"We compare the $4,000
American Sport Sedans:
Cyclone GT - GTA - GTO - 442 -
GS400 - SS396 - GTX - R/T - Rebel"

reprinted from Road Test Magazine
Vol. 3, No. 3 - June 1967

It's all a matter of choice. For your own reasons you decide upon an American automobile. You read about last issue's imported cars but, nice as they are, they don't really appeal to you---foreign cars never do. OK. Many Americans feel the same.

You don't want a stodgy four-door sedan, a copy of the Mustang, or a normal go-to-work hardtop. You're after something more, something you can d-r-i-v-e with a capital D. You want something you can put the wife and kids in, cut out over the mountains down into the desert, swing down ninety miles of freeway through the city to the beach. You want to drive quickly, in control and comfort. Right? Fine, you've just tabbed yourself a potential Muscle Car owner.

Oops, there they go: the guffaws, the insults, the prejudice from those among us who have found THE TRUTH --- and it didn't come from Detroit. YOU, my friend, have just tabbed yourself a NUT in their minds, limited and narrow-minded as the case may be.

Our recommendation if you must persist in this madness is to forget them and their cries. Touch your finger gently to the power window switch and close them off. Slip Sinatra on the eight-track stereo and cool the scene with the ice. Shift your automatic transmission into 1st, stand on the go pedal, upshift through your two remaining gears, run away and hide from them in the mountains. They won't listen to you nor will they change their opinions. As far as they are concerned you are driving the dirtiest of dirty words: DETROIT IRON.

Does that sound appealing  to you? Bit of a rebel are you? Read on.

Just what is a Muscle Car? Exactly what the name implies. It is a product of the American car industry adhering to the hot rodder's philosophy of taking a small car and putting a BIG engine in it. To balance this out, handling, braking and related essentials are modified to result in a performance machine for the streets. They tack racy names to the car: GTA, GTO, GTX, or just plain GT; R/T, SST, SS, GS or, for the lack of better initials, 4-4-2. They doll the car up with fancy trimmings and put it up for sale. And it sells like crazy.

It is part and parcel of America's unending quest for youthfulness. It is a sexy car, in the Detroit sense of the word, though some of the cars lean toward the Rubenseque rather the Hefnerian. But, most of all, the Muscle Car is Charles Atlas kicking the sand in the face of the 98 HP weakling. It is the American man's answer to Susan B. Anthony, Wally Cox and Don Knotts reign supreme and Woody Allen can go home again.

ROAD TEST Magazine has had much experience with cars of this caliber. We have been enthusiastic about these machines only when a well-balanced model came along---and there have been FEW of those. Our basic feeling has always been that the cars GO very well, HANDLE very well, but need the Queen Mary's anchor to STOP. The current crop of M Cars still fits that description with the exception that, for some, a yacht anchor will suffice but the others need an aircraft carrier's.

The Pontiac Motor Division started the M Car Revolution as we know it. Since then nearly every manufacturer has brought out their version. We thought it would be worthwhile to test all of these cars, pitting one against the other, and accepting no alibis for our findings.

To begin, our staff took deliver of nine cars. Alphabetically, a Buick GS 400, Chevrolet SS, Comet Cyclone GT, Dodge R/T, Fort GTA, Oldsmobile 4-4-2, Plymouth GTX, Pontiac GTO, and a Rambler Rebel SST.

All but the Chevy SS have automatic transmissions. All were hardtops except the 4-4-2.

Some of the staff find it difficult to distinguish the cars since they are all so similar. It should be pointed out that the Muscle Car, outwardly, varies little with its sister models. They are all versions of separate models, I.E., the GTO is a Tempest, the Buick GS 400 is a Skylark, the Fort GTA is a Fairlane, etc. The M Car option is, in essence, a package. It consists of a hotter engine (one or more offered), a different transmission (though the same boxes can be ordered on regular models), heavy-duty semi-racing suspension, special wheels and tires, and trim for interior and exterior identification. That is about the gist of it. Specifics vary from car to car, manufacturer to manufacturer. What is important to remember is that these are not separate, original cars.

The idea of modifying a model with options to meet the demands of a certain segment of the car-buying public started in the U.S. but it has spread to other countries. Porsche's 911S and Rover's 2000TC are current examples. Yes, Virginia, hotter engines, better handling gear, special trim and wheels, etc.

Finally, forget the idea that you're buying a 185-MPH NASCAR stocker. The M Cars resemble Junior Johnson's chariot as much as a Fairlane wagon compares to the Jimmy Clark Lotus-Ford.

Meanwhile, let's forget about the purist's idea of an automobile --- you know, miles of racing heritage, millions of gauges, loud transmission whine, louder exhaust, rattling body panels --- and get on down the road. Put Sinatra back on the stereo, turn on the air-conditioning, speak quietly with one another (no need to shout in these cars), and mind the Police Car behind.

In preparation for the tests in this issue we assigned a staff member to visit dealer show rooms of all the models due for testing. The purpose: to learn what you, mister buyer, might expect when you decide on the model of your choice.

In reviewing our findings, the most outstanding characteristic was the predominant ignorance of the cars displayed by two-thirds of the salesmen talked to. Only Buick, Olds and Pontiac sales people demonstrated considerable knowledge of the cars, the performance options and what was installed on the cars on display.

Of the dealers, only two salesmen volunteered the information that we might save money off the windshield stick price. These were Pontiac, offering approximately an $800 saving off list and Ford offering a $650 discount.

Nine showrooms were visited and none made a serious effort to switch us off our announced interest in the $4,000 GT package. The Chevrolet salesman, who incidentally was the only one who approached the old fashioned "hard sell" manner, tried half-heartedly to swing us toward the Camaro. None pushed hard to get us to take an immediate demonstration ride.

A striking difference prevailed in the immediate availability of all the options in which we expressed an interest.

Our first stop was at the Plymouth dealer. Circumstances here were not really fair, for the dealership had very recently changed hands and the sales staff was woefully new to the line. Our questions were answered courteously but only by reference to the  brochure specifications as to availability. None of the cars on the lot had all of the performance options we inquired about. Time lag quoted to take delivery on a car with all we expressed interest in (disc brakes, four speed manual shift, limited-slip rear, wide oval tires, heavy-duty suspension and air conditioning) was five to six weeks.

We next visited an American Motors dealership where we were shown the Rebel. Here a car was available with all our supposed desires with the exception of four-on-the-floor and limited slip, we were again quoted a wait of about six weeks. The salesman, unfortunately a bit hard of hearing, made quite a thing of the seven position "tilt-away" steering wheel. (We had asked about the availability of a steering wheel adjustable for distance.)

At our Pontiac dealer we first had a bit of trouble locating an interested salesman but once in tow were shown every courtesy. There was little trouble here regarding our having all the goodies we wanted on our GTO until the subject of big engine came up. Then things bogged down. If we wanted the "ram -jet" there would be a 60-day delay. Once the list price of approximately $4,400 was established we were assured that the actual delivery price would come to about $3,600.

Our next visit was to the nearby Mercury dealer where a feeling prevailed that the conservative staff was a bit suspicious of the performance line. However, by asking the right questions we were assured that we would be able to get a Cyclone GT with all the options we desired within a maximum of 10 days.

A few blocks away we dropped in at Dodge to look over the Coronet R/T. This was one of the few dealerships to demonstrate real pride in their latest entry into the Hot One category.

The salesman, while young and enthusiastic, was not irritatingly aggressive. Here also we found the first interest in our trade (an import) and what appeared to be a sincere interest in getting the best possible deal. Availability was immediate for everything but the manual four speed transmission and for this option we were quoted about three weeks.

Chevrolet and Chevelle SS 396 was our next destination and for a time we felt like it might also be a sentence. The salesman had NO cars on the floor to show us, but he did have a Camaro and after the mild effort to switch us pointed out the similarities and differences. To give him credit he did know the line, did know the options and was overly-eager to list them for us, with prices, at considerable length. We finally escaped after learning that maximum delay for a car with everything we wanted would be about three days.

At our Buick dealers we were quickly shown the GS-400 and on the showroom floor were two cars with all the desired options except the four-speed shift and the limited slip. It seems odd but only once salesman attempted to tout us off the stick shift, even though it shaved the price by up to $100. This was the Dodge salesman who correctly pointed out that the clutch with a manual shift was not covered in the 5-year warranty. But back to Buick where we could expect delivery with everything of our choice in about three weeks.

Ford was next on our itinerary and here the GTA we were shown was a virtually stripped model (or so the windshield sticker would make it appear) then we learned that many of the options that are extra price items are standard on this model. Limited slip and air-conditioning would be all we'd have to order. But delivery time would still be five weeks.

The Ford salesman was the second to volunteer information on a price discount off the window sticker. With air, the list price would come to approximately $4,200, but with a $650 discount the price would fall into line with the GTO.

Our final call was made at the Olds dealer where we saw the 442. Both a sports coupe and a convertible are offered in this line. While neither of the two cars on the lot had all of the goodies we claimed to want we were assured this posed no problem since dealer cooperation would surely turn up exactly the car with exactly the options within 48 hours, color excepted. Here  we were agreeably impressed with the salesman's knowledge of his cars and availability of options.

In conclusion it is evident that the buyer, at least at the time of the writing, can definitely write his own ticket so far as the equipment he wants on his car, providing he is, in many cases, willing to wait anywhere from a day or two for up to two months. We have seen also, that window sticker prices may be relatively meaningless. We dropped in off the street, knew no one, and yet were voluntarily offered discounts on two cars, one a GM, the other a Ford product. Apparently you can wheel and deal when you decide on what you want and what you want it on.

Easter eggs from the same hatchery

Chevrolet SS-396
The Chevelle SS-396, among others, features ashtrays on the hood. That is they would be ashtrays except they don't hold anything but hard-to-remove dust. The sides are well styled but offer no protection from the hammerhanded parking lot bullies who never look before swinging wide their own much-nicked doors.

Ford GTA
The Ford Fairlane GTA offers a little more protection at the fender corners than the Chevy but it too has some non-functional lumps on the hood. Protection along the flanks is non-existent, the grill is reminiscent of a certain brand of electric shaver.

Buick GS 400
If your cup of tea is an expendable front hood then the Buick GS 400 is for you. In any kind of traffic prang the pointed bow will absorb the blow before the bumper...which, by the way, offers minimal guarding at the corners. Now about those things on the hood...

Oldsmobile 4-4-2
Designers of the Olds 4-4-2 had a great idea, a rub strip in the rocker panel trim. Then somebody loused up the whole deal by adding a bulge above that which negates the original intent. Phony louvers do nothing for the hood line. Bumper protection is among the best offered however. The fast-back roof line is fine, viewed from the side, but visibility is lost with the inset rear window.

Dodge R/T
While the hood scoop on the Dodge R/T is functional the side areas are as unprotected as the others except for trim around the wheel wells. Bumper wrap around leaves much to be desired.

Comet Cyclone GT
There's little to say about the Mercury Cougar that we haven't said about the others. There are hood scoops, phony, etc. etc. etc. Still the overall effect is pleasing and for all its shortcomings we felt its styling rated as number one.

Rambler Rebel
The Rambler Rebel boasts protective trim along the sides just high enough to be higher than the door bulge. The front fenders, protruding to resemble reverse tail fins appear very vulnerable indeed. Bumpers offer little corner protection. The air scoop (?) for rear brake cooling does nothing but add a little cost to the body.

Pontiac GTO
Like its GM brother, the Pontiac GTO has the pointed projecting hood which will get there before the bumper does. Here also we have hood ornamentation in the form of a non-functional air scoop. Side panels will soon look like dotted swiss.

Plymouth GTX
The GTX offered by Plymouth fairly shrieks to have its sides creased. There is a lovely angular line extending full length that makes an inviting target. Also vulnerable, the projecting front fenders. Air scoops on the hood are functional. The front bumper, while doing little for the fenders does seem located to protect the well-styled grill.

Engines

Biceps of the M Car is the engine. The big, slow-turning overhead valve American V8 is steeped in current racing victories. The displacement is large, the power great, and the consumption of fuel copious.

The late model U.S. engine is deserving of accolades as it is highly efficient for all purposes but economy and clean air. We realize an M Car is never purchased for economy, but clean air or anti-pollution, that's another problem. With those two factors aside, we find no complaints with these engines. They represent one extreme to the other, varying in size from a small 290-cubic-inch Rebel to the whopping 440-cubic-inch Chrysler mill in the R/T and GTX.

Buick GS 400
'67 brought a new engine to the Buick line-up. It is 400 cubic inches in displacement, produces 340 HP at 5,000 RPM and 440 ft/lbs of torque at 3,200 RPM. It is a modern engine in design with a short, stiff block. Main bearing size is a large 3.25-inches Greater attention has been placed on the breathing ability with freer-flowing manifolds. The combustion chambers are semi-wedge design. All of the accessories are driven off the front of the engine to allow ease of maintenance and service. All of the parts put under high stress have been strengthened (or "beefed") for greater longevity and to hold under the power.
Most of the engines in this series of cars are "over square" in that the piston stroke is shorter than the cylinder diameter. The Buick engine, however, is close to "square" as the bore and stroke measurements are almost, but not quite, the same: 4.04 x 3.90 in. The other engines have greater differences in measurement.
This engine is the only version offered for the GS 400. It is also exclusive to this model and cannot be ordered for any other Buick. There are no performance options.

Chevrolet SS
We hardly need tell you of Chevrolet's engine offerings. You can put about anything in one of their cars. The 396 cubic inch Turbo-Jet V-8 is a rumpedy-rump kind of engine, strictly for going fast. It dynos 350 horsepower at 5,200 RPM and puts out 415 ft/lbs of torque at 3,400. While it is not as powerful as some of the other engines, it puts its power out in a more ferocious manner. It does not idle well and, when combined with a four-speed, seems to be a handful for the driver. It's duty is to perform, however, and it does that well---third lowest ET, second fastest speed. But we fail to see practicality of this car's engine for the street.

Comet Cyclone GT
Marauder 390 GT V8 is what Lincoln-Mercury calls its Comet Cyclone GT engine. It is over square with a 4.05 bore and 3.78 stroke giving 390 cubic inches. It produces 320 horsepower at 4,800 revolutions per minute. Torque rating is 427 ft/lbs at 3,200 RPM. There are two versions of the engine, a 2-barrel carburetor-equipped model producing 275 HP, or the 4-barrel version we test in this issue. Both are excellent engines (as are most in the Merc line-up) but the latter is the straight-line performance champ for L-M.

Dodge R/T and Plymouth GTX
A rose is a rose is a. . . Dodge and Plymouth provide the same engine, a 440 cubic inch monster. Dodge calls theirs the Magnum V8 while Plymouth uses Super Commando. The only other engine in the Chrysler stable that will outperform it is the 426 Hemi.
This engine is the performance winner of the cars featured in this study. The 440 Super Commando (nee Magnum) develops 375 HP at 4,600 RPM, with a torque rating of 480 ft/lbs at 3,200 RPM. This is the largest displacement high performance engine in the country, but it is not as "rough" as the Chevy engine. It is extremely docile in town, quiet and smooth. Only when you unleash all that power does the engine show its competition heritage and performance potential. The engine powered the GTX to fastest speed and lowest ET on the Irwindale quarter mile drag strip. In the Dodge, it powered the car into the number one handling rating around the Willow Springs road course. We attribute the fast Plymouth times on the strip to lighter weight overall. The Dodge is no slouch at the strip, but the heavier weight makes it a far superior handling car. But both cars benefit from this very fine engine.

Ford GTA
The FoMoCo engine is almost identical to the Comet's---after all, they are sisters under the skin. It's a 390 cubic inch rated at 335 HP at 4,800 RPM while torque is 427 ft/lbs at 3,200 RPM. It's not a high performance engine in the sense of the Shelby 350GT, but it is a high performer for the streets. Fords have a fine racing tradition of late with their many different models but the GTA is set-up primarily for the street. There can be no complaint with this engine except for those who (A) desire more power, or (B) are Chevy lovers.

Oldsmobile 4-4-2
The big GM engine displaces 400 cubic inches. It puts out about 340 horsepower at 5,000 RPM and 440 ft/lbs of torque at 3,600 RPM. It is the only engine for the 4-4-2 option. It can perform with the rest of the M Cars but seems to be primarily for short spurts of power rather than for full-time duty. The engine is usually equipped with a 4-barrel carburetor, but the Olds Tri-Power triple carb set-up can be ordered. [Webmaster's Note: Tri-power was NOT available for the '67 442. A GM mandate prohibited this.] The stock cam is pretty wild for the street, but the engine is quite docile considering.

Pontiac GTO
Performance has been the byword with Pontiac for several years. The Pontiac line-up of powerplants includes four versions of the same 400 cubic inch engine. Horsepower ratings start at 335 and go to 360 "advertised horsepower". We point out advertised because the hottest engine, the Ram Air 400, has been conservatively dynoed at over 400 HP, but there's a GM edict of not advertising more than 10 lbs. of horsepower ratings which prevents them from claiming any more than the conservative 360 horses. The Ram Air is designed to meet the large Chrysler performers on common ground though, at this writing, they have yet to lock horns.
The standard engine for the performance enthusiast is the one we have had the most experience with: the Quadra-Power 400 with 4-barrel carburetor. It puts out 360 HP at 5,100 RPM and is torque rated at 438 ft/lbs at 3,600 RPM. It is a very docile engine, well behaved yet ample to meet any task. It is probably the best engine of the recent GTO series.

Rambler Rebel
To the owner of one of Rambler's six-cylinder-powered cars, the 290 cubic inch V8 in this test is, indeed, a Muscle Car engine. But in comparison to the other engines here, the Rambler hasn't begun to lift weights yet. It is the smallest engine in the group and gives corresponding performance figures. It is sadly outclassed and really shouldn't be compared to the others.
It is a strong little mill putting out 200 horses (ponies?) at 4,600 RPM and 285 ft/lbs of torque at 2,800 RPM. It has five main bearings of 2.75-inches diameter, a strong set for such a small engine. There is a larger engine of 343 cubic inches available on a limited basis. They're both good engines, but can be best summed up with "not enough of a good thing".

Performance and Roadability

The Domestic Sports Sedan
When we tested the imported sports sedans for the previous issue of Road Test, it was generally accepted that a similar series of tests would be run on the American counterparts as soon as possible to allow the reader a quick comparison while the data was still fresh in his mind.

The term 'Sports Sedan' is not one that you'll find bandied around in your friendly neighborhood dealer where the domestic version is found. Rather it is Madison Avenue boys' jargon which extols the virility aspects of the shape and a few magic (or meaningless) letters which are supposed to send the buyer into spasms as he feverishly reaches for his check book to slap down the necessary cash to let him unleash one of these Juggernauts on the highway.

We have looked at these mammoth machines before, or specifically three from the GM stable; and the memory of the older testers is forever green when they recollect the moments of excitement experienced when trying to control, maneuver and stop those cars under what could best be described as 'traumatic situations' on private roads where we had room to roam. The main criticisms at that time referred mainly to brakes, steering and suspension. For readers who are unfortunate in not having read the tests, the general comments were that there was too little braking in any of them, suspensions were very much of the rubber band and marshmallow variety and the steering had the gearing ratio of the Queen Mary.

Two years have elapsed since those tests and some new blood has been added to the staff, coupled with a plentiful supply of brave pills, it was felt that the time was right for another critical look at the latest from Detroit. This time, GM were not on their own and we have the whole gambit from all the manufacturers. We again limited our choice of cars to the $3500.00 to $4500.00 price range and this covers all the domestic offerings with a certain amount of leeway nearer the top end of the scale.

Performance and Handling
The imported cars were not capable of rapid acceleration when compared with the domestics and a glance at the acceleration test results will certainly bear this out. These cars are built with the standing quarter yardstick as the main selling tool and they certainly give value for money in that respect; if that happens to be the buyer's sole criteria for justification of the car. The controllability of these cars will be dealt with later but it must be acknowledged that they do get up and go. However, we are comparing them with cars that were assessed as an overall concept of sports sedan and as such, we have to look more closely at what they have to offer in this broader field.

Pounds Versus Horsepower
The choice of engines available from all manufactureres is extremely large when compared to the usual 'one only' of the imports and this allows the buyer to have his car tailored to his specifications. If used intelligently, it is possible to obtain a machine which will nearly meet the requirements of a true sports sedan BUT this is within the limitations of the present state of chassis, brakes and steering of Detroit vehicles. The engines in our cars ranged from 440 cu. ins. with 375 hp for the Dodge and Plymouth down to 290 cu. ins. and 200 hp for the Rebel.

The power-weight ratios of the cars show up well when compared with the lesser figures of the imports.

How Sporty?
It is well to reiterate our definition of a sports sedan as was used when testing the imported cars. It is "a sedan that can be driven in a sportcarlike manner by its owner, usually when he is on his own, and yet makes an excellent transportation vehicle for a family."

Certainly all the cars tested have lots to offer in space and luggage room for the family on a long trip. However, the seats generally do not compare favorably with the import from the fatigue aspect and thereby nullify the advantages gained by basically having a larger car where greater creature comfort could have been better utilized.

Furthermore, the average buyer will not be familiar with the basic parameters of a sports sedan per se and therefore our testing allowed for the fact that the prospect for the car will not necessarily be familiar with cornering techniques, handling and maneuverability. It has been assumed that he will probably try a few fast accelerations and perhaps a modest attempt at a panic stop coupled with a few sweeping curves at speed. Under these circumstances what sort of difficulties, if any, will he encounter with these cars? All of the subject cars are equipped with power steering as a standard item with the exception of the Chevelle. Unfortunately, power steering offers the driver the same amount of wheel movement for parking the car as it does for changing direction regardless of the speed of the vehicle. This is a dangerous situation as in emergency, in a skidding situation, the driver has no knowledge of what is happening up front and exactly where his wheels are pointing. However, cars fitted with the wide oval tires helped the feel of the road through the wheel to the driver and have gone a long way towards giving some steering response more commensurate with what would be ideal for cars of this size and weight. At the risk of appearing to favor European systems, it is worthy of note that Jaguar sedans use a system that lowers the power requirement as speed increases to a point at around 70 mph, the response is almost similar to that of rack-and-pinion steering. The heavy car requirement for power steering in the first place is for parking only. With the Jaguar system, it provides exactly the same response as does the American sedan. The system that we have described was developed by Jaguar and Bendix and is probably going to be introduced into Detroit in the future.

All of the cars are equipped with the heavy-duty suspensions, sway bars up front and disc brakes except the Rebel and Chevelle, which had drums. With these items, the cars give a reasonable facsimile of control and show that they have certainly come a long way in the past two years as regards handling by Detroit standards. They still fall a long way behind the European offerings in this respect, mainly because more skill is required to corner them at speed and there is little in the way of forgiveness should the driver make an error of judgment. This in turn is accentuated by the vast dimensions of the machines.

The best handling car, by a unanimous vote, is the Dodge, but only by a very small margin over the Ford.

The Dodge was given the edge in that it handles as well as the Ford despite the fact that the Ford is equipped with the wide oval tires as standard whereas the Dodge achieves the sure-footed cornering ability without benefit of similar rubber. The Cyclone follows closely behind these two and the Plymouth behind this.

In the middle of the pack you'll find the GTO, Olds and Buick with the Chevelle and the Rebel vying for the bottom. The Rebel has one  of the smaller V-8's, so small in fact, it feels like a six. The power steering also feels worse on it than any of the others, so consequently it was bottom for two reasons at this stage. The Chevelle does not have power steering as standard and is particularly nose-heavy going through the corners to such a degree that all testers comments were punctuated with many religious references and parental aspersions at the men responsible for it's design.

Summary
The surprise improvement of them all is the Ford GTA. This car is so far ahead of all previous Fords that it certainly rated special comment. It would appear that their racing program is beginning to filter down to what they sell and if this desirable trend continues, the consumer will certainly benefit. The two Chrysler cars were tops, with the Dodge being voted the best car on the circuit. It is stable through the turns with a minimum of body lean, which is surprising for such a large car. The GM cars are average for handling with the exception of the Chevelle which is distinctly dangerous.

The Rambler is also a handful on the corners, mainly due to the twitchy feel of the power steering and a slightly softer spring rate compared to the other cars.

For the purpose of this test, acceleration runs were performed at the Irwindale Raceway on all of the M Cars. Seen leaving the line is the Olds 442.

Downhill through a right-hander into a quick left turn come the GT, GTO and GTX, riding flat and stable. The M Cars definitely handle well.

Ford GTA hung right in though it would appear that it is working very hard to stay in the groove.

BRAKES AND SAFETY FEATURES

Long on Go...Short on Whoa

Brakes
It can be seen from the acceleration chart that these cars do get up and go, albeit preferably in a straight line; but when it comes to stopping them, the anchors leave a lot to be desired. The best car on braking is the Dodge which although the fade appeared on the 3rd and 4th stop, the brakes improve again to their original figure for the remaining runs. All of the brakes on these cars smoked profusely and the stopping distances increased with each run. In view of the time spent slithering along with the wheels locked and the tremendous amount of smoke generated during this period, it would be worthwhile to take along a blanket to send up a few signals for help, as these brakes aren't going to be conducive to long life for the driver. The worst car by far in this phase is the Chevelle SS.

Brake fade is apparent in all the cars, even those with disc brakes. This was quite illuminating when the weights of the cars are compared with those of the Jaguar and Mercedes of our previous test. The number of times the rear wheels break loose are too numerous for comfort and it is felt that these cars in the hands of inexperienced drivers would give them handling problems they would be unlikely to solve just before they handed in their dinner pails; not exactly the best time to try improving one's driving skill.