Power: 310-380 hp
Price: 22,999 pounds
Top Speed: 145 mph
0-60: 7.5 seconds
"A superb motor car."
"Excellent handling, astounding performance, powerful and progressive brakes, ride reasonable at low speeds, good at high speed."
"At the top of the supercar league."
Cars have always been compared with their peers. I'm sure when Gottlieb Daimler came up with his first car, some enterprising publisher in Dresden was lining up a 1770 Cugnot three-wheeler gun tractor (France) and an 1824 Gordon steamer with iron hooves (GB) for a rudimentary car comparo.
I've got an October 21, 1978, Motor article in front of me. It highlights the 1978 Aston Martin V8. On the last page, the author pits it against its competition. So what were they?
Power: 270 hp
Price: 21,996 pounds
Top Speed: 147 mph
0-60: 7.6 seconds
"Not as quick as some rivals, but more thirsty."
"Excellent high speed cruiser, handling good until limit is approached, but ride only fair. Engine less refined than those of many rivals, sounding strained at high revs; gear change slow. Powerful, progressive brakes. Interior finish leaves much to be desired. A disappointment-- not in the same league as the Aston."
Jaguar XJ-S
Power: 285 hp
Price: 15,149 pounds (cheapest of the bunch)
Top Speed: 155 mph
0-60: 6.7 seconds
"Exceptional performance and refinement and at a very competitive price."
Ferrari 400GT (412 pictured)
Power: 340 hp
Price: 27,000 pounds
Top Speed: 155 mph
0-60: 7 to 8 seconds
Only car not tested in the article, but I talked about it here.
Bristol 412
Power: 210 hp
Price: 27,097 pounds
Top Speed: 140 mph
0-60: 7.4 seconds
"Key offerings are an excellence of manufacture and exclusivity-- only 6000 have been built in 30 years."
"A unique amalgam of stirring performance and the ultimate luxury of wood and leather that only the British understand."
Power: 240 hp
Price: 19,499 pounds
Top Speed: 140 mph
0-60: 7.0 seconds
"Superlative road holding, and excellent handling in all but the most extreme conditions, with mediocre ride."
Power: 225 hp
Price: 18,250 pounds
Top Speed: 134 mph
0-60: 8.5 seconds
"Performance is more than adequate while the automatic transmission sets new standards."
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