I think I have a bit of a crush on the NSU Prinz. I find myself returning to this funny little rear-engined, shrunken Corvair a lot. I’ve used it in our divider bar graphic, the related stories graphic, wrote peans to its trunk, the usual embarrassing documentation of an infatuation. That means I look at a lot of old NSU brochures, which also means I get to encounter another guilty pleasure: the weird-ass people in NSU brochures. Like this guy especially, down there on the left, by the kid with the balloon.
What the hell is going on here? I feel like the scene was supposed to be all about balloons and fun and kids but the photographer thought, hey, what this scene really needs is a bit of tension, so why not add a lawyer to the mix, reminding that pale little fella in the plaid hat that we have rules around here regarding balloon inflation and you should be aware that all yellow balloons are trademarked by the saffron collective, which he represents, and they are very prepared to take immediate and decisive action regarding misuse of yellow balloons, which you are clearly in violation of.
You don’t want any trouble, kid. Drop the balloon.
Drop it.
Now.
In Germany, everyone takes a sobriety test, regardless of age. Laura Petrie there, could talk me into anything.
While most of the early astronauts drove Corvettes, John Glenn had an NSU Prinz https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/the-prinz-and-the-astronaut/
“Now see Jimmy, that girl represents Socialism; she didn’t work for all those balloons, she didn’t do anything to deserve those balloons, so she has no appreciation of the work and struggle needed to provide the balloons. You however represent Capitalism, you’re working hard to inflate that one balloon there. You will appreciate it more, value it. Well, (hee hee) you would if I wasn’t about to take it away as soon as you finish inflating it.”
Send lawyers, helium and money?
The lawyer is there to keep the peons at bay, for you see the results of the balloons are full of helium. Note the loft in the balloons held by the kid on the hood of the car. How did that kid get there? Helium. The kid filling balloons is expelling helium of course, and the lawyer is on hand to prevent the helium consortium from getting their hands on this kid.
The “saffron collective” is a pottery studio in Alberta. Nevertheless, I will steal this phrase shamelessly and without attribution.
“saffron collective” sounds like some organization from an obscure episode of Doctor Who.
That’s not a lawyer. It’s the boy’s father. Father is explaining in excruciating detail how the boy is failing to inflate the balloon. How Father was an expert inflator at half the boy’s age. That his son will never amount to anything worthwhile because he’s lazy and doesn’t put any effort into balloon inflation exercises.
When you realize the balloon is full of Nitrous then this changes the situation entirely….
See the the lawyer’s tightly closed left hand? It’s concealing a large hat pin. He’s encouraging the kid-egging him on-just waiting for the moment of triumph/maximum inflation to literally bust the kid’s bubble. Because lawyers are evil*: they have dark, shriveled souls-rather like pickled walnuts. Their only joy in this world is crushing peoples hopes: they gain sustenance from anguish.
He is ready to feed
* present company-and Sheryl-excepted, of course
They look like “Lawyers in Love” with two Kinder and a Prinz!
He looks like that kid from A Christmas Story that shot his eye out, but older and more lawyery looking.
At one point many years ago in my quest to be different I wanted a TTS, sure as hell could not afford one now.
As for the ad with the kid and balloon, he should be safe, he’s got Bill Maher advising and is wearing a hat for reinforcement.
The little boy looks like one of those statues you put at the end of the driveway, the guy looks like a Dana Carvey character, and what on Earth is growing out of that poor girl’s head? You ever see those pictures from the, like, early 1900’s or something that mediums said showed ectoplasm or something, and would use them as proof that ghosts exist and their services were legitimate? That’s what it looks like
I prefer the earlier Prinz, which pretty much epitomized Scaled-Up-Schuco-Toy design.
Didn’t this one come out about the time NSU wanted to put Chrysler slant-sixes in these cars? You remember the result, don’t you?
About 20 years ago I went to look at a Prinz I or II in Asbury Park, NJ. Can’t remember exactly why I didn’t pull the trigger, but it may have been a not too rough non-runner at a time when I was really just looking for something quirky that I could get running and inspected quickly and figured it would require too much effort. I really like the classic NSU shape introduced on the Prinz 4 and would love a TT or TTS as an interesting Mini-Cooper alternative.
The real travesty here is….socks and sandals. And maybe the conductor hat the kid is wearing.
They’re Germans, socks & sandals is like their national dress
“You will never master your powers this way. Reach down deep. Now BLOW!”