Cars for the eye - big coupé comparison in 1975

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Cars for the eye - big coupé comparison in 1975

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Created on July 1, 1975

Text:

Heinz Kranz

Photos:

Volkswagen Presse

9

Toyota Media

5

Archiv Toyota

1

Archiv

51

66

VW Scirocco (1975) - in comparison with Toyota Celica, Ford Capri, Renault R15 and Fiat 128 SL

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VW Scirocco (1975) - cover picture of the magazine 'hobby' - comparison of VW with Ford Capri, Fiat 128 SL, Renault 15 and Toyota Celica

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Fiat 128 SL (1975) - in comparison with Toyota Celica, Ford Capri, Renault R15 and VW Scirocco

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VW Scirocco (1975) - in comparison with Toyota Celica, Ford Capri, Renault R15 and Fiat 128 SL - under palm trees

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Fiat 128 Coupé (1975) - elegant and sporty

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Renault 15 (1975) - Potholes leave it cold, the comfort is exemplary

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Renault 15 (1975) - Dashboard compared to the competition Fiat 128 SL, Toyota Celica, Ford Capri and VW Scirocco

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Fiat 128 Sport Coupé (1973) - compact sports coupé

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Fiat 128 SL (1971) - with independent rear end

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Fiat 128 Sport Coupé (1973) - based on the platform of the 128 saloon

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Fiat 128 SL (1971) - Steering wheel and dashboard of the 1100 and 1300 versions

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Fiat 128 SL (1971) - Trunk of the pretty coupé

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Renault 15 TL (1971) - the cheaper R15 version behind the classier R17 variant

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Renault 15 TL (1971) - pretty front-wheel drive coupé from France

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Renault 15 TS (1971) - straightforward lines

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Renault 15 TS at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show - sporty front-wheel drive R15 and R17

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Renault 15 TL (1971) - the see-through drawing reveals the technical solutions

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Renault 15 TS (1971) - the coupé measures 4.2 meters in length

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Toyota Celica (1973) - The first generation of the Toyota Celica, built from 1970 to 1977

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Toyota Celica (1972) - the 1600 ST version with 108 hp

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Toyota Celica (1971) - at the Geneva Motor Show

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Toyota Celica (1971) - View of the rear bench seat

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Toyota Celica (1971) - the fast ST version

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Toyota Celica (1971) - one of the first press photos

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Toyota Celica (1971) - View into the engine compartment

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Toyota Celica (1971) - exhibited at the Tokyo Motor Show

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Toyota Celica (1971) - Dashboard of the ST version

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Renault 15 TL (1971) - the four-cylinder engine in the coupé

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Toyota Celica (1971) - Interior with lots of plastic

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Toyota Celica (1971) - View into the engine compartment

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VW Scirocco (1974) - designed by Giugiaro

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VW Scirocco (1974) - the more expensive models had twin headlights

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VW Scirocco (1974) - wedge-shaped and modern

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VW Scirocco (1973) - Number 1 - today in the VW Museum

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VW Scirocco GTI (1976) - you couldn't see the higher performance from the outside

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VW Scirocco (1975) - the simple equipment with rectangular headlights looked less sporty

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VW Scirocco (1974) - the cheaper model had rectangular headlights

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VW Scirocco (1974) - a tailgate opens the way to the variable luggage compartment

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VW Scirocco (1975) - sporty appearance of the S model

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VW Scirocco (1975) - The Scirocco is positioned as a leisure vehicle

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VW Scirocco (1975) - compact coupé shape

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VW Scirocco (1974) - Interior of an early Scirocco with automatic transmission

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VW Scirocco (1974) - View of the new coupé

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VW Scirocco (1974) - with upmarket equipment and alloy wheels

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VW Scirocco (1976) - Golf-style fittings

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Ford Capri (1976) - Capri II in the elegant Ghia version

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Ford Capri (1976) - Capri II in S-equipment - Picture from the sales documents

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Ford Capri II (1976) - Illustration from the sales documents

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Ford Capri S (1976) - Capri II S model with open doors and open engine compartment and trunk - the innovative tailgate is clearly visible

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Ford Capri L (1976) - individually folding rear seats were an innovation in the sports car segment at the time

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Ford Capri S (1976) - steering wheel and fully equipped dashboard of the S version - for the first time, a windshield wiper was fitted as standard

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Ford Capri (1976) - Side view of the Capri II, already with tailgate and without decorative grille in front of the rear wheels

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Ford Capri L (1976) - cheapest L version of the Capri II, already equipped with individually folding rear seats and carpet in the trunk

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Ford Capri L (1976) - Rear view of the Capri II in L-equipment

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Ford Capri S (1976) - Capri II S model at full speed

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Ford Capri GL (1977) - the GL model from 1977

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Ford Capri S (1976) - the S model of the Capri II - with matt black chrome parts and six-cylinder engines

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Summary

Five mid-range coupés from four countries were compared by the magazine 'hobby' in 1975: Toyota Celica, Ford Capri II, Renault R15, Fiat 128 SL and VW Scirocco. And the question was whether the beauty of the cars would win out over their reduced utility value. This carefully edited original comparison test from 1975 reproduces the text and findings and is illustrated with many additional archive images.

This article contains the following chapters

Cars for the eye and the heart
Popular family coupés
The newcomer VW Scirocco
Comfortable Renault R15
The sporty Fiat 128 SL
The exotic Toyota Celica
Not a real sports car
Comparison of the measured values
Top sellers Capri and Scirocco
Scirocco unrivaled good?
Scirocco and Capri in front
Will the new Opel Manta be a hit?
Comparison of the points scores
1st place VW Scirocco (69 points)
2nd place Ford Capri II (66 points)
3rd place Fiat 128 1300 SL (59 points)
4th place Toyota Celica LT (58 points)
5th place Renault 15 TL (57 points)
Comparison of driving impressions
Comparison of technical data

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

There are only three coupés on the German car market that are sold in acceptable numbers: the Ford Capri, the Opel Manta and the VW Scirocco. The rest can only be found in the 'distant future' and so one wonders why so many car manufacturers invest a lot of money in a model variant that brings in relatively little? Counter question: What prompts thousands of buyers to invest a lot of money in a model whose utility value is less than that of a sedan? Well, coupés are something for the eye and the heart, they raise self-esteem, symbolize sportiness and stand out from the mass of saloons. For car manufacturers, coupés enhance their reputation, they whet the appetite for the brand. If this is the case, they still have a profit if the buyer, obeying reason, opts for sedan home cooking.

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