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Historical test reports reworked
About this topic channel
Many thousands of test reports have been published over the last 100 years. This channel compiles newly edited test reports from various specialist magazines.
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Exceptional case - Renault 16 TX in (historical) test
With the R16 TX, Renault brought a spacious and fast estate onto the market - in Germany, however, without the rear spoiler because the Federal Motor Transport Authority had raised an objection. In the 1974 test report, the TX demonstrates its strengths.
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Unfinished symphony - Lamborghini Jarama 400 GT in (historic) test
The Lamborghini Jarama is a front-engined GT in the tradition of the 350 GT. Blessed with an impressive V12 engine, the car suffers from some annoying shortcomings in the test. In the testers' judgment, it takes a certain amount of empathy to appreciate the true value of this exclusive GT. After all, you can't have everything, not even at the price of a Jarama.
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Reflection - BMW 518 in the (historic) test
Instead of the technically possible upward expansion of the 520/525 model series (to a 528 or 530), the new BMW 518 appeared from June 1974 as a downward adjustment in response to the sharp rise in operating costs and car prices. This historical test report takes a close look at the economy model.
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Italian style blossoms - Alfetta GT and Lancia Beta Coupé in the (historic) test
Family coupés with a power output of around 120 hp were rare on the German car market in 1975; apart from the Capri II, there were only imported models available for less than DM 20,000. These included two Italian models that were identical in many details but differed considerably in terms of shape and price, as this test shows.
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Powerhouse - Renault 5 LS in a historic test
With the LS version of the Renault 5, the French manufacturer spearheaded the high-performance small car class in 1974. Its 64 hp from 1300 cc made it an enticing proposition. This test report from back then shows where the qualities and weaknesses of the new top model lay.
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Mini cult: Autobianchi, Fiat 127 and Innocenti 1001 in (historical) comparison
The first car of your own. The choice is difficult: a used car with steam or a new little one? In 1975, three Italian sports minis were subjected to an in-depth test program. The result was closer than expected ...
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Brave Tour - Ford Escort in (historic) test
The Ford Escort increasingly fell behind in the face of strong competition from the Opel Kadett and VW Golf. But were there still good reasons in favor of the tried-and-tested Escort? Find out in the 1974 test report.
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Healthy heritage - Renault Alpine and Fiat Abarth 124 in a (historical) comparison test
Renault Alpine and Fiat Abarth 124 rally: they were known as wild rally cars with tame ancestors that were rare in everyday traffic. At the time, "sport auto" drove the respective road versions and searched for family traits between the tame and the wild ones.
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Slimming cure - Opel Kadett 1000 in (historical) test
The gasoline crisis, which became the gasoline price crisis, hatched it, but it was not a difficult birth. Opel reached into the kit and the Kadett 1000 was ready. You can read about what the car from the incubator was capable of in the historical test report from 1974.
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Racing car for the road - BMW M1 in (historic) test
The BMW M1 marked the Bavarian Motor Works' debut in the super sports car segment. The detailed test from 1980 shows that even a 100,000 franc car does not only have positive aspects.
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Twelve years and still going strong – Simca 1000 LS in (historical) test
With 40 hp and a rear engine, the Simca 1000 was an endangered species. Apart from the price (6000 DM), was there anything else that spoke in favor of the handy city runabout? Read the test report from 1974 and find out.
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Leisure suit - Ford Capri in the (historical) test
The technology of the Ford Capri II (1974-77) was essentially based on its predecessor. Only the chassis was tuned softer and the body smoothed and equipped with a practical tailgate. This made the Capri not only more comfortable and pleasing, but also more streamlined. This test report from that time investigated whether the Capri was still competitive.
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Windbag - BMW 2002 with turbocharger in (historical) test
In 1974, car tester Jürgen Rapp was anything but enthusiastic about the then new BMW 2002 with turbocharger. He even went so far as to reject the turbocharger concept itself. As we know, the turbo nevertheless proved its worth in the years that followed, so it is all the more exciting to read in the test from back then how the early turbos felt.
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Savings club - VW Beetle in (historical) test
The petrol and money crisis gave the standard Beetle a boost. Three models offered a lot of VW for the money - and from August 1973, they were visually more attractive. But the choice between versions and extras was more of a headache than ever, as the comprehensive test report from that time shows.
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Heirs without the old glory? - Alfetta and BMW 520i in a (historic) comparison test
BMW and Alfa Romeo each launched a sporty, comfortable model on the mid-range market in 1972. Although the development goal was similar, the results differed significantly. The 1974 comparison test reveals who did the better job.
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Cultural achievement - Audi 80 GT in (historic) test
Just as Audi presented the powerful 80 GT, the speed was limited to 80 or 100 km/h in Germany. The question therefore arose: does 100 hp still make sense? This test report from 1974 provides the answer.
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Head to head - Opel Manta GT/E and Toyota Celica GT in a (historical) comparison test
In 1974, Opel finally dared to cross the 100 hp threshold with its flagship coupé Manta. Toyota had already shown this courage some time ago with its coupé star Celica GT, which mobilized 108 hp and thus had 3 hp more under the hood than the GT/E from Opel. Here is a direct comparison of these two GT versions from back then.
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Belt trick - DAF 1300 Marathon in (historical) test
The Marathon was a sports coupé, but with 57 hp and 145 km/h it was not incredibly sporty. The special thing about the DAF was that it could drive just as fast backwards as forwards thanks to its variomatic transmission. In the 1974 test, you can find out what else the little vehicle had to offer - and what the Indian fakirs had to do with it.
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The half-strengths - BMW 2002, Audi 80 GT, Escort RS 2000 and Ascona 19 SR in a (historical) comparison test
The era of sporty saloons began with the BMW 2002. Opel launched its first attacks on the Munich-based domain with its Ascona 19 SR, followed belatedly by Ford with the Escort RS 2000. Audi was the last to push for a place in the 100 hp society with the 80 GT. In 1973 a comparison test checked whether the newcomer from Ingolstadt could catch up with or even overtake its earlier competitors.
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Sideways - VW Scirocco in the (historic) test
In the 1974 test report on the then new VW Scirocco, the author really went into raptures: pleasing bodywork, free-revving engines, perfectly tuned chassis... Was there really nothing wrong with this little VW?
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