NSU was a brand name given to bicycles made in the town of Neckarsulm in 1892; the company had been making 'Germania' bicycles since 1886 and before that knitting machines. NSU started making motorcycles in 1901 and cars in 1905. Fiat bought the NSU car plant in 1928 and continued to build NSU cars until 1932. NSU restarted motorcycle production in 1931 with the Motorsulm, and then in 1936 it purchased the Adam Opel motorcycle business. In 1933 NSU built 3 prototypes for Ferdinand Porsche towards the final Volkswagen Beetle project. During the second World War NSU built military motorcycles as well as the Kettenkrad half-track vehicle. Motorcycle production restarted in 1945 with the 'Quick' from the ruins of the bombed out Neckarsulm factory. In the 1950s NSU modernised its motorcycle line up by manufacturing the Lambretta under licence, but when the licence expired in 1955 NSU started to build their own Scooter. Car production returned to Neckarsulm when the Prinz bubble car was launched in 1957 using two 'Max' motorcycle engines for power. An open version of the Sport Prinz was presented in 1963 with the new Wankel engine. The Prinz grew into the Mark IV in 1963 with a modern body looking a bit like the Chevrolet Corvair, and continued in production until 1973. NSU took a bold step forward with the large saloon Ro80 in 1967 with a one litre Wankel engine. The development costs of the NSU Ro80, coupled with the teething troubles of this new technology was too much for NSU and in 1969 it agreed to a buyout by VW/Audi. Just before their demise NSU had launched a much more conventional K70 front wheel drive medium saloon which under VW ownership sowed the seeds of VWs rise out of the rear-engine years. NSU died in 1977 when the Ro80 was terminated. The NSU plant at Neckarsulm was given over for Porsche to build the 924.