NSU-Fiat
Despite being confused with NSU Neckarsulm on a regular basis, the Italian manufacturer Fiat managed to establish its own community of fans in Germany.
The history of NSU-Fiat
After the sale and distribution of Italian Fiat automobiles in Germany had been firmly established, the company expanded upon its plans for local production in the 1920s. The purchase of a stake in the flagging German brand NSU Neckarsulm was followed in 1929 by a takeover of their plant in Heilbronn, a decision that marks the beginning of the separate German NSU-Fiat brand. The NSU-Fiat 1000 started rolling off the line in 1934 and production was steadily expanded. After World War II, conflicts surrounding the confusing naming of NSU Neckarsulm and NSU-Fiat resulted in a drawn-out legal battle. In the end, “NSU Automobil AG Heillbronn”(NSU-Fiat) was renamed to “Neckar Automobilwerke AG Heilbronn”in 1960. Many of the models produced in Germany received the epithet “Neckar”, for instance, the Fiat 500 was called “Neckar Weinsberg”and the Fiat 600 became know as “Neckar Jagst”. 1962 marked the year NSU-Fiat cracked the magical number of selling 100,000 cars per year. Production of NSU-Fiat vehicles ended in 1969, the “Neckar”nomenclature ended and the cars were sold under the name Fiat from then on.
The NSU-Fiat Jagst
The Fiat 600, advertised in Germany under the name NSU-Fiat Jagst, resulted in a huge increase in marketshare for NSU-Fiat. The initial egg-shaped design aimed to minimize the use of sheet metal in production, as it was still extremely expensive in Italy at the time. The plant in Heilbronn produced a version with a textile sun roof from 1956 onwards. The feat of fitting four people, despite its small dimensions, gave the Jagst the reputation of a family car and resulted in great popularity. Even if the demand for the NSU-Fiat Jagst dropped off after the release of the Fiat 850, it commanded a core community of fans in Germany who ordered its successors well into the 1970s.
Logo
The logo of NSU-Fiat, which was in a constant conflict with NSU, consisted of a diagonally decided emblem that read NSU on the top left and Fiat on the lower right.