the US, which was more than an MG or a Triumph. For that money you got a heater, defroster, a very nice Blaupunkt radio, as well as roll-up windows and a well-fitted top.
Because of its resemblance to an Amphicar, people always ask me: ‘Does it go in the water as well?’ The most fun is at car shows. I’ll say to people: ‘Where do you think the engine is?’ I’ll open the boot – no, it’s not there. It has the traditional grille at the front for the radiator, so I’ll open the bonnet, but no, it’s not there either. Then I open the boot again, which is kind of shallow, and lift the false floor to reveal
