More information,
Other than crankcase breathers or lack there off, the smog laws in Calif.
started in 1965 for American cars. Foreign cars were not subject to these
laws until 1968 the first model year for the 1275's. However there were some
1275 cars brought into Calif. before Jan. 1968 which did not have any of the
smog equipment. An issue of Road and Track (1967 I think, mine are buried so
can not look it up) had an article on the bhp of the 1275 with and with out
smog equipment. For some reason I think the difference is about 10 bhp but
would not want to make a bet on it. For those of use old enough to remember
Calif. had different smog requirements than the rest of the country for a
number of years so cars delivered in other parts of the country could be
different, I do not know.
Road & Track (in my opinion was a wonderful publication while Bond was the
publisher) sometimes did top speed test at the old Riverside International
Speedway. But for various reasons they could not always use the speedway. So
over the years they develop a method for estimating the top speed of the cars.
In later years they would note if the top speed was estimated in the road test
spec panel. They would also periodically publish how they did their testing
and any equations that they use. As best as I can remember in measured speed
runs made after they had estimating the top speed they only miss by few
percent for speeds below 120 mph. One exception was the Studebaker Avanti
with the Paxton supercharged R2/3 version. Was estimated about 120 but
actually did about 160.
While R&T was a Calif., Southern Calif. as a matter of fact, publication they
always stated where the car was tested, if it was not done in So. Cal. In my
opinion they had the most unbiased and up front documented road test and
articles of any U.S. monthly auto publication regardless of where you lived.
It is to bad that changed after the publication was sold.
Bob and Ann
60 Sprite
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