This vintage R&T review is being posted in 2018, 47 years after this review was originally written. Grasp that, 47 years, almost 50 years, almost half a century from the review to the present. We can now look at this interesting time with nostalgia, curiosity, and utter fascination of how the 1970 Datsun 240Z overwhelmed the European sports cars at the time. The existing European sports car prestige and price hierarchy was simply swept away by this Datsun.
Until the introduction of the Datsun 240Z, the earlier Datsun sports car had been the body on frame Datsun 1500/1600 Roadster, later 2.0 liter OHC Datsun 2000 Roadster , sports car, considered by many a “less-than” Asian attempt to clone the respected MGB, despite it’s earlier introduction by several months. The Datsun 240Z seemed to come out of left field, unexpected, to become the cream of the crop. The 150 bhp Datsun 240Z (list price, all POE. of $3526) was initially tested by R&T in the April 1970 issue, the very same issue with R&T initial, introductory road test of the just introduced 85 bhp 1970 Porsche 914 1.7.
Road & Track described the Z as setting “new standards in performance and elegance for medium-priced 2-seat GT cars”.
Road and Track said further, “”The basic price of the 240Z is $3526 and at this price it is a super-bargain, with a combination of styling, performance, and handling far ahead of anything else under $4,000.” “What will the 240 compete with? The accompanying Comparison Data panel lists the Opel GT, Fiat 124 Coupe, the Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV, and because of price, the 4-cyl Porsche 914 (tested in this issue) can be included.”
In the R&T test of the 914, the comments were, ” vague shifting”, “performance as rather busy, noisy, torqueless”, “Undoubtedly has a potential for handling that other sports cars in its class don’t have, though that potential isn’t fully realized”, and “a great big disappointment for us, as we thought the 914 was going to revolutionize the field of the 2-seater sports car. Undoubtedly the mid engine is the coming thing but…”
This R&T road test comparison again proves the initial impressions of the 240Z as a game changer, but not as great a game changer as initial impressions thought.
This comparison test was published in the July 1971 issue of the Road & Track magazine
The Fiat 124 Sports Coupe, its high finishing status, second to the 240Z, was a surprise
The Opel GT was third, but not an impressive value for the money, and despite it being a modern car was eventually swept away from the market after it’s last year of production in 1973. The modern Porsche 914, introduced in 1970 as a modern German sports car finished its production run 1n 1976. So two modern German sports cars had only brief lives due to a changing market.
The British cars were outdated and obsolete, as described by R&T as hold-overs from another era, “dead horses”, finishing last in 4th and 5th positions. RIP.
Thank you for posting this- another spectacular trip down Memory Lane. It’s striking that R&T never addressed the real reason the Datsun (and later the Miata) wound up owning the lower priced Sports Car segment.
Reliability. The 2nd place Fiat was a joy to drive- when it ran. My Spyder spent as much time at the dealer as it did in my garage. I had a friend that owned a MG that swore the car should have been sold with a factory tow bar, to facilitate trips to the dealer.
Performance Value. The 914 was interesting, but the real Porsche was the 914-6, and it was hardly what you’d call affordable. The 924/944 that came later fared no better, and the 928 proved a German Corvette isn’t going to win many friends to the Porsche fold.
I’m also struck at the prices. 1971 was the year I got my first new car. A Volvo 142S Automatic, $3150 OTD, including California T&L. Wow.
In terms of value, the Fiat 124 coupe’s natural competitor in the Opel line would’ve been the Manta Rallye which was a much cheaper car, as would’ve been a Datsun 510 upgraded to match its’ performance.
I would have liked the 912, and I wonder if the real world price wouldn’t have been the same as the Datsun.
So, really no comparison.
I wouldn’t have been able to get my first choice at the time, the Datsun, without the stealership markups. I would have read or seen the price in advertising and been repelled by the avarice. So my next choice, and probably the one I would have actually bought at a price close to the one advertised, is the Opel GT. The other three are strictly east or west coast cars and would have been virtually unknown and unserviceable in the giant continent in between.
The Opel GT didn’t get fat and slow like the late 70s 280Z 2+2 sumo wrestler edition, especially with the automatic. But really, what touring car DIDN’T get that way by then?
Every US city with a significant population, and every college town, had a British Leyland dealership in 1971. Outside of those areas, Buick dealers wouldn’t be much more helpful with Opels than they would with MGs.
You’d certainly have more luck finding a mechanic outside of major metros who knows Brit sports cars than Opels, because there would be people who want cool little sports cars in places where absolutely no one wants a standard plain economy car that’s like a Nova except smaller, slower, and less comfortable.
I don’t remember seeing this issue of Road&Track but I do remember a similar test that ran in Car&Driver. Unfortunately, I liked small foreign cars but didn’t live in a town where you could have bought most of these cars new, much less have gotten them serviced. I vaguely remember the local Buick dealer having 2 or 3 Opel GTs back in the day, yet I don’t remember seeing on one the road. And I remember my father telling me how one of his insurance agency clients had bought this Japanese sports car and mentioned that the customer had paid quite a bit above the sticker price for it….something my father thought was very foolish.
About the time that this test was published I would buy my first brand new car, a 72 Vega Panel Express for $2400. Less than a year later I would be living in Florida and so looked at small/sporty convertibles. If I had not been way upside down on my Vega, I could have had a leftover 72 Triumph TR6 for about $4200 and destination charges.
Ever the outlier, I’d probably still gravitate toward the Triumph or the MG. The British sports car bug bit me early, and to this day I’m smitten by the faint scents of seeping oil, slow-burning wires, and the sound of long and gradual oxidation. Besides, nothing beats the triumphant (pun intended) thrill one gets when a rattling British pushrod engine roars to life after the obligatory silent prayer and crossed fingers. It’s a joy that just can’t be explained unless the tentative, butterflies-in-the-stomach sense of fear and dread beforehand has actually been experienced.
MTN,
I do believe that you have composed the British Car Lover’s Prayer! Might you add a brief entreaty to St. Lucas?
I was a foreign car mechanic and body man before I was drafted in 1968. I returned from Nam in 1970, and my friend still did the body repairs on damaged in transit Datsun’s. I was not yet employed, and often picked up or delivered the cars to 2 local dealerships. Neither would sell a 240Z for list. The charged ADM (additional dealer markup) and insisted on adding accessories.
I drove a used 1970 GT6+ for several years and it was one of my favorite cars, but I have owned 6 Triumphs, 6 Jags, abd 6 big Healeys. Perhaps I don’t know any better. The GT6 was super reliable and I can recall only one repair.
I also owned a new 1974 Fiat 124 Coupe. I installed a distributor, and cams from an earlier example, and changed the timing. It ran very well and only needed a wheel bearing and a clock as warranty repairs. I remember it liked fresh spark plugs frequently.
The Porsche 912 was no longer in production having been replaced by the 914 in model year 1970.
So the 912 couldn’t have been in this comparison test in 1971 since it wasn’t in current production then.
The 912 was marketed in model years 1966 to 1969. In model year 1969 the 912 typically listed between $5100-$5500 and was powered by a 356 four cylinder engine(90 bhp DIN, 102 bhp SAE).
When the 914 was discontinued, Porsche still needed a “lower priced, entry car”, so, somewhat cynically, Porsche reintroduced the 912 as a one year production model, the 912E, now powered by a VW type 4 engine, this 86 SAE net bhp 2.0 liter engine previously used in the 1975 914. The 1976 912E list price was $10845.00–not so affordable any longer. The 912E was ultimately replaced by the Porsche 924.
Found a C/D test of a ’76 Turbo and a ’76 912 E.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/from-the-cd-archives-1976-porsche-turbo-carrera-and-912e-dec-1975
I have some contemporary experience with the GT-6 and the 240Z, a passing acquaintance with the Fiat 124, and a brief encounter with the Opel Gt.
A girlfriend owned a GT-6 in 1972. In the terms of the day it seemed pretty well made except for that time when all the lights failed while we were returning from a rally 100 miles from home. Not so much fun. The six was nice and torquey, but yeah, those brakes. A college friend whose father was a dentist had a 240Z in 1974. It was quick and slidable (when he drove it), but seemed a little bit light and thin. Still, seemed like the performance bargain of the century to us, then.
The Fiat 124…..well. I’m an Alfa guy, and my mechanic once explained why Alfas are (seriously, folks!) so much more reliable than Fiats. Alfa couldn’t afford to make their own brake calipers, alternators, and electrics, so they used off-the-shelf components (same ATE brakes as Porsche for example). Fiat made huge volumes of cheap cars and so they make their own stuff….as cheaply as possible. It breaks. We need not mention rust, as it will pop up on its own anyhow.
I was only in an Opel GT once that I recall, as a passenger. It did seem German-well-made, but tiny and slow and confined. Very much Barbie’s little sister’s Corvette. I didn’t get it.
This was supposed to be an edit to the post above, but I type too slowly.
I have the March 1971 Road & Track which features a review of the 1971 Alfa Spider.
That article includes a comparison box for the Alfa, the TR-6, and the 914/6. Although, as open cars, they aren’t direct competitors with the closed coupes of the July article, it I suspect they were market competitors for the same customers. Except for that 914/6 – $6100 base puts it out of the league.
(Sorry about the formatting)
COMPARISON DATA
————————-Alfa Romeo Spider—Triumph TR-6————Porsche 914/6
Base Price …………$4705…………………….$3595………………………$6199
Curb Weight, lb………2313………………………2360……………………….2195
0 -60 MPH…………….9.9 sec……………………10.7 sec………………….8.7 sec
Standing ¼ Mile…….17.5 sec…………………..17.9 sec………………….16.3
Stop @80 MPH,…….283 ft (.93g)………………n/avail…………………….310 ft
BFade % (6 Stops)…nil…………………………….30%……………………….nil
Ah, this fine comparison test proclaims the hope that British Leyland would “get off her duff” and produce some modern and competitive sports cars. Nope – other than the underachieving and unreliable TR7 and the even worse Stag, BL allowed their sports cars to age into an extreme state of senility before pulling the plug.
Not only did they run the MGB for another 9 years, but they actually made it worse with raised suspension and ugly plastics. And also, the British motorcycle industry had just gone tits up, so there should have been no complacency about the industry being “too big to fail”. Does 1970s BL management count as the worst of all time?
“Does 1970s BL management count as the worst of all time?”
All the information on the (terrific) AROnline website sure makes a strong case for it.
A great honest comparison. I have no direct experience with British sports cars of this era. I do remember the time my uncle’s old Austin Healey lost a knock off secured wire wheel. Luckily no major damage was suffered by car or man. He became a dedicated Mopar fan after that.
My experience with the “fat” ’77 280Z 2+2 with five speed manual was very satisfying. It is amazing how good the the ergonomics were. The injected motor was emission tuned and not a revver like the earlier cars. It was steady performer and I never suffered any of those vapor locking hissy fits. I later had a ’72 240Z with auto. The engine was noticeably peppier. It felt like a standard V8 auto Camaro in performance.
I went through a long series of Japanese motorcycles and was always impressed by the quality and high level of performance. It always seemed that they could run against their bigger English and American competitors. It is a shame that these European companies just couldn’t produce a product of the quality and reliability of even the typical American car or bike, not to mention the rapidly improving Japanese brands.
The Japanese brands became so good that their competence became something that was taken for granted, even boring. Their machines became nicknamed the “UJM” the universal Japanese Motorcycle. So pedestrian and bland. But the European brands mostly disappeared.
I drove a friend’s Toyapet around Tokyo briefly in 1968. No license, no insurance (that I know of) — no problem. It was a terrible little .7 scale clone of an early ’50s Chevrolet sedan. Same year I attempted (at 6′ tall) to sit in a Honda 600 roadster. Turned out the car was designed for midgets. But, as American car-makers droned on complacently making over-sized, over-priced cars, the Japanese climbed a steep learning curve, taking more and more market share and forcing US auto-makers to improve the schlock they were waving Old Glory to peddle.
Later, back in the states, I drove a Datsun 2000, a Datsun 1600 and finally, an MGB roadster (which I endured and enjoyed for four years). A Mazda Miata has since become my roadster of choice.