„Who pursues racing with scientific and artisanal systematics runs away from all other people to such an extent that racing as such becomes irrelevant. He drives ahead with his products, his victory is a foregone conclusion, and thus racing itself has become pointless.“

Carl Hertweck, Das Motorrad (22/1954), p. 906f.

In view of such words, today’s readers are immediately reminded of the role of Ferrari and Michael Schumacher in Formula 1 or the dominance of the Audi R8 in the overall victories at Le Mans in 2000, 2001 and 2002. However, Carl Hertweck, then editor-in-chief of Germany’s best-known motorbike magazine “Das Motorrad”, was referring to the incredible winning streak of NSU factory racing machines, which dominated the 125 cc, 250 cc and 350 cc classes in the 1954 racing year.

The road to the unique successes of 1953 and 1954 was not

easy, as in the first post-war years there was no thought of a factory motorsport commitment at NSU (cf. Chapter 3). However, after the former works drivers Wilhelm Herz and Hermann Böhm had won several national titles on NSU pre-war supercharged machines in 1947 and 1948, it was decided in Neckarsulm to compete again with a works team in the 1949 season. Despite the proven ability and great experience of the riders Wilhelm Herz (class up to 350 cc), Heiner Fleischmann (class up to 500 cc) and Hermann Böhm/Karl Fuchs (sidecar class up to 600 cc), championship titles were not brought back to Neckarsulm until 1950: Heiner Fleischmann in the 350 cc solo class and Böhm/Fuchs in the 600 cc sidecar class.

From 1951, German manufacturers were again allowed to participate in international racing events. NSU had prepared well for the regulations of the Federation Internationale Motocycliste (FIM), which had banned the use of turbocharged engines since 1945: In addition to the NSU Sportfox, which with 98 cc

displacement was intended only for junior riders, chief designer Albert Roder had developed a powerful 500 cc four-cylinder racing machine in 1950. Unfortunately, the new engine proved to be less stable and was therefore not competitive in either the national or international field. However, NSU was not completely without success in 1951. Within a few weeks, Roder developed a new 125 cc engine from one of the cylinders of the 500 cc racing machine, which he fitted – not quite accurately – into the chassis of a production Fox. The NSU Rennfox born in this way was already able to boast victories in Nuremberg and at the Grenzlandring in the second half of the season, and the times recorded were in no way inferior to the performance of the tried and tested machines from DKW, Mondial and MV Agusta. This created the basis for a successful 1952 racing year in the 125 cc class.

NSU started the 1952 season with a bang at Solitude near Stuttgart. Werner Haas, who was unknown until then, won the

first world championship race held in Germany after the war to the surprise of all the experts against the entire world elite with the revised 125 cc Rennfox. His team-mate Otto Daiker won the German championship in the class up to 125 cc after tough battles, Wilhelm Hofmann, Hubert Luttenberger and Haas took 3rd to 5th place in 1952.

Another surprise was the 250 cc racing machine developed under Dr. Walter Froede. The NSU Rennmax combined technical elements of the compressor engines, the Rennfox and the series Max and was first used in 1952. Towards the end of the season, Werner Haas even drove away from the competitors in the 350 class.

As a result, NSU finally decided in 1953 to take part in all the world championship races in addition to the German championship races. The enormous logistical and personnel effort of this season was recorded by a specially hired film team

under the title “Der große Sieg – Mit NSU zur Weltmeisterschaft 1953”. Thanks to improved machines and outstanding riders, multiple victories by the NSU factory team were not uncommon: in the 125 cc class, triple victories were achieved at Hockenheim, Solitude, Avus and Eilenriede; double victories in the 250 cc class were achieved at the Ulster TT and Eilenriede. Especially the combination of the young Werner Haas with NSU Rennfox and Rennmax seemed unbeatable.

The result was impressive. NSU had competed in the national and international rankings in 1953 in two cubic capacity classes and won five titles: The world brand championship in the class up to 250 cc went to NSU and Werner Haas became German champion and double world champion in the 125 and 250 cc classes on NSU.

In 1954, Werner Haas, H. P. Müller, Hans Baltisberger and Rupert Hollaus formed the works team. NSU’s greatest success

that year was its victory in the Tourist Trophy (TT) on the Isle of Man. After more than 40 years of winless participation in this most difficult race in the world, NSU won the 125 cc class with Hollaus. In the class up to 250 cc, Haas, Hollaus, Armstrong and Müller took 1st to 4th place.

Haas also won the 250 cc World Championship in 1954, Rupert Hollaus the 125 cc World Championship. In addition, Haas again became double German champion in the 125 cc and 250 cc classes. NSU won all the races started in 1954 in the 250 cc class with the Rennmax, several times as double, triple or quadruple winner. The lap times of the 350 class were beaten several times and the times of the 500 class were approached quite closely. When Haas was already determined as the world champion again in the middle of the season, NSU built two racing mexes with cylinders bored out to 288 cc. H. P. Müller became German champion in the 350 class in 1954 on one of these machines.

In 1954 NSU competed a total of 24 times and was the winner just as often. However, due to the fatal accident of the designated world champion Rupert Hollaus during practice for the last race of the season in Monza, NSU withdrew from racing at the factory at the end of the 1954 season.

In 1955, H. P. Müller became the first private rider in the world to win the World Championship in the 250 cc class on an NSU Sportmax, while Hans Baltisberger – now also a private rider – won the German Championship in the 250 cc class on NSU Sportmax in 1955 and 1956. Horst Kassner and Heiner Butz repeated this success in 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1963. The NSU Sportmax was a racing machine for private riders developed from the production machine, which had already been used successfully in 1953 alongside the NSU works team’s racing mice. After NSU withdrew from active motorsport in 1954, the former factory drivers also liked to use this machine. The whale fairings with ears, which were copied privately several times for

the NSU Sportmax, were tolerated by the factory, but were not allowed to be painted blue.