(first posted 6/23/2016) The weather just begs for some top-down motoring, and for many, that means a genuine sports car. Back in 1976, there were a lot more options even at the affordable end of the market, and R&T took six of them out for a comparison. Individual reviews are one thing, but it takes a comparison to really find their relative strengths and weaknesses. And there were plenty here.
There was change in the air in the mid seventies, and no where more so than in the sports car market. The long-time British favorites (MGB, Midget and Spitfire) were getting extremely long in tooth, and very vulnerable to new competition. The Fiat 124 Spider wasn’t exactly youthful anymore, except in comparison to them. And the newcomers were both decidedly different than the traditional front-engine roadster formula: the mid-engine Fiat X1/9, and the hardtop TR7.
The two MGs, the B and the Midget, were “classics” or utterly geriatric by 1975, depending on your choice of words. At least the B still had some positive qualities, but the Midget? Not really. Its size alone was outdated by then, and its skittish handling and modest performance pushed it to the back of the pack.
Meanwhile, the very fresh Fiat X1/9 won the comparison, due to its exemplary ride, steering, braking, handling and roadholding.
It wasn’t the fastest by far (0-60 in 14.8 secs), but it didn’t take any of the sheer pleasure away from driving it. Having had a chance to drive one through the hills above Los Angeles in 1978, I fully concur. It was nothing less than revelation, after early exposure to MGAs and Bs. It danced its way through the curves, and everything worked so light and elegantly. The X1/9 was a brilliant little car; no wonder Toyota used the same formula with its first MR2.
The number two-placed Triumph TR7 was the great last hope to turn things around for the British, and it did have some very redeeming qualities, including better than average performance.
In fact it, was by far the quickest of the bunch from 0-60, if 11.5 seconds can be considered quick. But then that’s not the only quality sports car drivers were looking for. It certainly lacked the open-top experience so coveted in a small sports car. There’s nothing like an open top to make a slow car feel fast. The TR 7 didn’t have a convertible top (until 1979), and its styling was a bit out there. The result was that although it sold moderately well, it certainly couldn’t reclaim the sports car crown for Old Blighty.
The Fiat 124 Spider acquitted itself quite well, and came in a close third. It’s lovely DOHC four was feeling the effects of emission controls, and the driving position would never be right for many, but it still delivered the goods. In the classic Italian tradition, it could feel a bit heavy at slow speed, but fast driving brought out its excellent ride and adhesion.
The Spitfire was the highest placed of the old guard, thanks to its four wheel independent suspension, which gave it excellent roadholding, ride and complemented its steering.
Not bad for a body-on-frame roadster that was based on the Herald and was now almost 15 years old. Although it still had swing axles at the rear, a major (and clever) revamp in 1971 eliminated most of its inherent vices. But there were inevitably shortcomings too.: ventilation, body structure, top removal and instrumentation, among others.
The MGB was a relic from another era, and the shortcomings it arrived with in 1962 had all become worse.
The jacked-up suspension (to meet bumper height requirements) ruined the handling. And the venerable B-series long-stroke four, which dated back to the early 50s, was now utterly emasculated, resulting in the worst 0-60 time of the bunch: 18.3 seconds. That’s VW 1500 territory.
Can it get worse? Yes.
The Midget really did not belong on the new car market anymore. A direct evolution of the Bug Eye Sprite, its roots were in the 50s when Brits were willing to make major concessions to buy then-legitimate low-end sports car. But that was an eternity ago, in terms of what had transpired since. The Midget’s darty handling, due to the rear wheels wanting to pitch in on the job of steering the car, and its tendency to hop and skitter over the slightest pavement imperfections, along with its overly-quick but yet numb steering rather defied and defiled the whole sports car concept. A street-legal bumper car. At least it now had the Spitfire’s larger 1500 cc engine, so it was actually several seconds faster to 60 than its bigger brother.
Speaking of affordability, these cars ranged in (as tested) price from $4299 ($18k adjusted) for the Midget to $6045 ($27k adjusted) for the 124 Spider. A 2016 Miata starts at $24,915, and the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider starts at $24,995, so while the choices have drastically reduced in number, in terms of affordability, performance and every other metric, it’s never been a better time to buy a sports car.
But if you were transported back to 1976, which one of these would it be for you? For me, it’s clearly the X1/9. And contrary to the myth about them, as long as they’re not exposed to salt, the Fiat was mostly a pretty robust car, if one knew its foibles.
I like the X1/9 but I’d feel like I may as well be in a modern car. I like the look of the 124 test car with its chrome hubcaps and dislike the look of rubber bumper Midgets.
The Spitfire is probably my favourite, but I’d probably get sick of the “scuttle shake” so I’d have to go MGB. I’ve always liked them since I was a kid in the 80s and they were everywhere, seemed ancient but in hindsight many were half the age of my current daily driver. The test car looks OK despite the rubber bumpers but I might have to do something about the 18 sec 0-60.
I owned a ’74 X1/9, bought new, and I remember this comparison well. It was my first new car purchase and I have nothing but fond memories of owning it for 6 years and 100k miles of fun-filled driving. Honeymoon trip up the California coast and two summer vacation trips from SoCal to Utah. Currently own an ’81 that has some performance enhancements. Love ’em.
The 81 had switched to the bigger FI 1.5 and had grown a fifth gear. In the real world, was there much difference between your two?
The 1500 and another gear makes for a much nicer cruiser on the highway (I’ve also got a taller 5th gear from a Strada that drops the rpm by 500 at 70) and with the good stuff the knowledgeable po had done – which has bumped it up to an estimated 85 hp and noticeable more grunt, my ’81 is friskier; but the ’74 was great in it’s own way. A cleaner look… especially the front end with the bumpers and spoiler. Only downside on mine was the substandard vinyl Fiat used on the seats and 2 window regulators required on the passenger side in 100k miles. Same tranny, clutch, 1 brake job, 3 sets of tires and recommended maintenance during my 5 years of ownership. Still my sentimental fave!
Make that 6 years of ownership. And my ’81 X now has 205k miles, including 75k that I’ve put on it in the 10 years I’ve owned it.
That the 1500 Spitfire engine had more torque than the 1800 MGB engine is bizarre. It is my understanding that the O series engine was developed specifically to restore power to USA MGBs but then not installed for whatever reason. Lucky for British Leyland that emission tuning on the Fiat twin cam wasn’t going much better pre FI and Fiat was really going for a big price premium.
I think by 1976 these had all faded to charming vestiges except the TR7 which was just a small sedan and the X19 that looks like it came from another planet. So build the X19 for the young and the Spitfire for the young at heart.
I came across a o series engined prototype on Ebay.UK a few years ago. The seller thought it was a DIY conversion…
Ease of top operation going to the TR7 is absurd; to read the text and find “the car we tested didn’t have a sunroof but we studied the photo of a sunroof car and read a description of its operation found in in the owners manual…” After that little tidbit, I certainly don’t value anything else they have to say regarding any of these cars, but I digress.
Regardless, I know which one I’d want:
The orange one, right?
Not exactly, LOL…
She seems fun regardless 🙂
A friend of mine back in the late 70s had a 75 Spitfire it was slower on the road than the stock 62 Humber 80 I had at the time, as a sporting car it did not shine, the Herald is was based on went on sale in 59 earlier than R&T appear to be aware of. Those rubber bumper MGs actually corner quite well if you arent scared of the ride height, they can be flung around with abandon but the best would have to be the X19 Fiat and ex GF had one and it was a ball to drive too fast for the conditions.
Traditionalist that I am, neither the X19 nor the TR7 have ever done anything for me. I can understand why they might appeal to some, but a proper sports car needs to be a full convertible in my world.
So, that leaves me mulling the relative merits of the 124 and the Spitfire, and I could go either way here.
X1/9 in a heartbeat. Never mind 1976, I’d have one now if I could! Always *loved* them, this especially:
http://www.fiatforum.com/x1-9/280427-uno-turbo-conversion-completed.html
is my personal irrational lust object.
Also (fun fact) I’d usually lose at Top Trumps to my older brother as a kid because I was convinced the little X1/9 ought to win, so I’m delighted to see it won something here.
Good to see you on here again, Splateagle.
I too have been bitten by the X1/9. A good friend in university had one, we’d go cruising and enjoy all of the attention given to us by the young ladies there at the time. Unfortunately, if he got lucky, I was walking home. The disadvantage of a two seater…
That X1/9 is just gorgeous!
I loved the X1/9 in the early 80s when I was about 11-12.
Unfortunately that’s probably the last time I would have comfortably fit into one.
Paul asks “Which Would You Buy in 1976?”
If I ignored Paul’s rules here (or add “as a used car” to his question) I would want the earlier versions:
The MGA was a beautiful design and had some performance to go with it.
The Herald was a more honest vehicle – slow, but with no pretensions of speed.
The Bug Eye Sprite was exactly what it looked like, an adult’s wonderful toy.
But rules is rules, so I go the Fiat 124 in all of its old school chrome and wood and odd steering wheel position glory.
Besides, I saw a recent NY Times article about a woman who has kept her 124 on the road for years and found it to be “quite” reliable (with careful maintenance).
I like old school.
Me too, and I’m used to driving cars with inherent flaws, poor handling, poor braking, and poor acceleration.
I’ll take the Spitfire or the 124 here; the X1/9 looks too modern to me, and I’ve never gotten used to the rubber bumpered MGB or Midget. And I’ll agree with the masses who don’t really like the TR7’s styling, although many do.
I would spring for a TR7. The other British sports cars still around by the 1970s had outlived their nostalgia; the 124 was too middle-of-the-road to ever excite me; and I’ve never been particularly fond of mid-engine cars. So, that leaves the TR7.
I know it was a polarizing design, but for me, I liked the wedge shape. Triumph billed it in their ads as the “shape of things to come,” which was overstating its relevance, but at least it was different and unique, in a creative way… this for a decade where creativity seemed to be evaporating.
Plus, I loved the interior. The R&T test mentioned the well-designed interior as well, but one thing left out was a mentioned of the great plaid upholstery available! Seriously, though, I did like sitting in TR7s. I found them to be exciting cars just to sit in.
With standard hp outputs? None. But an X1/9 with a 2L twincam from the Lancia Beta of that time modified to 150 hp – yes (has been done many a time, block is identical to the single cam). Fiat made a huge mistake by not offering that engine in that car.
I’d go for the X1/9 too I think. I wonder if the MG Midget handling issues were due to the raised ride height upsetting the geometry of the rear suspension (ie the front of the leaf springs angled downwards instead of horizontal)
Yes they were, likewise the B. The good news is that you replace the springs (and one or two other bits) with early 70’s P/N bits, the car goes back down to its proper height, and all is (relatively) well again.
I’d opt for the 124. Outdated and too much lire but oh, such sensual lines.
So was the Spitfire a car of the early 60s . The X1/9 was bang up to date and showed the advances made in a decade well. A mini Lambo….!.
My 1980 Spitfire only lasted to 65000 miles with the classic 1500 maladies .Crank shaft end float, syncro gone in 2 gear and rust. No undercoating at all on a 1980 car!. Did I mention the seat foam turning into dust.?. Great fun whilst running but a tractor compared to the X/19 15000. No contest. As for the Midget. The best thing about it was the engine ..and that was from Truimph.Says it all.
I wanted the X1/9 in the worst way possible; but a quick test drive convinced it it was just too small for my 6-1, 48 Long suit self.
I’d go with the Fiat 124 as a compromise, with every rust proofing packing Ziebart could put into it.
All of the British cars were just too ancient and/or too unreliable to be seriously considered.
I’ve forgotten how tight it was when I got to drive a co-worker’s. I was young and limber, and having too much fun to notice. 🙂
My head says X1/9. My heart says 124.
I would have been curious to see the results had the TR-6 been included. Having driven examples of both, the 6 would have probably embarrassed the 7 by either finishing slightly ahead or just slightly behind the newer model, thus showing that the new Triumph sports car wasn’t quite all that after all.
Personal preference? Totally based on nostalgia – the Fiat 124 was the car I learned to autocross in, courtesy of a young nurse in Erie, PA with whom I had a year or so long relationship. She taught me how to competition drive during the day. I taught her more than a few other things during the night. It was nice while it lasted, and I still have fond memories of the lady – even though her name has long faded away.
You are thinking what I was thinking – I wondered where the TR-6 was, remembering it as one of the best sellers among sports cars in the mid 70s. I suppose the magazine figured that the 6 was on the way out once the 7 arrived. Too bad, I would have liked to see how it fared in this mix.
TR-6’s ended production less than one month after this was published, so…
I’ve owned a pair of 70s Spitfires and loved them both. That said something different is always nice. Back in ’76 I think I would have sprung for the X1/9.
A friend had an X1/9 and one afternoon he suggested we trade-off (I had a 80 Ford Fiesta) I think so we could see who really had the best car to drive. He had no trouble with my Ford but at 6 foot 4 I couldn’t get under/behind the wheel of his highly modified Fiat.
A few years before the Fiesta, I owned a 72 Spitfire. To get comfortable behind the wheel I had to recline the driver’s seat as far as it would go when pushed back as far as it would go. LITERALLY a blast to drive with the top down, but surely not THE best car (nor the worst) in this group.
As much as I love Triumphs, the TR7 with a fixed roof wouldn’t be my first choice here. I think I’d have to toss a coin between the Fiat 124 and the MGB….with the B having a better chance of being my choice for being more “manly” to the slightly “feminine” Fiat.
I was wondering where the Alfa Romeo Spider is…one of the ladies at work has a RUSTY Graduate that she bought new 25 or so years ago…black, black top, tan vinyl interior…if the rockers were getting frilly, I’d love to have it as a toy.
Too ate to edit…if the rockers WEREN’T getting frilly is what I meant. The floors are a mess too.
When the X1/9 came out (I was 7) I fell instantly in love with it and would still be very happy to own one. However, my tastes run to the more traditional these days, so it’d have to be a Spitfire for me. Having owned both a ’74 (dual carb 1275cc) Midget and a ’75 (Spitfire 1500 single carb) Midget, there’s some old-school love still coursing through my veins. But that was during my college years, and frankly the Midget’s comfort and convenience shortcomings wouldn’t fly with me today the way I was able to overlook them for daily driving back then. I was confounded by the article’s assessment of the 1500 powerplant in the ’76 Midget as a step up, as in my experience the earlier dual carbed 1275 was a whole lot more fun to drive than the Midget I had with the 1500. I’d still have to side with the Spitfire though, given the choices here. As a matter of fact a decent driver quality Spitfire is #1 on my wish list as a second car for my current household. I love the styling, I know I can live with the powertrain and its limitations, and in truth, they’re not at all difficult to keep on the road as a daily driver. As a matter of fact, a later Spit with overdrive would suit my needs perfectly for all-season driving, both long and short distances in my current locale, provided it’s not 95 degrees and raining. (And my other half can’t drive a stick, so for the first time in 8 years I’d actually be able to lay claim to exclusive ownership.) So…what I’d probably have chosen in ’76 is exactly what I’d be very happy to be picking up today.
Must….stay…away…from online classifieds. Must…fight…the urge…
I remember one of the comparison pieces in one of the big 3 car mags was very snarky about the Midget having a valve that had to be turned on the motor to provide heat to the cockpit? Writer said there was no excuse for that!
That’s true. You’d open a valve to allow engine coolant to flow through the heater core in the Fall, and close it in the Spring. In truth it was a bit of an absurd system. There was still a thermostat control on the dash, and it was possible to shut down the heat from inside the car. I never quite understood why the system was designed that way.
In truth, I would love a system like that today. I have not seen a car in ages that actually shuts off the flow of hot water into the heater core. The problem is that the fresh air ventilation system picks up so much radiant heat from the heater core that it is rendered useless on warm weather, making air conditioning an absolute necessity. Of course a proper heater control valve would be just as nice and more convenient (if more expensive).
This is generally true, although the degree varies quite a bit depending on how the ventilation system is arranged. I’ve driven some cars that had quite decent warm-weather ventilation even with the windows closed and the engine warmed up, and encountered others where turning on the interior fan without the A/C just meant warm air in the face (and not necessarily a great volume of warm air at that).
Put me down for another Spitfire vote, although the X1/9 would be a close 2nd.
Actually a Spitfire is on my short list for someday, although I’d prefer a 1969-1970 MK3 version.
Hmm, six years later my answer has changed. X1/9 is now the top of the list, and MGB is second, although I’d need quite a budget to convert back to chrome bumpers, lowered suspension, dual SU carbs, etc etc.
X1/9 for me too. And I would almost agree that it was most significant sports car since the 240Z. If only it had Japanese electrics. And I got a good chuckle out of the $22hr labor rate!
I would like to drive an MGB-GT and a Triumph GT6 at some point…I like the idea of the closed cars, but I am also a BIG fan of ice cold A/C, which likely throws ALL of these cars out of the mix. Maybe a Cadillac or Buick convertible might work better for me…
My 1970 Midget was a rolling crap-pile and never really ran right. My ham fisted attempts at backyard repairs probably didn’t help anything. I do wonder what became of it…sold it in 1983 or so to a guy who was going to tow it behind an RV.
I don’t know how well it worked, but the B and the BGT had “factory air-conditioning” of some kind available as I’ve seen examples on Craigslist and E-bay a few times.
Having driven a GT6+ and owned a 280Z I would say both are very similar, with the smaller car being just marginally tighter than the bigger car. The Z also felt slightly more “of one piece” than the 6+.
Well, I guess I made my choice in 1973! I bought a brand new MGB in Blaze/Navy and took delivery the Friday of Labor Day weekend. It had 1300 miles (31 mi @ delivery) on the following Tuesday morning when I dropped it off for it’s free/included 1000 mile service, which included oil change(s), re-torquing the cylinder head and adjusting the valves, plus a general inspection of the car’s vitals.
I would come to own an additional fifteen (>15 if you included parts cars) MGBs, BGTs and a lone MGCGT up to October of 2000. I didn’t purchase another showroom new car (actually “factory fresh” as we took delivery where it was manufactured in South Carolina) until 2001, taking delivery of the newly reissued BMW M Roadster on the Thursday before Labor Day weekend. Nowadays, I have 1999 M Rdstr & an M Coupe, and we still have the ’01 M Rdstr. I guess it doesn’t matter the brand, but if it’s a sportscar, you need more than one (>1)!
This same issue of Road & Track also carried an Austin-Healey Used Car Classic article__I can still picture the three (3) Big Healeys on the opening page, and the 3000 with the center stripe and rollbar belonged to a guy I would later meet from The Pacific Centre Austin-Healey Club. I don’t remember if that particular R&T piece had as much influence on me, but they had also done a piece on Big Healeys around June of 1970, in which the fact that there was a limited production 6-cylinder 2-seater model was brought to my attention. I thought that 100/6 was The Best Looking (British) sportscar ever! That same issue from 1970 also carried a piece on the Ferrari 512S/512M sports-racers, and I wouldn’t mind rereading that article again too!
In any case, I had the opportunity to buy a 100/6 2-seater in 1978__I made the down payment with my tax return check__collecting the car on April 1st, 1978, and I still own that one today. Some cars are just made to be bought, but never sold ;))
Sorry, guys…it was 1976 and I made my choice. ’76 Eldorado convertible! Less than sports car handling but great air conditioning for the desert.
In 1983 I was driving a 1972 Fiat 850 Spider, my GF a 1979 MGB, and my other friend has a triumph spitfire (75 maybe?) so having experience in all three, even though my fiat was a weaker little brother of the 124 my 850 was still loads of fun and handled great, and as much time as the other 2 spent in the shop meant more time for me with the head in the breeze. This also discounted the ribbing I got about fiat standing for “fix it all times” or “fix it again tony”. The 850 was very reliable, and easy to work on IMHO. I would have to pick either of the fiats.
I’d find a ’74 Jensen-Healey.
None of them as my daily driver, because I like my cars reliable. But if I could afford a second car, the X1/9.
I worked for a dealership in ’81 that had MG, Triumph, Fiat, Saab and VW. By this time the TR8 and convertible TR versions were out as well.
I always admired the looks of the 124, it was my favorite looking car of all the makes on the lot. The British and 124 were really dinosaurs by this time, and the writing was on the wall that Fiat and British Leyland were not long for the US market. Would have enjoyed taking the TR8 for a spin, never got the chance.
Dealership still had a new ’79 Beetle convertible in the showroom, priced at about double the sticker price. It remained on the floor for as long as I worked there. Getting parts all the makes except for VW was a challenge by this time, lots of eternal backorders and NLA’s.
This old road test was a fun read. Only sports car I ever rode in was my brothers ’62 TR3, which was a fun ride. Was too young to drive at the time, wish I could have had the chance.
I’m sure much of the Midget’s waywardness had to do with those idiotic wire wheels, especially since “axle tramp” is given as one symptom. I haven’t got the figures, but I know from experience that a wire wheel will weigh very much more than even a plain steel wheel, and probably twice as much as an alloy one. And nothing will mess up ride and handling as badly as a lousy sprung:unsprung weight ratio. Yes, they’re pretty, but that’s their only virtue. I do know that an early Mk. II Midget on stock steels is a nimble and sweet little car … but by 1976 all of BL’s older sports cars were doddering hulks, none worth the money by any stretch.
Their one modern, the TR7, was a hard sell in some quarters, though one of those was the first new car my mom had ever bought. She was living in Anchorage AK at the time, and the car was exactly what she wanted and needed. She drove it for I think three or four trouble-free years, selling it only reluctantly when she and her husband decided to move down to Missouri.
As for me, head and heart both agree on the X1/9. Easily the sweetest little mid-engine car (handling much more foolproof than Mister Two’s) ever built, and Lampredi’s single-cammer is in my considered opinion about the all-around best engine he ever did. Dead easy to work on and just about bulletproof.
I’d be hard-pressed to decide between the two Fiat entries. The traditional, full convertible 124? The folded-paper, modern to the extreme, targa X1/9? I could be quite happy with either.
I like the shape of the TR7, but I’d want it as a convertible. While the X1/9 also has C-pillars, they’re slim enough and it’s open up top. And the other three are relics (the Spitfire less so but I’ve always found them to look great from some angles and awkward from others.)
I also wonder about the exclusion of the Alfa Spider, unless it was considerably more expensive. I imagine cost was the reason for the exclusion of the 914 as well, though ’76 was also its final year.
Live axle on the TR7 and poor build quality were deal breakers for me. But a very comfortable cockpit.
None of ’em.
Then; Toyota Corolla SR5 Liftback with some suspension tuning and Ziebart undercoating.
Now: A Beetle from that era would be nice, especially in sunroof form.
None of ’em. The Triumphs I witnessed rusting in the showroom and the Fiats would rust right after you bought them. The MG was okay until all the interior parts would fall off. The 70s were pretty bad for domestics and weren’t much better for imports. Except maybe Mercedes.
Fiats had plenty of company in that respect. Hondas, Mazdas and many other cars were also victim of the tin worm in that era. California Fiats are the choice if you’re in the market.
What would I guy from that selection? Now as a guy in his 50’s, I’d probably pop for the X1/9. Then, as a kid in his middle teens? Probably the TR7. It was really cool to look at. Actually, the kid in his mid teens with a blank check would have gone for the Trans Am mentioned on the front cover…
I own or owned most of the British cars reviewed and would opt for the MGB. Here’s why.
I owned two TR7s, one with the four speed gearbox and one with the five. The five speed and the revised rear axle ratio made a major difference to the car. As the article points out, the overall ratio for 1st gear in the four speed meant either a lot of clutch slipping or a very leisurely start from rest.
When it came to working on them it was amazing how what should have been fairly easy jobs turned into nightmares. Rust and a lack of new swear words led to their demise.
The Spitfire is fun but over the years my 1979 has had more than its share of drama. I bought it in 1987 and enjoyed several thousand trouble-free miles but then old age caught up with it. I am slowly sorting out its ailments and getting it back on the road. It’s a bit on the cramped side for any kind of long distance ride, and the body on frame construction can become physically tiring after a few hours.
Which leaves us with the MGB that the magazine found so old-fashioned. There’s no argument from me about their findings, but of all the cars (British or other) I’ve owned I think the 1980 MGB that I bought used and ran the wheels off was probably the most dependable. It was finally retired due to rust with 205,000 miles on the clock. The only major repair was a clutch renewal that my daughter and I did one weekend and new king pins. It ran in all of the contiguous 48 states in 1991 as part of a family “See America” tour. There were days on that trip where we covered 800 miles or more, including a coupe of all-nighters. It ran down I-5 in 115F weather and never offered to overheat. It ran in snow and ice in Maine in 15F weather and proved to be very sure-footed if you kept a light touch on the accelerator. There were never any issues with electrical components. Starter motor, fuel pump, water pump all lasted the life of the car, the alternator bearings gave up at about 170,000. I think it went through three tops usually because the vinyl windows cracked in the cold as they got old.
The man I bought it from, who ran a British car repair shop, said that as long as you kept an eye on the oil and water they’d never let you down. Through in a modicum of maintenance, and he was right.
So my vote would be for the B.
Thanks for your perspective. No doubt the B was a tough goat. I’ve never understood why some folks continue to perpetuate an image of fragility for these cars.
So great to re-read Mr. Henry N. Manney III again after so many years. Thank you.
The MGB for me please. Yes, I know, I know, old, unrefined and slow, but drop the ride height back down, do the chrome-bumper conversion, fit the V8 and voila, the perfect roadster! And easily the best looking with the above modifications.
My (biased) vote is for the Spitfire. My mom had a blue ’76 that got rear-ended in 1990 just enough to render the trunk lid un-closable. They bought it back from the insurance company for $300 (in 1990) and gave it to me for my senior year in college. I put more miles on it in one year than my mom had in 5 years she drove it. That included many 3-4 hour trips with nothing more that checking the oil and filling it with gas. Great little car that I wish I’d held onto. I still remember the crispness of the shifter, the simplicity of the dash and controls, and steering feel like a go-kart.
The TR-7 is also fond in my memory, though I never drove one. My stepfather had one for a few years and I recall it being a fun car, although I think he did have some mechanical issues with it. When I was in middle school, the family fleet was the brown TR-7, a brown ’75 Spitfire, and a white ’68 VW Bus. I want to say that gas was the least of the family expenses, but it started the diversity that is still reflected in my current fleet.
I would have bought British–easier to repair than an Italian and most of them would have issues. The MGB was decent from a build quality perspective; Abingdon was antiquated, but reputedly had the best build quality in BL and certainly the best labor relations.
I would have wanted a convertible–which is good, because the build quality on the TR7 was truly horrendous, even by the lowly standards of BL. I probably would not have know this in 1976. The press cars were probably ringers, insofar as they lacked visible rust or pieces randomly falling off. A few years prior, I would have considered a Midget with an A-series–but, of course, a few years (or even months) prior I would’ve bought a TR6. But by 1976 a Midget was out.
The Spit still looked good after the safety regs, but the 1500 is of somewhat questionable reliability. But, since looks are a major part of the sports car equation, as is handling, I probably would have bought the Spitfire.
No Datsun 280Z? R/T was still too Euro-centric. My pick is the 124, because I used to wrench on one for a customer back then. I loved to drive it, especially because of the 5-speed gearbox.
That would’ve been absolutely humiliating. There wouldn’t have been any category under which I’d call any of these an equal, much less the better of the Z.
spitfire. with overdrive it’s really a 5spd. the lines are italian and to me are the sexiest of the bunch. interior – elbow room is tight, but leg room is awesome. tr7 is love it or hate it. i happen to hate it. x19 looks interesting, but i still prefer the spitfire look. it looks like a smaller old ferrari. the mgb look i kind of like, but not love. the rubber bumper cars are hideous. even the rubber bumper spitifre isn’t that bad. the 124 is not bad. it has the best engine of the bunch. lampredi designed. hate the driving position though. midget…. unless you’re a midget…..
If it were possible to wave a magic wand and make the car reliable and rust-resistant, I’d take the X1/9. A few years ago at a car show I saw an X1/9 that had had an Acura engine (I’m not sure which one) and drivetrain swapped in. I wonder what that was like to drive. I’ve never driven an X1/9, but I gather they’re about handling and responsiveness, not brute power.
All the cars were from countries that didn’t have a great track record in building reliable cars. If I had to take one of the British cars it would be the TR7 because it wasn’t long in the tooth.
If I had a crystal ball at that time, I’d wait for the Toyota MR2. If not, I’d look for a good used Volvo 1800 or 1800ES.
In retrospect, it’s a pretty humble lot. I wonder why the VW Scirocco wasn’t included, FWD was a deal killer? The water cooled VWs have proven less than stellar, but I’d think, it would absolutely lap the field. IIRC they weren’t cheap at the time, but under the $6K Fiat.
The Scirocco was a 4-seater. The test cars are two-seaters.
In 1976, or today, I would take a Scirocco over any of them.
That said, what is amazing is that I would rate the cars the exact same way as the the comparison did.
I thought then (and still do), the X1/9 was a great looking car, and the magazine tests of the era praised the mid-engine layout and “light” controls.
I liked the TR7 looks, but it needed a 5-speed (it got one in 1977, or maybe 78 at the latest) Unfortunately, while it looked modern, it disintegrated more quickly than the “older” British cars–I remember these looked rougher on the road in the early 80s than MGB/Midget/Triumphs that were twice as old. Still, the “modern” TR7 looks trumped the Fiat 124.
Even though we were in malaise in 1976, heading for worse, in 1979, Mazda blew all these cars into the weeds with the original RX7, which I think stickered for $6995 with a 5-speed.
“The Scirocco was a 4-seater. The test cars are two-seaters.”
I guess it was a 4 seater of sorts, but still only a 2 passenger car.
Well, in 1976 I wasn’t in any position to buy a sports car; I’d just started my undergraduate studies and was satisfied to have a 1974 Datsun 710 (which lasted till I graduated but was pretty rusty by then, and also slid out on some black ice when I was returning to visit my parents from my first job out of college).
Five years later though, I wanted something else. Guess I’d made it through school and thought I deserved it, so I bought a used ’78 Scirocco. Loved that car, even used it in a carpool (don’t laugh too hard, the other 2 members of the carpool both had 2 door cars, one a Datsun 310 and the other a Ford Fiesta…they got married and are coming to see me this fall as I now live 1900 miles away and haven’t seen them since 1988). The Scirocco was a “sporty” car, not much passenger space, but it was a hatchback and front wheel drive (still lived in snow country when I bought it) though it lacked air conditioning, which ended up making me sell it in 1986 when I bought a GTi)
Haven’t owned any car other than a VW since (1981) and they’ve all been manuals, though I’m feeling my age though in denial, my next car will need to be an automatic (which the 710 was, my only one). Funny thing is 1981 kind of reminds me in a way about now buying cars; though interest rates were much higher then (had a friend that had a 24% interest rate on his car loan), gas shortages were a recent memory and some people were selling cars they’d bought 2 years prior for more than they bought them for.
Don’t specifically remember the economy in 1976, but car prices seemed to be going up, inflation was pretty high, my Dad bought a ’76 Subaru DL new that year, wanting front wheel drive, but finding VW, and Honda too pricey, didn’t like Datsun F10 (vents on hood spooked him) and due to my bad experience with Fiat, didn’t even consider one, so Subaru, with I think only 1 all wheel drive model that year was what he bought…the rest were FWD back then.
I have a cousin who had a Spitfire (later, in the 80’s) but don’t have much experience with these other than the X1/9, which I did test drive in 1986, by then it was a Bertone, liked it though the test drive underscored that it was too small for me (much smaller than the Scirocco). For some reason I also test drove an MR2, not sure why since driving one or the other should have given me the same info on size, but that year I did the most thorough investigation of which type of car to buy that has served me in good stead since; I barely test drove my current car (2000 Golf) before I bought it, but in ’86 I looked at lots of cars, sedans, hatchbacks, sports cars before buying the GTi, other than working for Hertz in ’77 and ’78 as a transporter I haven’t otherwise gotten a chance to try out so many different types of cars to find out what works for me.
No sports cars since…I find myself wishing they still sold “old fogey” domestic sedans at my current age, valuing smooth ride and easy ingress/egress more than the style and ride of a sporty car…guess I got them out of my system back then.
Scirocco, Corolla Liftback, throw in the Fiat 128 3P, maybe the Monza and Mustang II and you have a quorum for another comparison test.
The test car is identical to my son’s 79 B. I can attest to the durability and better build quality. Pulling it apart has revealed some unique solutions and the interior trim is questionable, but the overall package is quite robust and general easy to work on. The overdrive is really a help on the highway. Biggest flaw is how you are forced to pull the engine and trans in one piece to replace the clutch! Car sat for 34 years and the engine tear down at 84k has revealed only minor wear. New rings, crank and rod bearings is all she’ll need for the next 100,000 miles.
I’d go ‘off-piste’, and buy the 260Z they didn’t test. 🙂
If I had to buy one of these, and I had my 1976 body flexibility back again (if only….), I’d go for the Spitfire.
This is like saying would you rather be stabbed or shot three slightly different ways.
None of these.
1976 Olds Cutlass Supreme would be fine. Bucket seats, console shift. (Not necessarily in white, but would love blue with white leather seats.)