In the rearview mirror: The NSU from the Nile

Audi is celebrating "150 years of NSU" this year. A lesser-known chapter in the history of the traditional brand, which was discontinued in 1977, took place in Egypt in the 1960s and 1970s. Under a supply and assembly license agreement, parts of the NSU Prinz were exported to the land of the pharaohs, where they became the Ramses. Despite a build time of 13 years, it remained a mini-series. And yet the model caused great euphoria and enthusiasm, as it was ultimately associated with the dream of building up Egypt's own car industry.

Egypt pursued ambitious economic goals in the early 1960s. As part of a reconstruction plan, the state wanted to increase prosperity in the country and reduce dependence on foreign countries. For example, numerous consumer goods that had previously been imported, such as refrigerators and televisions, were to be produced in Egypt itself in the future. The goal was also to build up an automobile industry. A small and initially very provisional car plant was built near the pyramids of Giza. Parallel to the plans of the Egyptian government, NSU was at that time looking for additional sources of income - so the emerging possibility of exporting parts packages of the successful Neckarsulm Prinz model came in very handy. In the spring of 1960, representatives of Egyptian industry came to Neckarsulm for talks. Both parties quickly reached a commercial agreement.

As early as June 1960, NSU supplied chassis and engines to the recently founded Egyptian Automotive Company. The company initially built a small open off-road vehicle on the Nile. The four-seater used the Prinz engine with 30 hp and a displacement of 586 cubic centimeters. On top of the chassis from the Neckaar, a hand-built body was fitted at Nile, and the interior was also elaborately handcrafted. Since there was a lack of machines and tools typical of industry in Egypt, the result was a rather unconventionally shaped car. nevertheless, people were proud of the first car of their own from Egypt. - and the little prince became a king: the car was given the model name Ramses.

Production initially remained manageable, with often only three or four NSU Ramses being built a day. But the plans were ambitious. The Egyptian government was aiming for annual sales of 10,000 GF vehicles. The off-road vehicle, which was given the designation "Utilica," was soon joined by a sedan, a sporty convertible and official vehicles. The Egyptian postal service, for example, drove a pick-up version of the NSU Ramses, and the Egyptian army used it as a military jeep. In July 1973, production of the NSU Prinz 4 ended in Neckarsulm - and with it the license agreement with the partner, which had since been renamed the Egyptian Light Transport Manufacturing Company.

Today, it is no longer possible to determine exactly how many parts packages NSU delivered to Egypt. One thing is certain: the NSU of the Nile was not a great commercial success. Nevertheless, it made history in Egypt and still has some loyal owners today. (aum)