In 1955, the NSU engineering department was instructed
to build a new small car.
Reportedly some seven and a
half million marks were borrowed to build an entirely
new plant for the project.
Two years later, the new model was revealed to the public
at the 1957 Frankfurt Auto Show.
Its attractive body carried
a 583cc twin-cylinder 4-stroke motor which featured the
technically interesting Ultramax cam-drive using eccentrics
and rods.
Production began in March 1958, and in 1959 came the
Prinz II featuring better trim and an all-synchro
box. A high performance 30E (export) version gave
30bhp!
The Prinz III arrived in October 1960 with
a new stabilizer bar and the 30hp motor, making it
one of the fastest small cars of its time-at 120 km/h.
This attractive car was also technically well sorted out
and built. It was succeeded in 1961 by the Corvair-like
Prinz IV.
Volkswagen took over NSU, and then merged it
with its Audi subsidiary to form Audi NSU Auto Union AG.
Our thanks to Gerard Pille for supplying the image shown left. 
It had been used by a local car dealer to tow behind cars they were delivering from service locally.
It was great fun! I used to tune it and change the oil on lunch breaks - lol.
Sold it to a bonehead who promptly blew the engine - DOH!
When I was 16 in 1969 I bought a 1960 NSU Prinz. It was small but cool.