[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index] [New Search]
Jason Weigel, The Volkswagen K70 had a four-cylinder in-line overhead camshaft engine with four pistons. The "K" in VW K70 stands for "kolben" which is German for pistons, not rotors. I don't know what the "70" stands for but I used to think it stood for the year 1970 which was when NSU planned to introduce the car. However, I think I am wrong about this because what would the "80" in NSU Ro80 stand for when the NSU Ro80 was introduced several years earlier in 1967? Some have said the "80" stood for the year in which NSU projected other manufacturers would finally catch up with them! Anyway, the "Ro" in NSU Ro80 stands for the German for rotary engine. Not being a German speaker, I think it is "rotierend" but would any German speakers out there please correct me. So, while Volkswagen certainly did not make a production rotary-engined Type 4 or a rotary-engined Type 3, there may have been some prototypes (most prototypes are sent to the crushers when they've finished with them). I do know they made a prototype Type 4 with a Passat front-wheel-drive front-engine in it. It was one of the three "ESVW 1" safety vehicles based on the Type 4 which they made in 1971. An air-cooled one of these is on display in the VW Museum in Wolfsburg. VW made 367,728 Type 4s and 211,127 K70s. These are not small numbers compared with other so-called successful vehicles like the MGB or the Volvo 122 (except when compared with the VW Beetle's 21,000,000). So, the so-called "flop" or failure of the Type 4 and the K70 is debatable. Anyway, by discussing Type4s, K70s and Ro80s, we are drifting from the Type 3 content .........! Simon Glen Toowoomba, Australia. Jason Weigel wrote: > VW did in fact produce a rotary motored car. The K70. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Search old messages on the Web! Visit http://www.vwtype3.org/list/