Volkswagen K70: the brand's first front-wheel drive car with a water-cooled engine (8 photos + 2 videos)

Everyone thinks of the Golf as the first front wheel drive Volkswagen. However, that title belongs to the K70, which appeared around 3 years ahead of the first Golf and Passat, about 200,000 units were sold, but is still relatively unknown even among VW fans.





By the early 1960s, Volkswagen belonged to the category manufacturers of mass and relatively inexpensive cars. basis The model range of the German company was the pre-war Volkswagen Beetle. This car was extremely successful, inexpensive and in all respects very successful. On its rear-engine basis, the Germans produced sports cars, vans, minibuses and even army vehicles. However, by that time it became obvious that the platform created by the legendary Ferdinand Porsche, already completely outdated. The firm needed a new progressive car such as Volkswagen K70.

Volkswagen EA 235



The Germans took the first approach to the new model after the construction experimental Volkswagen EA 235 in 1967. It was compact three-door hatchback with front engine and rear drive. A significant innovation was the new 1.2-liter 45-horsepower liquid-cooled engine from Audi. At the same time, the transmission was implemented according to the transaxle racing scheme - with the location of the box gears in a single housing with the rear axle.

Then the layout of the EA 235 was considered not optimal, and after two years built another prototype - Volkswagen EA 276. This time the car had a front-engine layout with front-wheel drive wheels. Interestingly, the prototype of the future Golf received a 1.5-liter 44-horsepower boxer engine from the Beetle. It was said that the use of an ancient air-cooled motor insisted the then head of the company, Heinrich Nordhoff. As it were the conducted test cycle showed the unviability of this concept.

NSU K70





At the end of 1968, the new head of the German company was Kurt Lotz. His first management decision was the purchase of NSU, which was known for its luxurious but very unreliable rotary NSU Ro80 sedans. The interest of Volkswagen was not at all rotary piston engines (RPD), and the company's production facilities NSU. However, from the point of view of engineering competencies, there was also something profit.

Scheme Volkswagen K70



The NSU stash had an unannounced front wheel drive model K70. The car was supposed to be available an alternative to the expensive and prestigious Ro80. As a result, he came out less size, and under its hood was not an RPD, but an ordinary carburetor 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 75 hp The rest of the K70 was a fairly progressive machine: with all independent spring suspension, rack and pinion steering and front disc brakes. Moreover, to reduce unsprung masses, brake discs were moved from the wheels to the final drive.

The salon had a good finish and equipment. A Blaupunkt stereo radio was optionally available.



Externally, the NSU K70 also looked pretty decent. The car had discreet design in a rectilinear style with a large glass area and European-style poor decor. In addition, by the standards of the 1960s, the K70 had a very high level of passive safety: the body received crushable front and rear zones, and full-size headrests have been registered in the cabin and safety steering column.



For Volkswagen, which has been producing inexpensive rear-engined cars, the K70 was a definite breakthrough. car lightly corrected appearance, hung company emblems, and in September 1970 launched into mass production with great fanfare. new, now already, the Volkswagen K70 was received favorably by the public.

During the restyling of 1973, the car received a different design of the front end.



Nevertheless, sales started rather sluggishly. The fact is that for the traditional clientele of the Volkswagen brand, the car came out quite Expensive. The minimum cost of the K70 was DM 9450, total 150 marks cheaper than the more prestigious Audi 100. But even at this price K70 was unprofitable in production, because unification with other cars the company was completely absent.



The first front-wheel drive Volkswagen lasted on the conveyor only 5 years old. All this time the Germans were working on their original front-wheel drive - Volkswagen Passat and Volkswagen Golf. Total produced 211 thousand copies of the K70 model.