This car captured my imagination as a teen; it was 1968 and apart from Citroen and the odd exxclusive Zagato or Bertone design, everthing was rather predictable...then NSU pulled this rabbit out of the hat! Not only did it sport a Wankel rotary engine, its styling was fresh, avante-garde and totally different than other cars around; previous cars which had made a similar impression on me growing up were the Citroen DS and the Rover 2000. They all broke the mould so to speak but what the NSU did, was display an integrity of design with superb detailing and original design elements lacking in all its contemporary competitors. The advertising at the time stated that other car makers would be be there in 10 years time, and in many respects they were not there even in 20...
In due course a few toy manufacturers adopted it as well. The variety is not huge but there are some delectable choices out there.
Märklin, No. 1811, 1/43 scale, Made in Germany, Released in 1969,
Märklin released this model soon after the launch of the Ro80. It was on the market for several years and I acquired my first one in Zürich in September 1977. I remember it well as I was in in transit for several hours in Zürich and had goner down town for some sightseeing and shopping...and the green NSU travelled with my to Canada, then back to Cyprus and it now resides in Switzerland again :-)
It was offered in various colour combinations and rather unrealistic unfortunately. The bonnet/hood opens to reveal a nicely detailed engine and all four doors open in
One aspect of this model which I dislike are the wheel hubs; they are made of a plastic material which in time deforms - a rare failure in the expected german quality standards!
Another German manufacturer which produced replicas of the Ro80 is GAMA. Less well known outside germany than Märklin, they nonetheless have a rich heritage in die-cast modelling.
I have two versions of the GAMA model; the one outside the box is the original issue while the boxed one is a recent re-edition or replica of the original. Both are reed with a black interior but the wheels are different. They are slightly chunkier than the Märklin and one can feel that this was intended to be a toy and not just a model for display.
This is the original issue which was released in 1973
GAMA, No. 9670, 1/43 scale, Made in Western Germany, released 1973
Opening bonnet/hood, boot/trunk and front doors.
The re-edition from the late '90s?
Re-edition / Replica - note the different wheels; otherwise identical.
Mebetoys, No. A37, +/43 scale, Made in Italy, released in 1969
Like Märklin, Mebetoys released their version of the Ro80 in 1969 soon after the launch of the car on the market. In some respects the Italians produced a superior casting to either of the Germans as it reflects more detail and the proportions are captured with more elegance.
The wheel hubs are of metal and the perforated look mimics the real thing quite nicely.
Three versions of the model have made their way into my collection.
All three have the same colour interior!
Version in metallic gold and metallic maroon are also known to exist.
Nicely detailed engine and interior.
'Mebetoys' Made in USSR - 1/43 scale
After ceasing production, Mebetoys sold their castings to a company in the USSR where a profuse array of versions of 'extinct' Mebetoys models were reproduced.
The quality was a little crude and its very evident looking at all the finishing, detailing and materials; the plastics are cheaper, the wheels more plain and made of a cheaper alloy which appears rather brittle. The engine, while its plated silver in the Mebetoys version is plain grey in the USSR one.
Interior colours vary as do the exterior colours.
I have tow grey metallic versions, one with a black and the other with a white interior.
Dinky also joined the band-wagon with a release in 1969. Of course the Ro80 was all over the press at the time as it had also won the Car of the Year award for 1968.
A unique feature of the Dinky were the head lamps which could be lit up by virtue of a battery which one could slot underneath!
In order to accommodate the battery, Dinky's rendition of the model is a little plump.
Here are a few photos uniting the variations iterations. A nice detail is the chrome at the foot of the windscreen of the Märklin version indicating the intake for the ventilation system!
Below you can see the girth of the Dinky compared to the more elegant Mebetoys version
But the story continues; Corgi Juniors and Husky also issued some 'Matchbox' sized models close to 1/60 scale.
This was the original issue of Corgi Juniors under their Whizzwheels sub-brand.
It was followed by a couple of releases in other colours; there was a pink one with a black bonnet/hood and the one depicted below, with a five spoke painted wheels vs the all black originals.
Husky issued their model in a more sedate version with more conventional looking wheels and nicely proportioned casting. It is very close to the Corgi Juniors version but has some small differences.
Husky, ca 1/60, Made in Gt. Britain
At some point, Corgi Juniors and Husky's paths merged and here we have a hybrid version. Its the Husky model but the baseplate has been revised to remove the Husky branding and there is a sticker to identify the toy as a Corgi Juniors!
Look at the identification as a Corgi Juniors! The rest of the baseplate is as per the original Husky
The 'windows' are blue instead of white...
This completes my review of my NSU Ro80 models.
25 April 2012
In due course a few toy manufacturers adopted it as well. The variety is not huge but there are some delectable choices out there.
Märklin, No. 1811, 1/43 scale, Made in Germany, Released in 1969,
Märklin released this model soon after the launch of the Ro80. It was on the market for several years and I acquired my first one in Zürich in September 1977. I remember it well as I was in in transit for several hours in Zürich and had goner down town for some sightseeing and shopping...and the green NSU travelled with my to Canada, then back to Cyprus and it now resides in Switzerland again :-)
Another German manufacturer which produced replicas of the Ro80 is GAMA. Less well known outside germany than Märklin, they nonetheless have a rich heritage in die-cast modelling.
I have two versions of the GAMA model; the one outside the box is the original issue while the boxed one is a recent re-edition or replica of the original. Both are reed with a black interior but the wheels are different. They are slightly chunkier than the Märklin and one can feel that this was intended to be a toy and not just a model for display.
This is the original issue which was released in 1973
GAMA, No. 9670, 1/43 scale, Made in Western Germany, released 1973
The re-edition from the late '90s?
Mebetoys, No. A37, +/43 scale, Made in Italy, released in 1969
'Mebetoys' Made in USSR - 1/43 scale
Dinky Toys, No. 176, 1/43, Made in England, Released in 1969
Dinky also joined the band-wagon with a release in 1969. Of course the Ro80 was all over the press at the time as it had also won the Car of the Year award for 1968.
Below you can see the girth of the Dinky compared to the more elegant Mebetoys version
But the story continues; Corgi Juniors and Husky also issued some 'Matchbox' sized models close to 1/60 scale.
This was the original issue of Corgi Juniors under their Whizzwheels sub-brand.
It was followed by a couple of releases in other colours; there was a pink one with a black bonnet/hood and the one depicted below, with a five spoke painted wheels vs the all black originals.
Husky issued their model in a more sedate version with more conventional looking wheels and nicely proportioned casting. It is very close to the Corgi Juniors version but has some small differences.
Husky, ca 1/60, Made in Gt. Britain
At some point, Corgi Juniors and Husky's paths merged and here we have a hybrid version. Its the Husky model but the baseplate has been revised to remove the Husky branding and there is a sticker to identify the toy as a Corgi Juniors!
Look at the identification as a Corgi Juniors! The rest of the baseplate is as per the original Husky
25 April 2012
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