Page Sixteen
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Saturday, September 16, 1972
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Football Supplement
1
Ann Arbor, Michigan-Saturday, September 16, 1972
The Biggest Selling Small Car in Europe
vs. The Biggest Selling Small Car in America
FOOTlBALL
'72
This year, millions of Americans will
go out to buy their very first small car.
Many will find themselves confused as
to which small car is best.
Which is why we think it might be
helpful for you to know that in Europe,
where they've been comparing small cars
for three generations, they buy more Fiats
than anything else.
Volkswagens included.
One of the big reasons for this is the
Fiat 128, which we're bringing to America
for the first time this year.
And to give you an idea of how good
it is, here's how it stacks up, point by
point, against America's favorite, the
Volkswagen,
And not just the regular Volkswagen.
But the Super Beetle.
OUR PERFORMANCE VERSUS
THEIR PERFORMANCE.
The most obvious difference between
the Fiat 128 and the Volkswagen Super
Beetle is the engine.
Ours is in front-theirs is in back. We
have front wheel drive--they have rear
wheel drive.
Front wheel drive gives you better
handling because the wheels that are mov-
ing the car are also the wheels that are
turning the car. And also because pulling
is a much more efficient way to move
something than pushing.
Front wheel drive also gives you
better traction on ice and snow. (As proof,
last year. the Fiat 128 won the Canadian
Winter Rally, which is run over ice and
snow the likes of which we hardly ever see
in the States.)
You'll also notice, if you glance at the
chart on the right, that under passing
conditions the Fiat accelerates faster than
the Volkswagen. (If you've ever passed a
giant truck on a highway, you know how
important that is.)
Now, since engines alone do not deter-
mine how well a car performs, there are a
few other subjects we'd like to cover.
For instance, the Fiat 128-which has
self-adjusting front disc brakes - can
bring you to a complete stop in a shorter
distance than the Volkswagen, which does
not have disc brakes.
Secondly, the Fiat 128 has rack and
pinion steering, which is, a more positive
kind of steering system generally found
on such cars as Ferraris. Porsches, and
Jaguars. The Volkswagen doesn't.
And lastly, the Fiat comes with radial
tires; the Volkswagen doesn't.
OUR ROOM VERSUS THEIR ROOM.
The trouble with most of the small
cars around is that while they help solve
the serious problem of space on the road,
they create a serious problem of space in-
side the car.
And while the Volkswagen is far from
the worst offender in this area, it still
doesn't give you anywhere near the
amount of space you get in the Fiat 128.
As you can see on the measurement
chart, the Fiat 128 is a full 10 inches
shorter on the outside than the Volks-
wagen. Yet it has more room on the inside
than an Oldsmobile Cutlass, let alone the
Volkswagen.
Compared to the Super Beetle it's
wider in front, wider in back, and 5 inches
wider between the front and back seat.
Which should be good news for your
knees.
And in the trunk of the Fiat 128.
where lack of room is taken for granted
in small cars, you'll find 13 cubic feet of
room. In the Volkswagen you'll find 9.2.
OUR COST VERSUS THEIR COST.
Aside from the fact that the Fiat 128
costs $167 less than the Super Beetle,
there's another cost advantage we're rather
proud of. Accdrding to tests run by the
North American Testing Company, the
Fiat 128 gets better gas mileage than the
Super Beetle.
Now we don't for one minute expect
that, even in the face of all the aforemen-
tioned evidence, you will rush out and
buy a Fiat. All we suggest is that you take
the time to look at a Fiat.
Recently. the president of Volkswa-
gen of America was quoted as saying that
42 percent of all the people who buy Volks-
wagens have never even looked at another
kind of car.
And we think that people who don't
look before they buy never know what
they've missed. F I A T
ACCELERATION
FIAT
VW
FIAT
VIAT
VW
20-50 mph
20-50 mph
40-70 mph
40-70 mph
.9.4915 secs.
11.635 secs.
.17.86 secs.
.20.09 secs.
BRAKITG
20-0 mph .............13.2
20-0 mph.............14.6
60-0 mph......... . 139.7
60-0 mph .. ........ 155.2
ft.
ft.
ft.
ft.
BUMPER TO BUMPER
FIAT ........... ........ 151.81 in.
VW .................. 160.24 in.
FRONT SEAT-SIDE TO SIDE
FIAT.................53.50 in.
V................... ..46.0 in.
REAR SEAT-SIDE TO SIDE
FIAT ..... .... ........... 49.875 in.
V W 47.125 in.
BACK SEAT-KNEE ROOM
FIAT
VW
FIAT
VW
. . 31.00 in.
.25.75 in.
COST
$1,992
.$2,159*
*Manufacturer's suggested retail price, POE Transportation, state and local taxes, optional eqUipment, dealer preparation charges, if any, additional.
Overseas delivery arranged through your dealer.
OVERSEAS IMPORTED CARS, INC.
936 N. Main St., Ann Arbor
PHONE 665
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