Innehållsförteckning för October 1978 från MotorTrend

They were three and a half minutes late starting his funeral services, and Bill Harrah wouldn’t have liked that. He was a perfectionist in his gaming operations, in his hotels, in his restaurants—most of all in his car collection. “He did things right,” he answered an impertinent interviewer one day when asked what he would want carved on his headstone. So long as he was alive, things were right and never so much as in the 1100-car assemblage in Sparks. Nevada. What was so right about that collection was not the sparkling restoration shops nor the FAA-licensed airframe assembly; not even the incredible cleanliness of the buildings or the courtesy and competence of the staff. It was the idea, the philosophy, of the place that fit so magnificently into the…

THE FAT CAR AS AN INFLATION HEDGE Sure, some people will buy anything on speculation and some people will always be ahead of the game and some people this year will buy the biggest and fullest-size cars in the world. And in this case, the world means the Lincoln Continental and Mark V. The grapevine would have many speculators eager to buy, so Ford is ready to crank another 5000 Continental units into its August-December production schedule. The big hit, however, will come from Cadillac mavens, because ‘78 is the last year for the outsized Eldo—and the Biarritz in particular. It’ll be a limited model (only about 1900 to be built), and the touts are saying that its 15G sticker could easily triple before it’s all over. Now we have…

Some will call it smooth. Quieter. More sophisticated than Camaros past. We call this special new Camaro the Berlinetta. And it’s all of those things. Yet the Berlinetta remains a Camaro at heart. It’s still a “hugger”. Berlinetta. It will be known for its interior comforts and smooth, responsive ride. It comes equipped with a special insulation package that helps screen out engine, wind, and road noise. With front spring isolators, new body mounts and special shock absorbers, Berlinetta’s special suspension system has a way of making old roads seem new. Inside, Berlinetta is plush and perfect. Newly designed front bucket seats support you comfortably and firmly. And as you’ve come to expect from other special Camaros such as Z28, Berlinetta instrumentation is recessed and easy to read. Included are…

It’s a car. It’s a truck. It’s the El Camino Royal Knight. An exciting combination of sporty looks and functional design. Royal Knight comes equipped with such appearance features as a large front air dam, sport mirrors, Rally wheels, and a special striping and decal treatment. Outside, it’s a hardworking carrier with 35.5 cubic feet of ribbed steel cargo space and a pickup box payload of 800 lbs. Inside, you’ll find the comfort and luxury you would expect to get in a passenger car. So, if it’s a truck you need but a car you want, you owe it to yourself to look into the El Camino Royal Knight. SEND FOR YOUR COPY OF CHEVROLET POWER Chevrolet Power is a book filled with technical data on Chevrolet vehicle dynamics, chassis…

The view through the windshield is strangely familiar. The feeling is one of dejavu. You feel you have been there before, yet you know this is a completely new experience. The fenders are ridged and the hood rises slightly to form a peak which is crowned with the familiar Cadillac crest. This is definitely an Eldorado, yet it is not like any other you have ever driven. Heavy is the kindest word I can use to describe the Eldorados of years past. They had hood areas that rivaled the deck of an aircraft carrier and plowed mightly through turns at speed because of the tremendous weight up front. As you traveled along you could feel the sheer weight of the Eldorado as it hurtled down the highway. But, inside you…

The first time we saw the Firebird in its ‘79 plumage was at the General Motors proving grounds. The occasion was what they call the “Press Long Leads.” where the companies display their new offerings. They show them to members of the magazine press about three months in advance of their introduction to the general public, because it takes this long to get the story written and get the magazine printed and out on the stands. Before we got to see the new cars in the flesh, we were herded into a conference room and shown some slides while the heads of various departments and programs spoke. The changes specific to the ‘79 Firebirds were detailed for us, including such things as new nose pieces, grilles, parking and signal lamps,…

It is no more a styling rotunda than an operating theater, no more an operating theater than a NASA clean room, no more a clean room than an enormous, hushed jewel case. It is gray carpeted and wood panelled. Between this enormous round room and a clawing, dirty, seething world there are, by rough guess, five buildings, 30 walls and perhaps 100 feet of insulation. And of course the fences—the one of cyclone wire around the Daimler-Benz executive offices in Sindelfingen, a suburb of Stuttgart—and the more formidable fence of corporate reputation which is of the most fearsomely efficient car company in the universe. In this room then, in this rotunda, are a cluster of men and four cars. The men are in two groups. One, the larger, is a…

We are living through a quiet revolution, one which brings almost daily, change to our lives even though most of us are only dimly aware of it. It began in 1948 with the invention of the transistor. This triggered a technological upheaval which made possible such significant feats as the moon landing and some less-than-world-shaking things like the digital watch. The auto industry is just beginning to apply some of this new technology, and in years to come the car will be one of the prime beneficiaries of the astounding progress that’s been made in electronics during the past 30 years. Until recently, the electrical hardware found in cars has been relatively unsophisticated and not a whole lot different from what it was 40 years ago. Such things as ignition…

Thirty years ago, Cameron Argetsinger and a group of sports car enthusiasts organized the first race through the streets of Watkins Glen and a great American tradition had begun. The racing moved to a formal track in 1956, and in 1961 Watkins Glen became the home of the United States Grand Prix. The first two USGP races were held at Sebring (1959) and Riverside (1960), respectively, but neither site proved to have the staying power of the Glen. On Sept. 29-30 and Oct. 1, the Glen will host the 20th renewal of the U.S. race—and, hopefully, the crowning of a new American World Champion. Mario Andretti had the inside track on the title as we went to press, leading the standings by nine points. Through the years, the Glen race…

Auto Makers Mount New Attack on Regulations Detroit sharpened its attack on Washington rulemakers in recent months as auto makers took turns hurling bricks at federal regulations they consider unnecessary, inflationary and anti-competitive. This tougher stand by the “Big Three” reflects their growing apprehension that they may be headed down the road to ruin by being forced to invest enormous sums to meet future safety, emissions and fuel economy standards. The industry estimates it will take an unprecedented $78 billion to meet these standards through 1985—this, at a time when the companies see their profits and growth rates shrinking. (Ford says that since the early 1960s their average net return on sales has declined from 7% to 4%.) The fear is that any further deterioration in their already flat earnings…

TALK OF CONVERTIBLE STRICTLY RAGTIME That relic we know as the Beetle convertible will soon be replaced by an up-to-date ragtop built by Karmann for the Golf/Rabbit chassis. Despite the popularity of the old aircooled suncruiser, VW feels the time has come for it to retire gracefully and make way for the new generation. While the new front-wheel drive chassis will provide superior performance and handling, the Golf/Rabbit convertible should retain much of that unique character that has made the older Karmann soft-top a lasting success. The top itself will be a thickly padded fabric/vinyl combination which is raised and lowered as rapidly as your muscles will allow. A steel bar in the center of the car will provide both support for the roof and protection, in the event of…

General Motors’ line up for 1979 covers the full range of passenger cars from the subcompact Chevette to new luxury models from Cadillac, Oldsmobile and Buick. In between are the standards and intermediates, plus the ever popular 2-seater Corvette. The name of the game is fuel efficiency, weight reduction and emission control, and it’s a difficult one to win and still satisfy the customer demand for performance and adequate passenger comfort. To this end the GM engineers and stylists have really done their homework. Despite the reduction in size, weight, horsepower and engine displacement, the luxury cars are still roomy and luxurious and feature front-wheel drive, torsion-bar front and independent rear suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes and diesel engine options. Though the days of the big 400-plus cubic-inch engines for passenger…

You’re out on the test track. You move out in a new Chevy Monza Spyder. Now you’re heading for the bank. You’re up. Pressing the pavement. Having the time of your life. Then you realize you’re not driving just a run-of-the-mill sporty car. It’s something special. It’s a Monza Spyder by Chevrolet. Standard on this year’s Monza you get tinted glass windows, a Delco AM radio, center console, Sport steering wheel and body side moldings. What’s more, with the Spyder packages you’ll also get steel-belted radials, Sport suspension, day/night rearview mirror, front air dam, rear spoiler, Rally II wheels, sport mirrors—and more. Plus, you get your choice of standard 4, or optional V6 or V8 engine. Monza Spyder is equipped with GM-built engines produced by various divisions. See your dealer…

The Chrysler Corporation cars for 1979 reflect the industry trend of recent years which dictates elimination or redesign for large cars at the top of the line and the addition of new models on the other end. Chrysler’s full-sized (if these distinctions mean much these days) cars are new and, though they bear familiar names, are considerably lighter and somewhat smaller. This, of course, means improved mileage and efficiency, and Chrysler has managed to achieve these goals without giving away too much in passenger room and comfort. 1 Dodge Omni 024 2 Chrysler New Yorker 3 Town & Country 4 Horizon Hatchback 5 Horizon TC3 6 Chrysler Newport 7 Colt Hatchback 8 Chrysler Cordoba 9 Dodge Omni 024 10 Chrysler Cordoba 11 Dodge Challenger 12 Dodge St. Regis On the…

Sixteen years ago Buick set the auto industry on its heels with the Riviera. Seldom does a production model possess the rare beauty and raw appeal that the first Riviera did. Its graceful, flowing lines had a European flavor that had never before worked so well on an American car. Riviera was more than personal; it was intimate. As the years went by the mystique that made Riviera a much-sought-after specimen was allowed to fade. Like a man in his middle years, the Riviera became bulky and lost the appeal it once had. Buick tried to tailor the car to suit too many tastes and thus sacrificed its unique character in the process. Riviera became nothing more than the name of an automobile that had descended from a modern classic.…

In any field of endeavor, there will occasionally crop up bits of hardware to which the word “ultimate” can be applied. In the arena of international relations, the atomic bomb is an “ultimate” device that exerts considerable influence, as do the fledgling efforts of the brothers Wright, which seem unimaginably distant when sipping champagne while travelling faster than the speed of sound aboard the SST, another “ultimate” collection of machinery. The human need for bodily comfort has exerted a profound influence on inventive people, and has produced a diversity of ways to cater to that need unmatched at any time in history. From Earth shoes to water beds, the tenderness of the flesh is the subject of much devising. In this vein, the Recaro seat company has introduced the IdealSeat…

The/sports car as we know it today—a 2-seater that is relatively expensive, but affordable—traces its roots to the early 1950s. Purists may argue with this and point out numerous pre-war cars to support their position, and they have a point. The sports car, if defined broadly enough, has been around for almost as long as the automobile itself, but in those early years it was a limited production item that usually found its way only into the hands of titled Europeans, movie stars and ordinary millionaires. Sports cars that were within the reach of people with a net worth of under six figures didn’t make their appearance on the market until the last years of the Truman administration. Invariably, these cars came from Europe and found a home here. But…

He has the face of a Renaissance venture capitalist: strong profile ennobled by both an imperially extended brow (Bruno Sacco is bald from equator forward) and an artfully designed crown-cum-high collar beard of white hair. His eyes are a shocking blue. If the Italian finance ministry should ever seek a device to endow its currency with a feeling of regal stability, it could do far worse than to put Sacco’s face on a million-lire note. He is a listener, a sure clue to thoughtfulness, but when he speaks—rapid fire—his words come down in shorthand tablets. Bru-no Sacco is medium height, medium weight, permissibly stylish; in all, an artful expression of the degree to which Daimler-Benz is willing to depart foundry for fashion. Sacco was bom 45 years ago in a…

It used to be that the masters of “getting competitive” (read cheating) were our very own Southern stock car racers, but it seems that the search for an unfair advantage is every bit as refined and so-phisticated among the Formula One crowd. At the Swedish Grand Prix, Niki Lauda rolled out in a car that put all the other teams in a snit (and on the trailer) and created the biggest controversy in the sport since James Hunt’s disqualification difficulties two years ago. Lauda’s car was a Brabham (which, incidentally, bears no relation to Jack Brabham, the former GP champion who sold his racing interests to Bernie Eccle-stone). Designated as BT46/6B, the car was designed by a brilliant young man named Gordon Murray, and differed from its competitors in that…

FIRST RX-7 STREET FREAK? Chuck Stetler of Garden Grove, California, created this radical RX-7 as a promotional vehicle for Spec 1 tennis shoes (that’s their bird-in-flight logo on the lower door) and has been turning heads on L.A. streets with his rotary hot rod for weeks now. The car’s front air dam, fender flares and whaletail spoiler were all done in steel by Kolor Me Kustom black accents. Side glass was replaced with smoke tinted panels and the stock window opening was reshaped at the rear to “look like a Lear jet,” according to Stetler. The Mazda has been fitted with wide wheels and tires, and the interior features jump seats and mohair upholstery. The facelift took less than three weeks to accomplish at a total cost of $13,000, car…

When it comes to hugging a road, there’s nothing quite like the feel of Camaro Z28. It’s the hugger’s hugger. What makes it so are things like Z28’s standard 5.7 Litre 4-barrel V8, a Sport suspension that incorporates special shocks, front and rear stabilizer bars, a close-ratio Four-Speed transmission with a 2.64:1 first gear connected to an 11-inch high-capacity clutch. Add to that the fact that Z28 sits lower to the ground than most cars, and you’ve got a car that’s more than capable on a winding back road or an open straightaway. The Camaro Z28 also sparks of excitement outwardly. As pictured above, Z28 is equipped with simulated hood scoop, louvered side panels, rear spoiler, dual sport mirrors, available 15” × 7” aluminum wheels, black-finished grille and moldings around…

What can you say about the Corvette legend? It all began 26 years ago, when the first Corvette was driven off the assembly line. And it remains today as America’s only true production sports car. A car that is awesomely competent. And for 1979, the legend lives on. This year, Corvette engineers and designers continue to refine one of the world’s impressively responsive cars, blending styling and engineering to give you touring comfort and driver convenience. New flatterfolding bucket seats, for example, endow Corvette with a more practical carrying capacity. New dual-snorkel air induction air cleaner, new anti-theft steering column ignition lock, and standard Delco AM/FM radio help to make it one of the world’s well-equipped cars. It’s not hard to understand why Corvette is such a legendary car. Since…

For entirely too many years, museums devoted to the automobile have been typified by dinginess, mustiness and a spirit of good-humored fun that would do credit to a funeral parlor. Nobody ever laughs in a car museum. But that was before Automobileworldland, an automotive wonderland that stands alone among exhibitions devoted to motoring. Automobileworldland is a veritable festival of firewalls, a cavalcade of carburetors, a cornucopia of connecting rods and an orgy of orthopedic seat backs…an automotive “World’s Fair” that combines family fun with the lure and lore of the automobile, all set in 600 acres of parkland near New Britain, Connecticut. Of course, Automobileworldland hasn’t been completed yet…or even started, for that matter. But thanks to exhaustive investigation by MT staff members and a big 4-color press kit sent…

Toronado was the lone front-wheeldrive entry from General Motors back in 1966, when it first appeared on the scene. The front-drive configuration was recognized for its superior traction in snow and rain and the fact that it removed the huge hump from the floor of the passenger compartment. Other than that it was looked upon as little more than a novelty by a public that was swimming in cheap gasoline. Thirteen years later we find the new-generation Toronado emerging into a world where front-drive cars are rapidly becoming the norm. A much more sophisticated car-buying public sees frontwheel drive as not only a way to plod through inclement weather with less difficulty but also as a means of reducing vehicle weight, which translates into better fuel mileage. The stylist’s pen…

Now you can own the same ultralight accurate Swiss racing watch that has toured Europe. It was developed by Agon, the race engineering division of Economic Swiss Time (E.S.T.). This impactresistant, high-stress watch can withstand racing temperatures and conditions. As a result of the introduction of Noryl miracle plastic, a space program byproduct, the case and band have been reduced in weight to only one ounce. You’ll notice the lightness results in ease of handling and comfort, in addition to an improved strength-to-weight ratio. The Swiss Racing Watch, by AGON. $29.50 Noryl is a non-conductor of heat, and is unaffected by chemicals, perspiration, or abrasion. You’ll have command of the time with a large, high-visability dial—excellent even for twilight or darkness readings. The built-in calendar automatically keeps track of the…

On the place, importance and philosophy of styling at Daimler-Benz: “At Daimler-Benz, styling and engineering are not hierarchical but co-equal.” “If it is the function of stylists to come up with novelties at any price, which occasionally seems the case in the U.S., I am not happy with the term ‘stylist’ as it applies to me.” “I have been with the company 21 years, during which time I have never had the urge to design a car on my own.” “I’m fed up with being told the stylist’s job is difficult. It may be, but solutions are possible. If we don’t find them, it’s our fault.” “If it is true that we have become the styling paradigm, then that must mean we have done something right and that is perfectly…

For some time now, Toyota has sponsored the USGP and provided its pace cars and supporting vehicles—and, in the process, created a popular new form of competition, the celebrity race. The Celica used as a pace car has been modified for the job. Ak Miller fitted it with a turbocharger which produces 10 pounds of boost and gives it a top speed of 120 mph. Bilstein shocks and special springs improve handling considerably and, in combination with Gotti wheels and Bridgestone BR-60-13 radials, lower the height of the car 3 inches. The tires are trimmed of half their tread to reduce heat buildup at high speeds. For safety, a full roll cage is installed along with 3-inch Simpson belts. The celebrity race Celicas are identical to the pace car, with…

• As he hinted in last month’s Motor Trend, Richard Petty is abandoning his Dodge Magnum. He said, “It just wasn’t possible to get the Dodge Magnum consistently competitive with some of the other cars the way current NASCAR rules are set up.” Petty Enterprises is building a Chevrolet Monte Carlo, as a consequence, and may also field a Buick Skylark on some tracks. • Sixteen USAC drivers have qualified for the two Citicorp Cup races to be run in England (at Silverstone on Sept. 30 and Brands Hatch on Oct. 7). The trials were held at Michigan International Speedway and were led by Tom Sneva with a quick time of 209.059 miles per hour. Other qualifiers included A.J. Foyt, Johnny Rutherford, Rick Mears, Gordon Johncock, Bobby Unser, Al Unser…