The Things They Say....

” B.M.C. Sprites and Midgets at their present prices cannot hold a candle to the Honda S800.”—Paul Frère comparing Japanese with European cars in a recent issue of Motor.

***

” I would say that in many ways it is a far more successful car than the 20-h.p. Rolls-Royce. Whilst it gives something like a litre and a half of capacity away to the Rolls, and pulls around the same weight, both cars have virtually the same performance, whilst in road-holding and general quietness, etc., the Sunbeam is in a class of its own.”—M. J. Poynton writing in Beaded Wheels after driving a 1929 Sunbeam Sixteen saloon which competed last year in the Haast Rally in New Zealand.”

***

“The Volkswagen is certainly the greatest single advertisement for the whole thoroughness of German Industry.”—H.R.H. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in a recent speech. (Lord Snowdon, incidentally, favours a VW caravan.)

***

” I live in a period house, surrounded by antique furniture. I loved Connaughts and E.R.A.s. I take great pleasure in the past. But it is the past. We can’t re-live it. . . . It’s a sheer matter of fact that a vintage Bentley wouldn’t win the 1967 Le Mans.”— Editor Kenneth Bound announcing that nostalgia is out in the new B.A.R.C. Journal which replaces the famous B.A.R.C. Gazette, born June 1922, exterminated last month.

***

” For the first time in many years Sir William Lyons has had to drop the claim that we can sell every car we make. The fall-off in home demand is now approaching 30% . . . and for the first time heavy publicity is being put behind the 2.4-litre baby of the range . . . in the U.S., even the big engine is too small to hold its own at the traffic lights with the 7-litre local products, while in Europe the . . . 3-litre looks like the maximum acceptable, as Mercedes long ago decided.” — Keith Richardson writing in The Sunday Times for February 5th.

***

” The makers claim a flat-out speed of 80 m.p.h. I never reached it myself, but like all its rivals these claims are somewhat hypothetical.” — Robert Glenton reporting on the new Hillman Minx for The Sunday Express.