Classic Motorsports

With the dog days of summer currently upon us, we decided to roll back the calendar to 1968 and find out what was so special about these cars: How come, some 35 years later, they’re still considered to be great driving classics?

Good Cars Then, Classics Today

• 

Each of those cars that sports car drivers could enjoy in 1968 has survived the test of time. They’re still on the road, and each has attracted a loyal following.

With the dog days of summer currently upon us, we decided to roll back the calendar to 1968 and find out what was so special about these cars: How come, some 35 years later, they’re still considered to be great driving classics?

It was easy to find a good example of each car in the San Francisco Bay area. We looked for cars maintained with pride and used with enthusiasm, rather than trailer queens restored to showroom perfection.

While today’s comparison can’t tell us which one was best when they all were brand-new, it offers lots of information on what the current owners did to make the cars more road-worthy for today’s driving conditions, and how they compare in today’s real world.

The starting point for the drive was at least 50 miles from everyone’s home base, and we then drove a circuit of 150 miles through some of the best back roads that curve through California’s Gold County and wine valleys. And then everyone drove home. Not a single car had problems.

The comparison was done by the owners. Everyone drove each of the cars at least 20 miles and then rated each car against their own based on nine attributes.

Each car was rated in terms of performance—start-up, power, brakes and handling—as well as the car’s design and style, covering items like exterior and interior style, interior comfort and convenience, interior space, and luggage room.

At the end of the day, we totaled the results. Then we asked each owner which car, besides their own, they liked best, and whether they would trade.

The results were quite different from what Car and Driver learned in 1966. But compared to so many other cars that were introduced in the ’60s, every one of these classics is a winner, since every one is still driven and enjoyed today.

Datsun 1600

• 

At the Tokyo Motor show in 1961, Datsun—as the company was known to U.S. consumers before adopting the home market’s Nissan name—launched a new two-seat sports car called the Fairlady SP310. The 1500cc, 85-horsepower car was Datsun’s first entry into the sporting roadster world.

After some initial success in the U.S. market, the Fairlady was upgraded in 1965 to the SP311, receiving a more powerful 1595cc, 90-horsepower engine. The upgraded car was extensively marketed in the U.S. as the Datsun 1600.

Although it was introduced two years earlier than the MGB, the Fairlady had much in common with the popular British sports car. The Datsun was equipped with dual Hitachi carburetors manufactured under license from SU, as well as a four-speed, all-synchro manual gearbox and front-wheel-disc brakes.

The Datsun roadsters used body-on-frame construction that was similar to the earlier MGA, but the styling resembled the MGB. Although many people believe the Fairlady was copied from the MGB, the opposite might actually be true.

Joined by the higher-powered Datsun 2000 roadster in March 1967, the 1600 stayed in production through 1969 before both roadsters were replaced by the Datsun 240Z in 1970.

Raul Libunao bought this 1967 Datsun 1600 via eBay two years ago. It was a partially completed restoration that had been sitting for several years. The engine had been rebuilt, the body was repainted white, and the interior’s vinyl was replaced by red leather upholstery. At some point previously, it had been fitted with a roll bar. Raul finished the restoration, making only one change from original specifications, as he replaced the no-name tube shocks with Konis.

Once the car was on the road, Raul liked it so much that he eventually bought five more Datsun roadsters. His collection now includes several 2000s and even a rare factory-upgraded performance model fitted with dual Solex carbs.

Triumph TR4A

• 

Introduced in 1962, the Triumph TR4 was a budget-restricted upgrade for the hoary TR2 and TR3, which had been in production with limited changes since 1952. Triumph engaged Michelotti to design a more contemporary body style for the TR3A platform to create the Triumph TR4. Chassis details were largely unchanged from the previous model, except for the substitution of rack-and-pinion steering.

The TR4 had a much longer, wider and more square stance, with straight fender lines replacing the swooping lines of the TR2s and 3s. Wind-up windows were added, while an optional “surrey” top provided good weather protection, yet still permitted top-down motoring when desired.

In 1965, Triumph reengineered the body-on-frame car to install independent rear suspension. The new model, which retained the TR4’s body style and drivetrain, was designated the TR4A. It was replaced by the six-cylinder TR250, the predecessor to the popular TR6, in 1968.

Rich Scotti and son Bryce joined us for our Sunday drive in their British Racing Green 1966 Triumph TR4A that Rich has owned for more than 20 years. The car sports the optional surrey top, and Rich says it really helps when driving at highway speeds. Despite the dreary early morning weather that greeted our outing, Rich had removed the top panels, confident that we would see the sun later.

The car has not been restored, though Rich has upgraded various parts of it. When the original exhaust rusted into oblivion, as they all do, he installed a Falcon stainless-steel system. He’s also upgraded the suspension, adding polyurethane bushings and Koni shocks to stiffen the handling.

Other than that, what you see is what you get. This TR4A cruises and corners with the best of them, but has that rough-and-ready character for which Triumphs are appreciated.

MGB

• 

Introduced in 1962, the MGB was the best-selling MG of all time, remaining in production with only minor changes for two decades. Breaking from MG’s tradition of body-on-chassis construction, the new unibody construction gave the MGB a solid feel.

The MGB was also the first model to sport roll-up windows. Its nicely trimmed interior and decent soft top made it a practical daily driver then and now. The four-cylinder, five-main-bearing engine provides 98 horsepower, enough grunt so the car can hold its own in traffic, while the optional overdrive makes long trips comfortable. Parts are easy to find, and the support network is extensive.

Chuck and Suzanne Blakeslee’s 1967 is the fifth MGB they’ve owned. Suzanne found it at a garage sale in their neighborhood, and they bought it for $750. After a little work on the fuel system and hydraulics, it started on the first try.

The car hasn’t been restored as such, though Chuck rebuilt the engine and suspension, cleaned up the interior, installed chrome wires and had the car repainted. He estimates he’s invested about $10,000 in his MGB.

Chuck says he built the engine for reliability and power. He started by increasing the displacement to 1830cc and substituting a “fast street” cam. The head was extensively redone, receiving hardened three-angle valve seats plus polished and ported combustion and intake chambers.

Breathing is helped with a Maniflow intake setup and Peco exhaust header. Exhaust is handled by an Ansa high-flow system. The original generator has been replaced with a Delco alternator, while Chuck installed a Pertronix electronic ignition and high-performance spark plug wires.

Chuck took care of the MGB’s tendency to run hot when stuck in traffic by installing a four-row, high-capacity radiator plus an aftermarket radiator shroud, six-blade fan and 12-inch electric auxiliary fan.

Although springs are stock and suspension movements are controlled by stock Girling lever shocks and a 3/4-inch anti-roll bar, to tighten things up Chuck installed polyurethane bushings when he redid the kingpins. He also put performance brake pads on the stock front discs for better braking.

Alfa Romeo Duetto

• 

Alfa Romeo was no stranger to the world of two-seat roadsters in the ’60s. As rapidly as the company could get back into production after World War II, it started producing gorgeous, but expensive, two-seat roadsters.

By 1954, Alfa saw the opportunities in the mid-priced market and introduced the roadster version of their Giulietta coupe. With cosmetic changes and engine upgrades, they kept these affordable roadsters in production through 1965.

Alfa introduced the sleek new two-seater (hence the Duetto name) at the Geneva show in 1966 to replace the Giulia Spider. Inspired by the Alfa Disco Volante and designed by Pininfarina, the original Duetto had a sleek nose with faired-in headlights and a similarly shaped tail that also came down to a point.

Under that sloping hood, Alfa had installed a jewel of a 1600cc alloy engine marked by lovely valve covers placed over chain-driven twin overhead cams. A smooth five-speed transmission finished off the package.

Achieving notoriety in the film “The Graduate,” the Spider—the Duetto name was dropped after two years—was to stay in production in various evolutionary forms through the early 1990s. Though originally priced almost 50 percent higher than the other cars in this group, the Alfa Spider’s exceptional handling and smooth performance made it a contender against even more expensive cars.

Robin Boyar was smitten by the sports car bug at a very early age, and by high school had decided she wanted an Alfa Spider. Five years ago, to treat herself on her 30th birthday, she searched for and eventually bought a Duetto.

The car had been in storage for 10 years, but rather than restoring it, Robin and a friend, who had worked on Ferrari race cars in the ’60s, decided to do only what was necessary to make it a safe and reliable driver. Consequently, everything about this Alfa is original, and the car is still running on the correct 165-width tires, though they’re now made by Yokohama instead of Pirelli.

Robin couldn’t be happier with the final outcome. “You can’t be in a bad mood when driving this car,” she quipped. She commutes in her Spider once or twice a week, takes numerous road trips in it, and a few times a year bolts in a roll bar and participates in club track days.

Sunbeam Alpine

• 

In 1959, the Sunbeam division of England’s Rootes company introduced a new sports car for the 1960 production year. Engineered under contract by Armstrong-Siddeley and assembled by them, the car used the steel unibody chassis from the Hillman Husky station wagon and the drivetrain from the Sunbeam Rapier sedan.

Despite this unlikely combination, the result was a sweet little roadster called the Alpine, a name Rootes had originally used for their 1954 roadster. The new car offered roll-up windows and comfortable trim, but with styling that was much more American than Italian.

Through the early ’60s, several series of Alpines were produced, though the changes were largely cosmetic. The final version, the Series V, was introduced in late 1965, sporting the four-speed synchro box that had been introduced in 1964 plus a new 1792cc engine. The last Alpines were produced in 1967.

For our Sunday comparison drive, we invited Bill Atalla to bring out the Series IV Alpine that had graced the cover of the final issue of British Car magazine (April-May 2003).

Although it doesn’t have the larger engine of the Series V, the changes Bill has made under the hood have increased performance enough to match the later car. He put the engine through a careful rebuild with the requisite porting, polishing and balancing before replacing the Solex carburetor with a Weber.

The original cars ran on 13-inch wheels and 70-series tires, but Bill has substituted 14-inch wheels with lower-profile tires. Other than those few changes and the addition of lots of chrome, this Sunbeam is representative of what the model was like when new, and drives like a good, new restoration.

Conclusions

• 

Clearly any comparison among such different cars is not going to produce clear-cut results. No one is going to learn that they own the “wrong” car, or be able to decide from this comparison which car is the “best.”

It was no different in 1966. Although Car and Driver could add up its scores and declare a winner, people still disagreed with its findings, and many bought the other cars for a variety of reasons.

What we did learn is that condition counts for a lot in deciding which classic car offers the best all-around driving fun. A carefully maintained or well-restored car will always pay dividends in enjoyment.

Our owners also made it clear that no matter which of these classic sports cars they were driving, they’d rather be driving it than any modern car when they were out on the back roads for a sunny summer Sunday drive.

Fiat 124

• 

Fiat was no stranger to the sporting roadster market in the mid-’60s, having introduced the 1100tv two-door convertible in 1957. This was replaced by the 1200 Spider and then the higher-performance 1500 Spider in 1959.

The 1500 Spider was in production in 1966 when Car and Driver wrote its comparison. Then, in 1967, Fiat brought out a sporting little two-door coupe called the 124. By 1968, the 124 line had been rounded out with a four-door sedan, a station wagon, and the prettiest of the bunch, the 124 Spider.

Powered by a dual-overhead-cam, four-cylinder 1438cc engine that produced 96 horsepower, the car was a worthy competitor for the MGB. With its smooth curves and Italianate driving position, it offered a very European alternative to the squared-off Triumph at a much lower price than the Alfa Duetto.

The 124 was a very successful model, staying in production under the Fiat name until the company abandoned the U.S. market in 1983. It was then imported by Malcolm Bricklin under the Pininfarina nameplate for two more years before production was finally discontinued.

In appearance, our 1968 Fiat 124 is the least stock of the group. It was just restored by Joseph Lakatos Jr., who has been working on Fiats under his Joe’s Fiat Service sign in Redwood City, Calif., since before the 124s were first introduced. The car was registered and licensed for the street on the Thursday before the drive, so our Sunday drive comparison was its (very successful) maiden voyage.

Joe decided to have a little fun with this rebuild, which he was doing in hopes of finding a buyer. He added high-compression pistons, a mild “rally” cam, a baffled sump and a Weber carburetor with Edelbrock filter to the otherwise stock engine.

Then he fitted a custom exhaust system and mated the engine to the stock five-speed transmission and 215mm clutch. He’s pretty sure it produces a few more horsepower than stock, and the acceleration was certainly better than the original specs would suggest.

Careful thought was invested in the suspension as well. Without changing the stock configuration, Joe fitted KYB shocks and one-inch front and 5/8-inch rear anti-roll bars to improve the handling characteristics. Joe finished the car with a bright yellow paint job, spraying the hood and trunk in contrasting matte black. A neat little bumblebee on each fender sets off the colors.

Rating the Cars

• 

We’d mapped out a picturesque 150-mile, two-lane driving route, allowing each driver to test each of the cars for about 20 miles. A good stretch of curves was included in each rotation. At the end of each stint, drivers marked their rating cards.

To give them a basis for comparison, we asked them to give the car they had just driven a rating from one to 10 on nine attributes of performance and styling, with their own car considered a five.

While it’s impossible to compare today’s results one-on-one to the 1966 article’s conclusions, the results are nonetheless worth a look. While these cars may have originally been sold at different price points, today they can all be considered affordable classics with comparable values.

And the Final Tally

Sixth Place: Datsun 1600

There always has to be a last-place car, and in our test, that dubious honor went to the Datsun 1600, just as it did in 1966. Only one owner scored it higher than sixth, and it only got better than sixth on one attribute, interior style and comfort.

The problem, perhaps, is that Datsun was using older chassis technology while the company was still learning how to make a good sports car. The later success of the 240Z shows that Datsun did learn fast, but hadn’t yet gotten it right with the 1600.

Nevertheless, when asked if he’d swap the car for any other in the mix, Datsun owner Raul was adamant. “What I like about this car is that it isn’t all smoothness and comfort. I like the rough edges and the challenge of having to work to drive it right.”

Fifth Place: Triumph TR4A

The Triumph didn’t do well, either, probably because our example hasn’t been completely restored while demonstrating that British solidity that people either love or hate. On performance, it was ranked fifth by three drivers, though the MGB owner liked it better than the Alfa and Datsun. The Triumph’s own owner ranked it above those two cars as well as the MGB.

The TR4A scored best on its exterior styling, tying for second with the Alpine and beaten only by the Duetto. It also did well on interior styling, rating better than the MGB and Datsun. However, on all the other attributes, it couldn’t do better than fifth among all the cars.

Although he takes pride in the work he’s done to the MG, Chuck says he’d consider a swap for the Triumph. He and his wife have always liked the Triumph’s styling and, he says, “It is very British, like the MGB.”

Fourth Place: MGB

Rankings for the MGB were more diverse than for any of the other cars. While three owners ranked it in fourth place, our Datsun owner liked it best of all, and our Triumph owner thought all the other cars, except the Datsun, were better than the MGB.

Ranked on the basis of individual attributes, the MGB managed a tie for third place in performance rankings, though it dropped to fourth place when ranked on the basis of design and styling. It suffered on both interior and exterior styling, even though owners liked its interior comfort and luggage space.

Perhaps the secret to the MGB’s continuing success is simply that it was a good, solid car for its price: It may not have been as good as more expensive cars, but it seemed better put together than other cars at the same price. Owner Chuck Blakeslee says he likes that attribute best of all, and uses the MGB as his commuting car in all but the hottest or wettest of weather.

Third Place: Alfa Romeo Duetto

In the original 1966 article, the Alfa was rated above all the other cars on quantitative performance measures. However, in our informal driving comparison, it rated only third. This might simply be due to the better conditions of the two top-ranked cars.

One problem with doing classic car comparisons today is that it’s impossible to find cars that are in exactly the same condition, so these results may not be surprising. In this case, the Alfa didn’t do well on the performance measures. If we’d had the opportunity to include a freshly restored one, it probably would have done better in the performance attributes of power, handling and braking.

On styling and design measures, everyone liked the exterior styling of the Alfa best, but on interior attributes, the Sunbeam managed to outscore it; this was the factor that pushed the Sunbeam above the Alfa in the overall rankings.

Although Bill Atalla says he’s a fan of British cars, other than his Sunbeam he says he liked the Alfa best: “It has a different, smoother and more refined feel. It is very Italian in its feel, and looks beautiful and curvy.”

Second Place: Sunbeam Alpine

Proving that a good restoration can turn an originally inexpensive car with only average performance into a near-winner, the Sunbeam Alpine ranked second overall.

It managed a first ranking overall on design and styling, narrowly beating out the Alfa. The Sunbeam clearly offered the best combination of interior design, convenience and space, which was as true when it was new as it is today.

However, it just barely edged out the MGB on performance attributes, leaving the Fiat cleanly in first place. The Sunbeam rated a strong second in all performance attributes except power and acceleration. This is also very consistent with the 1966 ratings when it was new.

When asked if he’d swap his Triumph for any of the other cars, Rich Scotti said he might consider the Alpine. “It is very drivable and much more comfortable than mine,” he explains. “It was beautifully prepared, and though it could use a bit more power, the handling felt tight and responsive.”

It’s no surprise that Robin Boyar wouldn’t swap her Alfa for any of the others on the list. Nevertheless, she liked the Sunbeam best of all. “It’s in perfect condition, but it still retains the technological primitiveness of a vintage car that makes it unique,” she said. “It harkens back to a simpler day and the fantasy of going back to a different time.”

First Place: Fiat 124

There is certainly something to be said for a fresh restoration done by an experienced service shop. Everyone enjoyed driving the Fiat. It was ranked first in all performance respects except power and acceleration, where the Duetto’s larger engine gave that car an advantage.

The Fiat didn’t do as well on styling and design, managing to rate only third behind both the Italian Duetto and the British Alpine. The Fiat was rated fourth on exterior styling and interior comfort and convenience, and third on luggage space. However it did tie for first on interior space, and ranked second on interior styling. Our MGB owner enjoyed the Fiat for its tightness and driving pleasure, noting “the revviness was awesome.” Robin also liked the Fiat, but thought it drove too much like a Miata for her taste.

As the ultimate accolade, Don Barker, who was riding shotgun to help navigate, called Joe on Monday morning after the tour. “I couldn’t get the car out of my mind all night,” he said. “I’ve decided I’m going to buy it.”