NSU-Fiat, Neckar

In 1929, NSU Motorenwerke AG sold its then recently completed Heilbronn car factory (near the river Neckar) to Fiat, following financial problems resulting from the economic crisis. The deal left two businesses with similar names located barely 7 kilometers apart. NSU Automobil-AG was a subsidiary of Fiat, manufacturing cars carrying a NSU-Fiat badge, while NSU Werke AG in nearby Neckarsulm produced motor-bikes. In 1955 NSU Werke were planning to produce a passenger car in the 400 cc class and proposed to badge the car as an NSU. This seemed likely to create even more confusion in the market place affecting Fiat's small NSU-Fiats based on the Fiat 600, scheduled for launch in 1956 as a Heilbronn produced model. Because of the dispute it was badged not as an NSU-Fiat but as the Jagst (shortly thereafter lengthened to Neckar-Jagst). A court ruling had Fiat giving up the NSU name and as of 1957 all Heilbronn produced cars were badged as Neckar.

See also: Fiat 600