Well, if they were comparing the Alpine to the Datsun 2000 then
the Alpine really was at a disadvantage. The 2000 does have
a wonderful overhead cam engine. I believe the 2000 also
had many developments in the suspension department which
the earlier 1500/1600 Datsuns didn't have. Trust me, the
2000 was a very nice and very competitive car.
http://www.datsun.org/fairlady/usindex.htm
But let's face it... compare the Datsun's to the MG or Triumphs
and you'll find that the Datsun was a better built product.
Perhaps the Industrial design sucked but it really is a NICE car to work on.
I felt the quality was superior even if the mechanical design
was based on MG's developement.
I don't suppose that article compared the Alpine to the MG or Triumph?
I assume that they didn't because it probably would shock that crowd...
Take heart, in 1967, Dan Carmichael in an Alpine almost up staged Bob
Sharp's Team at the American Road race of champions. Dan took 2nd in an
Alpine, Bob Sharp took 1st in a Datsun 1600 and John Morton in a Datsun 1600
took 3rd.
To give you an idea how much of an accomplishment 2nd place was - I have
been told that the Datsun factory support showed up at Daytona and took any
Datsun entered in the ARRC and set the car up complete with Dyno turn and
other factory bits... this was not an small effort on Datsun's part... as
for Sunbeam support... there was none...
Steve Silverstein
|