Brands That Have Disappeared
History is important, especially for classic car enthusiasts. It is precisely through the past that a brand comes to life. A loss of living history therefore always affects all brand enthusiasts. Take the most recent example from Neckarsulm: The “German Motorcycle Museum,” formerly known as the “German Two-Wheeler and NSU Museum.” The NSU brand has disappeared from the name, even though it's still present in the museum. A loss of visible history. The NSU/Wankel Spider Club is protesting.
A fate that, like it or not, many defunct brands share. And we're not talking here about financial abysses like the Great Depression, in which some car brands disappeared. Just look at the recent past. Rover? Saab? Oldsmobile? Often, these have been century-old stories that suddenly come to an end. With a bit of luck, there's still a museum or a club that saves the vanished brands from oblivion and represents them—keeping them visible and alive.
So NSU is comparatively lucky that its parent company, Audi, is still around and occasionally commemorates NSU. Just like the other legendary Auto Union brands: DKW, Wanderer and Horch. It goes without saying that there can't be an exhibition or press release about this every day. If history isn't to be confined behind dusty archive and museum doors, the classic car scene itself must ensure its visibility. At trade shows, gatherings, concours d'elegance, drives, and exhibitions. Only when every classic car driver—whether male or female—showcases their brand does it stay alive. And that's what saves it from being lost to obscurity forever.
