Max Heim wrote:
>
> Funny you should ask that. In 1976 Road & Track did a 6-car comparison test
> featuring the Midget, Spitfire, TR7, MGB, Fiat 124 Spider and X1/9. In the
> subjective rankings the Midget placed 6th and the Spitfire 5th.
>
> And don't let a 24-year-old road test sway you
> too much
I can certainly agree with the last point.
When the review was written, it was "which is the
best new car to buy right now", and frankly both the
Spit and the Midget did horrible because they were so
outdated at the time.
In the context of "which VINTAGE car is better", it's
all changed, because the vintage character that the
testers hated are probably exactly what you are seeking.
As an example, I love my 75 Midget, but I don't really
treat it like a child of the 70s. It's really a 60s
car in my head, and I treat it and enjoy it as such.
Personally, I don't really like Spitfires. The body-on-frame
technology is old even as a 60s design, the rear suspension is
independent which is nice from a marketing standpoint but
it's not a very good design. (though later spitfires like
the 76 in question were better)
To my eyes, the Spitfire has a weird body shape for
it's size, it looks nice sitting alone but it makes
me chuckle when I see it with a person in it, it looks
like some giant has acquired a taste for LBCs, or those
funny 70s ads with NBA basketball players driving beetles
by sitting in the back seat.
Obviously, this list has bias, and you'll get the other
answer over on the triumphs list. You really should drive
each car and come to a conclusion then.
--
Trevor Boicey, P. Eng.
Ottawa, Canada, tboicey@brit.ca
ICQ #17432933 http://www.brit.ca/~tboicey/
It's difficult to respect a sport not played on ice.
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