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4 JAIIUARY 1968 vor t2B No. 37sl

Edtto, O.puO Edtto? A..lGrnl Edttot Fartulta Ed]tot ' 8port Edhor A!.l3tinl T.Ghnlcrl Edltor

Edltorl!l i,AURICE A. gMITH,

PETEB OASIIIER LEONAED AYTOI{ STUART BIADON ]IIIIES IRELAND GEOFFREY I{OWAFD,

'FC

B S e,{ Eng).,qCG L A I Mrche

JOHN DAVEY GRAHAM ROBSON, MA(Oxon) MABTIN LEWIS MICHAEL SCARLETT WARREN ALLPORT

Mldhnd Editot

Art Edlrot Ao!i3tant

Mlnchistar Ofnce

EDWARD EVES

HOWABD VYSE JOHN HAWKINS

HAROLD HOLT, AMIMI, AMAET

Spccirl Contrlbutorg

RONALD BARKER ROGER HUNTINGTON, ASAE I OcImiT) EOIN YOUNG (Spon)

Mlnrelng Dlrocior H. N. PRIAUIJ(, MAf

MAIN FEATURES BROADSPEED ANGLIA AND FRASER IMP TEST: JAGUAR 24O ANOTHER GBAND CANYON GUIDE TO AUTOSPEED '68 GP RACING'S GILDED AGE MIDLAND NOTEBOOK VW ROUND.UP BOXING DAY BRANDS ARKANSAS MUSEUM FIAT ATTITUDE TO SAFEW

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2 7 16 18 26 29 30 36 38 &

REGUTAR ITEMS DISCONNECTED JOTTINGS

NEW PRODUCTS

THE SPORT

STNAIGHT FROM THE GRID

PICWEEK

NEWS AND VIEWS

TRAOE AND INDUSTRY

CORRESPONDENCE

NEIV CAR PRICES Last pages bsfore back cover

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U45

I{EXT WEEK'S ISSUE FEATURES_P. 51

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INDEPENDENT LINES

TO a Chinaman all Englishmen are said to look the same and we for our part may not know one Chinaman from another-but at least we know they're Chinese and they know we're English. Cars these days are also becoming very similar and we think that an effort should be made to preserve and build up national and marque characteristics -without, however, going to extremes that might reduce internationa I acceptabi lity.

Good, original styling is having an increasing influence on sales; conversely, particularly in export markets, customers are less and less inclined to buy cars of nondescript or uninspired appearance, however good they may be technically. For some years past we have greatly admired the work and influence of some of the ltalian specialists such as Pininfarina. Michelotti and Vignale. They lent their creative talents to a number of great companies in the absence-total in some cases-<f local skills. Now more of the great companies have their own styling departments. ln fact, major manufacturers who are not building up strong and competitive styling departments of their own will find themselves increasingly at a disadvantage.

While there are of course exceptions, ltalian cars in the main look ltalian; French cars look French and every Mercedes looks like a Mercedes. The long tentacles of Detroit extend to overseas associates (and it seems into competitive styling departments as well); as a result there has developed a slightly depressing sameness and conformity. Even so, Detroit has been having one or two vintage years. European manufacturers are resisting Detroit pressures-and rightly, we think-keeping window sills low, windows large and noses and tails in balance.

British models, of which happily there are still many, differ considerably from each other, but they have few clearly defined national characteristics (the same might be said of Japan's cars). Jaguars, of course, always look like Jaguars. Rolls-Royce and maybe Rover have some style features purely of their own; Lotus are sports car trend-setters. BMC's 11OOs probably still have the most practical small car layout.

Now is a good time to give some real support to British designers and stylists, to encourage the independent line in both senses. lf we may borrow a few lines from Hamlet to propose a New Year resolution: "Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This, above all;to thine own self be true".