Just looking at a Nov 1958 copy of Road & Track. SAAB advertising 0-60 in 12 secs. for the 750 GT. Plans for a 750 cc sports car. Fiat-Abarth Zagoto, 0-60 -- 17.3 secs.with 43 hp. MGA Twin Cam, 0-60- 9.9secs. 108 hp. Ford Taunus, 0-60- 18.5 secs. top speed 79 mph. Ferrari 212, 0-60- 8.2, top speed 128 mph. 170 hp.
Just comparing to today. An economy sedan can beat the Ferrari
I saved this copy because I and my car are mentioned in it.
And if these sorts of acceleration rates were acceptable today, cars would get 60mpg. Jus' sayin'...
iceracer wrote:Just looking at a Nov 1958 copy of Road & Track.
SAAB advertising 0-60 in 12 secs. for the 750 GT.
Plans for a 750 cc sports car.
Fiat-Abarth Zagoto, 0-60 -- 17.3 secs.with 43 hp.
MGA Twin Cam, 0-60- 9.9secs. 108 hp.
Ford Taunus, 0-60- 18.5 secs. top speed 79 mph.
Ferrari 212, 0-60- 8.2, top speed 128 mph. 170 hp.Just comparing to today. An economy sedan can beat the Ferrari
I saved this copy because I and my car are mentioned in it.
iceracer wrote:I saved this copy because I and my car are mentioned in it.
Details, please...
GRMS or CMS did an article where they took a Jag XKE, an old Vette, and I don't know what else out onto an autocross track. They also took the Honda minivan out, just for the heck of it. The Honda minivan spanked them all. Funny article.
It was a 1970 E type and a 356 Porsche against the Odyssey. The Honda won with 4 people in it watching a DVD and even with (IIRC) JG driving. Which makes its showing against the sports cars all the more remarkable.
I swear I think my Trooper would outrun a Spitfire and pull better G's on a skidpad.
You forgot to mention that most of the current interstate highway system was still on the drawing boards in 1958. As a consequence, driving more than 100 miles took several hours/days longer than it does today. Not to mention that there were no places you could LEGALLY drive at 70 mph in this country in 1958.
When I moved to Florida in the early '70s, there were still sections of I-95 that weren't completed. And some sections of I-95 were toll roads (like that section between Richmond and Petersburg, Va.) requiring you to stop every 1 or 2 miles.
And it's a good thing you couldn't drive fast/accelerate quickly, as brakes on cars were pitiful...most American cars still were front and rear drums that faded quickly or became next to useless in rainstorms.
I was always curious about that GRM article regarding the tires...
Were the tires used in that comparison OE-equivalents, or were they what might be used in a "street tire" variant stock class? That is, were they all equipped with something like Dunlop Star Specs, or did the old Jag and Porsche have bias plys or something "vintage appropriate"?
There was much discussion about tires. I believe the cars were on new but period correct radial rubber, the van was on the OE Honda wheels/tires (Michelins of some sort?) at first. In a sidebar there was some mention of installing +1's or etc which resulted in better times for the Odyssey but since they weren't stock the results weren't used in the article.
That article was a hoot. If anybody has a link to it online, I'd love to read it again.
I have this same inner monologue every time I consider putting the Stang on the block for some old fixer-upper. Even with the engine swaps and new tires,blah blah blah, the almost stock stang running a 5 sec 0-60 and .95 skidpad is still lightyears ahead.
ahh, but the looks of the old iron....
iceracer wrote:Just looking at a Nov 1958 copy of Road & Track. SAAB advertising 0-60 in 12 secs. for the 750 GT. Plans for a 750 cc sports car. Fiat-Abarth Zagoto, 0-60 -- 17.3 secs.with 43 hp. MGA Twin Cam, 0-60- 9.9secs. 108 hp. Ford Taunus, 0-60- 18.5 secs. top speed 79 mph. Ferrari 212, 0-60- 8.2, top speed 128 mph. 170 hp.
Just comparing to today. An economy sedan can beat the Ferrari
I saved this copy because I and my car are mentioned in it.
And yet I would rather have 4 of those cars over damn near any new car.
jrw1621 wrote:iceracer wrote:Just looking at a Nov 1958 copy of Road & Track.
SAAB advertising 0-60 in 12 secs. for the 750 GT.
Plans for a 750 cc sports car.
Fiat-Abarth Zagoto, 0-60 -- 17.3 secs.with 43 hp.
MGA Twin Cam, 0-60- 9.9secs. 108 hp.
Ford Taunus, 0-60- 18.5 secs. top speed 79 mph.
Ferrari 212, 0-60- 8.2, top speed 128 mph. 170 hp.Just comparing to today. An economy sedan can beat the Ferrari
I saved this copy because I and my car are mentioned in it.
Iceracer,
There is a funny quirk on this board where if you want something to be single spaced you have to hit the space bar twice before starting the new line. Without this, it will all be on one line like yours is above. I have edited it to be as you intended.
Thanks,I will remeber that.
foxtrapper wrote:GRMS or CMS did an article where they took a Jag XKE, an old Vette, and I don't know what else out onto an autocross track. They also took the Honda minivan out, just for the heck of it. The Honda minivan spanked them all. Funny article.
I've been taking my old magazines to work and just read that article last week. You don't have to go back that far. My Swift GT (if it were stock) would probably get it's ass kicked a modern mini van.
alex wrote:That article was a hoot. If anybody has a link to it online, I'd love to read it again.
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/soccer-moms-revenge/
Woody wrote:iceracer wrote:I saved this copy because I and my car are mentioned in it.
Details, please...
In 1958, I entered my 1957 Goliath in the 10 hr. Lil Lemans at Lime Rock with a co-driver. In compring the durability of little cars,they said,"It might be hard to match the performance of say, the Vedder/Raider Goliath, which competed successfully all season,raced until 3'0clock on the tires it was delivered with, and didn't need the engine touched once during the race." So that is my claim to fame.
