N Is For: 1951 Nash Airflyte Ambassador vs 1975 NSU Ro 80

Good morning! On today’s Showdown, to celebrate the letter N, we’re skipping over the obvious choice – Nissan – and instead looking at two four-door sedans that both caused quite a stir when originally released, one for its styling and one for its drivetrain and its styling. Which one is more desirable today? That’s what we aim to find out.

Our cute little economy car battle yesterday showed that the poor Mitsubishi Mirage continues to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the automotive world. Even in flawless condition, with a manual transmission, and resplendent in a glorious shade of magenta-y purple, it gets no respect. But that Morris Minor is just so damn charming, I doubt anything could have beaten it.

I would, of course, have to take the Minor. If I were offered the choice between those two cars and came home with the Mitsubishi, I’d end up sleeping in it. But I do still admire the plucky little Mirage, and I give huge props to both it and the Chevy Sonic for their amazing color palettes.

Bringing out something completely different from any other car on the market is always a risky proposition.There’s a chance buyers will hate it and go for something more traditional. And if that radically-styled car also has an unproven new engine design and an unfamiliar transmission, it’s an even harder sell. Both of today’s entries started out strong, but ultimately ended up being dead ends, as their manufacturers shifted their attention to other ideas. Which one is a more compelling conversation starter today? Let’s check them out and see.

1951 Nash Airflyte Ambassador – $14,000

Engine/drivetrain: 234 cubic inch overhead valve inline 6, four-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Belvidere, IL

Odometer reading: 64,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives, but needs a little work

Aerodynamics play a huge part in car design, but that wasn’t always the case. Until the introduction of the Chrysler Airflow in 1934, most cars had the aerodynamics of a Gothic cathedral. But the Airflow was too radical for most people, and Chrysler toned down the styling almost immediately. After World War II, Nash tried again, taking streamlining to new heights, with not only a sleek shape, but enclosed front wheels and a one-piece curved windshield. It was radical at the time, but now it just looks like a big friendly beluga whale.

Inline sixes were the kings of the road in the early 1950s, and the Airflyte didn’t stray from convention in this regard. It’s an overhead valve design, driving the rear axle through a GM Hydramatic transmission. This one has been rebuilt, and it runs well. The car’s brakes need some adjustment; it pulls to the left a little under braking. But otherwise, it drives fine.

The seller says the interior needs work, but it looks pretty good to me. The rear seat has a couple of rips in the upholstery, but the front looks fine. The heater controls apparently aren’t hooked up; you have to open and close the heater valve under the hood. Oh, and the turn signals don’t work at the moment. One interesting bit of history about the Nash Airflyte: it was the first American car to be offered with seat belts, but many buyers distrusted them and asked dealerships to remove them.

It has a little spot of rust on the front bumper, and maybe one on the passenger door as well, but overall it looks good. You could shine this car up and show it with pride just as it is.

1975 NSU Ro 80 – $14,950

Engine/drivetrain: 1.0-liter twin-rotor Wankel, three-speed semi-automatic, FWD

Location: Beverly Hills, CA

Odometer reading: 31,000 kilometers

Operational status: Runs and drives, but needs a little work

Wankel rotary engines are most commonly associated with Mazda, but in 1967, German automaker NSU featured one in its new flagship sedan, the Ro 80. It was sleek, aerodynamic, and incredibly high-tech for the time. It wasn’t a huge commercial success, and cost issues with the rotary engine ultimately led to NSU being purchased by Volkswagen in 1969, but many of its design features were incorporated into later Audi models.

The rotary engine isn’t the only unusual aspect of the Ro 80’s mechanical specification. It has a three-speed manual transmission with a vacuum-actuated clutch and a torque converter. You still have to shift, through a normal H-pattern, but there’s no clutch pedal. It has four wheel disc brakes, four wheel independent suspension, and power-assisted rack and pinion steering – high-tech stuff for the late ’60s. The seller says that this example runs and drives fine, but needs work to be roadworthy. They don’t specify exactly what it needs, though.

It’s really clean inside, but you’d expect that with only 31,000 kilometers on the clock. It hasn’t had a chance to get dirty yet. I’ve never actually seen the interior of one of these; I like it. It has that nice clean German design, similar to BMWs of the era. It looks comfortable, but purposeful.

It’s in beautiful shape outside, and a great color. it has all five of those cool alloy wheels, including the spare. I never paid much attention to these, but now that I’m taking the time to study it, this is a really cool car. I love the styling, and just look at all that window area. Safety is a noble pursuit, I suppose, but I really miss big greenhouses on cars like this.

It sounds like you’ll have to do a little tinkering on either one of these to make it perfect, but they’re both worth the effort, I think. Either way, you’ll draw a crowd at a car gathering. Which one of these ahead-of-its-time sedans appeals to you more?