Happy Birthday To The Vokswagen K70, The First Water Cooled VW Is 50 Years Old.
Happy birthday to the VW K70, Volkswagen’s first water cooled car is 50 years old. This was a real game changer for the company as it moved VW forwards from the old air cooled rear mounted Beetle. But how it got there was good fortune.
Back in the 1960s, when VW was its own entity, and the Auto Union was owned by Daimler. By 1964 a deal had been done to obtain the Auto Union. But there was another company producing interesting rear mounted cars, NSU. They were somewhat cash strapped in 1969 and they merged with VW. However, it was more of a VW takeover. Part of this deal was that NSU would take the Auto Union and give VW a bigger share in them. The result was what we know as Audi, one of the four rings of the union.
So when they did this they inherited the fabled NSU RO80 with its less than ideal reliability. This was due to the unperfected Wankel rotary engine. NSU had developed a car, the K70, to complement the RO80. This was to be a conventional piston engined car with a lot of the neat design of the car it was based on. RO for Rotary and K for Kolben, or piston in English.
Unfortunately, the K70 was never to be produced by NSU, apart from some 23 pre-production models. The launch was halted, and the 1969 Geneva show launch suspended. The trouble was the K70 was too similar in size and price to the new Audi 100 and would have likely posed competition.
After some obviously fast decision making, the K70 became a Volkswagen and launched in August of 1970. Only a year later the K70 was produced at the new Salzgitter factory. Not at the old NSU plant in Nekarsulm.
This now became the first Volkswagen with water-cooled engine and front-wheel drive. It would have cost a fortune to develop something similar and NSU had done a great job with the RO80. Only the engine was troublesome.
“Love the VW K70 – because it opens up a new VW era” was the advertising slogan used for the launch. With its water-cooled front engine, front-wheel drive and modern styling, this really did usher in a new era at Volkswagen.
At a Salzgitter press conference on 20 October 1970 Volkswagen presented the new K70 at the plant. Not just a new car, but a factory built just for it. “A new Volkswagen, different to all the others made to date – the VW K70,” the press folder said. This was the game changer that saw VW move in an entirely new direction with front wheel drive cars. We know how that has ended up doing today, with a vast portfolio and a huge company.
This theme continued with the Passat and Golf, but the K70 had a state of the art chassis. Independent suspension, a very long wheelbase giving a large interior and very good handling and safety. A reinforced passenger compartment with front a rear crumple zones. The fuel tank within a protected area in the rear. There was even preparation for seat belts for all occupants, something we take for granted now. The car had attractive styling too, which I think still looks good today.
The notchback sedan, or saloon if you prefer, was designed by Claus Luthe. He was one of the major automobile designers of his time. His design signature can be seen in later Volkswagens such as the Golf and the Polo.
Karl-Günter Queißer was convinced from the start. He was there to experience the K70 and upheaval at Volkswagen from the start. The 79 year old ex vehicle painter started work with Volkswagen at the new Salzgitter plant in 1970.
He still remembers the first few years very well, “That was really something quite special,” he says, remembering the era of the K70. He was so convinced by the new technology and direction for VW he bought one in 1971. Up to then he had only driven a Beetle.
After having a total of three K70s, he bought a Golf. “Things keep moving,” says the man who generally welcomes change.
Thank you to VW for the images and happy birthday to the K70, 50 years old.
We’ve had another significant birthday recently, the Fiat Panda turned 40. You can read about that here.
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Simon