You hardly see that anymore ...
01/21/2018
Yes, the cars pictured - Opel Kadett LS, Ford Escort GT, Peugeot 204 GL or Simca 1100 GLS - have become rare, but that's not what we're aiming for. What is also rare today are cars that understeer and buckle at the front. In fact, chassis technology has developed considerably since 1969. But it's not just in terms of handling that great progress has been made, but also in terms of fuel consumption, for example. The five test candidates in the Auto Motor und Sport comparison test in issue 12/1969 ( the Fiat 124 S was also still part of the group) consumed between 10.3 and 11.2 liters per 100 km, with the Opel being the most economical. Today, one would expect values of around 6 to 8 liters in test operation in this vehicle class.
Yet the cars were almost as light as a feather! In fact, the scales only showed between 820 and 945 kg for the five vehicles, the Escort was the lightest, the Simca weighed the most.
The equipment table also showed that times were different almost 50 years ago. None of the four cars in the test had a heated rear window, none had a laminated glass windshield and all five also lacked hazard warning lights.
The Escort was available for DM 6593, the Kadett for DM 6488, the Fiat 124 S cost DM 6793, the Peugeot DM 6680 and the Simca DM 6798. They were therefore close in price and the difference in length between the longest (Opel Kadett, 4.182 m) and the shortest (Simca 1100, 3.944 m) was only 20 centimetres. And these were family saloons in which crews of five could travel thousands of kilometers on vacation, which was no problem with a trunk of up to 376 liters (Kadett).
However, the best of the five comparison test candidates was not yet revealed in issue 12/1969 of Auto Motor und Sport . You had to buy the next issue, 13/1969 , to find out. And there it became clear that the Peugeot 204 GL was ultimately unable to maintain its narrow lead over the Opel and Simca from the first issue. The Fiat 124 S came home as the winner with 314 points, followed by the Simca 1100 with 312 and the Peugeot with 308 points. The Opel Kadett finished in last place.
Commenting on the Fiat's victory, the AMS makers wrote:
"An unproblematic, simply built car with a powerful, flexible engine and a spacious, well-equipped body. The strong points of the 124 S are its temperament and handling. The ride comfort is limited by the hard, short-stroke suspension, but a correct set-up ensures good-natured, safe driving characteristics and good road grip."
So three imported cars came out on top ahead of two domestic vehicles in the comparison, so there could certainly be no doubt about the neutrality of the testers ...
