CAROFTHE YEARCARCAR FIAT128 Sold/no built 1969-’85/2,776,000 (Italianbuilt saloons) Engine iron-block, alloy-head, sohc 1116cc ‘four’, single Weber carburettor; 55bhp @ 6000rpm; 57lb ft @ 3400rpm Transmission four-speed manual, FWD Weight 1698lb (770kg) Mpg 33 0-60mph 15.7 secs Topspeed 87mph Price new £861 Price now £2500-8000 PORSCHE 928 (Technical data forS1) Sold/no built 1977-‘82/17,669 Engine all-allo y, sohc-per-bank, 4474cc V8, Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection; 240bhp @ 5500rpm; 257lb ft @ 3600rpm Transmission five-speed manual or three-speed auto,RWD Weight 3236lb (1468kg) Mpg 15 0-60mph8secs Topspeed 138mph Price new £19,499 Price now £15-40,000 MERCEDES-BENZ 450SE Sold/no built 1973-‘80/473,035 (all W116s) Engine iron-block, alloy-heads; sohc-per-bank, 4520cc V8; Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection; 222bhp @ 5000rpm; 278lb ft @ 3000rpm Transmission three-speed auto,RWD Weight 3836lb (1740kg) Mpg 19.5 0-60mph 8.5secs Topspeed 130mph Price new £15,440 (1978) Price now £15-45,000 From top: boxy Fiat has chic Minimalism; timeless looks of the 928endured; S-Class prefers motorways to bends 19 70s wild card VOLKSWAGEN GOLF Perhaps not suchawild card, since the Golf wasrunner-up to 1975’s winner,the Citroën CX. But its launch the year before had not come too soon as salescrumbled of the Beetle it effectively replaced. It captured the emergingtrend forcompact, front-drivehatchbacks perfectly,though some technical inspiration mayhavecome from our decade’s finalist, as observed by designer Giorgetto Giugiaro when he spottedadisassembled Fiat 128 in the Wolfsburg factor y. Nonetheless, the Golf wasanimmediate success, with UK sales of 19,000 in 1975,its firstfull year. 19 70s rankings transcontinental schleps.Then therewas WolfgangMöbiusʼ breathtaking design: sleekand aerodynamic, with aluminium doors, bonnet andfront wings, andpop-upheadlightsthat lay flatwhen notinuse. has agedmorethanIexpected. Iremember it feeling advanced forits era, butthe old-school seats andthe unresponsive steering area surprise.Mind you, quality andlongevity were promised andtheyare still there.”That ʼs something Ray picks up on, too: “It waswell engineered, andstill feelsstrong andsolid. Abig oldlumpand,with the 928, among the last expensive andexclusive cars to win CotY.” 1st Fiat128 2nd Porsche 928 3rd Mercedes 450SE It seems onlyright to complete that pairing today,with the onlysports carevertoreceive thegong.Conceivedasa moreusable,benign replacementfor the 911, the 928 also aimed to takethe fighttoMercedes andBMW in the GT class.That meantagreater focus on safety, comfort, efficiency andergonomics,which broughtitunder CotY ʼs spotlight despite its cost andperceivedexoticism. Having an engineup front– along with clever rear-axle geometry that quelled oversteer– allayed anyhandling fears. Better still, the 928 ʼs torquetube andrear transaxle gavenear-perfect 51:49 front-to-rear weight distribution. An efficient, water-cooled 4.5-litreV8, with K-Jetronic injection, gave 150mph-plus, butwith enough rangefor It wasanenticingpackage, garnering 261 points in 1978, butdoes the 928 cut it today?“Heavycontrols andrather coarse behaviour mean it doesnʼt drive as well as it looks ,” says Steve, andthis despiteʻourʼ 928beingamuchlater S4. “This wassupposed to replace the 911; no wonder buyers continue to prefer theicon .” Ra y, who joined CotY shortlyafter the 928ʼswin, believes the jurywas persuaded by its advanced technolog y, especiallythe ʻWeissachaxleʼ: “But this one felt heav y, the engine lazy andthe auto ʼboxsluggish.”Mattagrees about the control weights, butstrikesamorepositive note: “Cor! Reallycooland cornersflat, butsonota911 replacement–and so notaCotYcar.” Which, along with the lukewarm reception to the Mercedes,means that thereʼsadecisive finalist from our1970s trio: the Fiat 128. Thanksto Porsche UK (porsche.com/uk) February2024 Classic&Sports Car 85