Bertone NSU TRAPEZE four seats mid engine prototype 1973

1973 at the Geneva Motor Show Carrozzeria Bertone introduces the NSU TRAPEZE prototype joining the vast selection of Wankel rotary piston engine propelled experimental automobiles. The Trapeze is a four seats project with original seating configuration. This vehicle is an attempt by Bertone at evaluating in detail the very difficult but interesting problem of passenger space in vehicles with a central engine. Excellent results have been obtained with crosswise positioning of the engine for two seats automobile like the 1966 Lamborghini Miura or the 1967 four seats concept Lamborghini Marzal. The situation becomes more difficult when you need to keep a longitudinal position for the propulsion system for optimum weight distribution and still seats four passengers.

In the early 1950's Dr. Felix Wankel developed his rotary piston engine at NSU. He completed the first automobile prototype in 1960 called NSU Spider. This rotary piston engine was patented in 1929 and was utilized as a fire water pump before being converted to internal combustion engine compact and without the vibrations of reciprocating piston units. The second NSU propelled by a Wankel rotary piston engine was the R0 80 sedan. The NSU Ro80 was produced at 37.889 units between 1967 and 1977 according to Wikipedia encyclopedia. Following the promising specifications of this rotary piston engine more than forty companies took license for developing their own units. Major automobile companies were among the licensees like Daimler Benz, General Motors, Citroen or Mazda. This resulted in a wide selection of experimental automobile like the Mercedes C111, the General Motors XP882-Aerovette, the Citroen M35 or the production Mazda Cosmo

1967-1977 NSU Ro80 with twin rotor rotary piston Wankel engine

The main innovation with the NSU Trapeze is the seating configuration for a mid engine prototype. In the NSU R0 80 the 115 hp twin rotor Wankel engine is installed for front wheel traction and engine overhang beyond the front axle. On the Bertone Trapeze the NSU R0 80 powertrain was moved in front of the rear axle  near the center of the car. The rear seats are placed on each side of the mid engine while the front seats remain at the center of the cabin.; the seats are thus positioned at the edges of a trapeze which explains the designation of the Bertone prototype.

 The rear passengers can stretch their legs alongside the front seats for more comfort. The misaligned position of the rear seats with respect to the front seats provide an excellent visibility for everyone. This solution also allow a good access to the rear positions. The wide gap between the front seat and the side door also acts as a safeguard in case of lateral collision. It is important to remember that, at that time, the automobile industry was intensely involved in developing method for improving the safety of the passengers, in particular the rigorous specifications put forward by the American DOT (Department of Transport).

Dimensions of the NSU Trapeze: length 4080 mm compared to 4780 mm for the NSU Ro80; width 1830 mm compared to 1760 mm for the NSU Ro80; height 1100 mm compared to 1410 mm for the NSU Ro80; wheelbase 2430 mm; front track 1390 mm and rear track 1530 mm.

text P. Damiens photos source Bertone Media Archive-AUDI NSU Media Archives

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