Today we think of downsizing as a modern, original response to rising motoring costs, but our test of the £4950 Talbot Horizon suggests otherwise.
Some 35 years ago, this small saloon was seen as the ideal antidote to rising fuel costs (then averaging £1.28 per gallon, or 28 pence per litre) and, as such, took on the likes of the Austin Vanden Plas 1100 and Lancia Delta.
The key to persuading buyers of large saloons to buy smaller was – as now – to give the customer big-car technology in a small package. So the 1442cc Alpine engine was modified with a Weber twin-choke carburettor and linked to an automatic gearbox.
The interior was also trimmed in velour (although the author noted, somewhat sniffily, “a walnut veneer dashboard was out of the question for a French car, even if they could do it properly”). But the real party pieces came in the form of cruise control and an electronic trip calculator.
The road test started well enough, with performance being rated as brisk despite the hindrance of the torque converter. A top speed of 97mph and a 0-60mph time of 14.1sec may not sound like much to get excited about today, but it eclipsed the figures of rivals such as the Triumph Dolomite 1850 HL, Renault 5 and Vauxhall Chevette GL 4-d.
Meanwhile, economy of 26.5mpg was considered acceptable for the capacity of the engine – and was bettered only by the Renault 5 and Chevette – although the 6.4 per cent milometer inaccuracy was deemed “unacceptable”.
Road noise was acceptable up to 60mph but deteriorated rapidly at 70mph, while road behaviour received moderate praise for being predictable. Perhaps more importantly, given its mission, the interior was described as plush and comfortable, although the shortage of rear cabin space was heavily criticised.
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peterover
Vanden Plas 1100??
Surely you mean the Vanden Plas 1500, based on the infamous Allegro?
catnip
peterover wrote:Vanden Plas
Yes, and surely it was the Renault 14 that was a rival, not the 5... I'd welcome more of these nostalgic reviews, but hopefully more accurate ones.
erly5
Just what I was thinking....
androo
Why not just reprint the test?
Would've been interesting to compare fuel consumption, safety equipment, emissions etc. Oh well. Never mind.
It's always interesting to look back at old road tests, especially from the 1950s and 1960s. I have a huge collection of the yearbooks magazines used to publish. They were incredibly in-depth, well written, thorough... car magazines today are like Amazon reviews in comparison. Well, except for the one I have on subscription , which is French, and still in-depth, thorough, well-written.
Daniel Joseph
I remember it well...
artill
Crap car then as well as now
289
Big seller....
Used to buy these from Auctions to put on our used car site by the bucketful, and invariably they sold before they were prepped.
Cheap and more interesting/practical than a Mk2 Escort.
Andrew 61
Remember them well, my
Zeddy
Pedant alert
sirwiggum
Zeddy wrote:It was a
It's not a Japanese car??
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