In 1873, the mechanics Christian Schmidt and Heinrich Stoll founded a mechanical workshop for the manufacture of knitting machines in Riedlingen on the Danube, which they moved to Neckarsulm in 1880.

In 1884, this became the Neckarsulmer Strickmaschinenfabrik AG (Neckarsulm Knitting Machine Factory), and just two years later they began manufacturing bicycles, initially under the brand name “Germania” in the form of penny-farthings. Soon, however, low bicycles followed, which already enjoyed greater popularity, because a wheel height of 1.47 m was really not everyone‘s cup of tea! From 1892 there were no more NSU knitting machines; the three letters now stood for Neckarsulm, and from 1897 the company traded as Neckarsulmer Fahrradwerke AG. From 1901 onwards, the factory also smelled of petrol, because that was when motorbike production began,

and in 1903 a 300 m long test and demonstration track was built on the factory premises. At first, these two-wheelers were still powered by a Swiss Zedel engine, but from 1903 onwards there were NSU‘s own power units with outputs of 2 to 3.5 hp. The advertising promised: “We have decided to build a strong three-horse motorbike for riders with strong nerves, which is very fast, but you can also ride it slowly!” NSU two-wheelers of all kinds were sold through the company‘s own branches in Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Leipzig, Berlin, Königsberg, Moscow, London, Paris and Zurich. Business was booming, and the idea of manufacturing automobiles was literally in the air. In 1905, the time had come: the first car manufactured in Neckarsulm, a car produced under a Belgian Pipe licence, left the factory. At the same time, the NSU technicians were working on realising their own ideas and built a three-wheeled vehicle – based on the Zyklonette model – with a 3.5 hp motorbike engine mounted above the front wheel and transmitting its power to it via a

chain. The type designation was Sulmobil. It was first offered for sale in 1906. However, the large and small cars of this type did not really satisfy either producers or buyers, and so the first “Original Neckarsulmer Motorwagen” came out in the same year. Derived from this, there were soon larger displacement and more powerful engines. This meant that a range of models could now be developed. There was no longer a separate type designation; all the cars and motorbikes were called “Neckarsulm” and this was written on them in large letters.

From 1911 onwards, the vehicles manufactured in Neckarsulm bore the three letters NSU. In the motorbike range, both powerful two-cylinder machines and lighter touring bikes were added. From 1911, NSU had rear-wheel suspension, chain drive (only on the 7.5 hp racing machine), belt drive, 45 km.

For the heavyweights with an 800 engine and 6.5 hp as well as

125 kg dead weight, there were soon no longer the previous light basket sidecars, but real “sidecars with Phaeton bodywork”. The idea of the three-wheeler – “car-like and motorcycle-cheap” – was by no means dead, but experienced its realisation precisely in sidecar construction. NSU was the most export-oriented German motorbike company before the First World War. Most of the motorbikes that came from Germany were made by NSU. They went to Russia, most European countries, Turkey, Scandinavia, and even the São Paulo Civil Guard in Brazil was equipped with them. When war broke out in 1914, NSU also had to adapt its production programme to the demands of the army administration. Thus, the 3.5 hp two-cylinder war motorbike was developed in 1915. Of the automobiles, mainly the small models continued to be built and were delivered to the troops painted field grey and otherwise “refined”. In addition, however, trucks for 1.25 t and 2.5 t payloads were also manufactured in Neckarsulm on behalf of the Reich.