The true opinion of the test drivers - or what didn't appear in test reports
04/17/2011
Rumor has it that journalists and test drivers are not always completely free in their statements these days and that commercial relationships with car manufacturers and importers have to be satisfied at a time when advertising revenue decides the fate of trade magazines.
Advertising was certainly less important in the past, but editors still had to take care of their good relationships with the major car manufacturers. Without close relationships with the factories, it was impossible to obtain rare test and experimental cars, which in turn was essential for success with readers.
This probably explains why not all the test notes found their way into the printed reports of the time. One example came to my attention recently when I found the original comments written by a test team member on the occasion of the test drives with the 1958 Mercedes 300 SL:
- Door lock on the right went on strike - door opened several times when not locked
- Body rocking around the longitudinal axis, Uhlenhaut says this is just a peculiarity of the balancing spring, but it is a real flaw
- When braking, for example, the Super Sprint is much more directionally stable
- Requires a peculiar driving technique
- I would buy the Ferrari for 40,000!
Of course, this test driver also reported positive points such as the impressive economy, the excellent gearbox or the above-average performance. These comments were easier to integrate into the overall verdict than the unwieldy negative points. The typewritten comments are always historically exciting.
