1980 High-Roller Ragtops: Top-Dollar Convertibles Compared

Aaron Kiley|Car and DriverFrom the June 1980 issue of Car and Driver.We’ve all heard the oft-told tales of sure-fire investment schemes gone bust, oil wells that dried up, and house-limit rolls at Vegas that came up craps. But ponder, for a moment, a far more serious calamity, the tragedy of gaining un­expected riches overnight. The 7-Elev­en clerk who inherits a bank full of money and the securities secretary who bought Belridge Oil before merger face a tougher problem than any of us real­ize: how to spend their money. Today’s gold prices are tracking 1928 Dow Jones trends point-by-point, the Susan B. Anthony dollar has no more cachet than a quarter, and millions’ worth of Califor­nia real estate slides into the ocean ev­ery time it rains. Which brings us to this portfolio of three convertible assets that could safely and conveniently soak up a full quarter-million dollars of your ex­cess cash, and simultaneously entertain you with inestimable pleasure. View PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and DriverJust in case you wake up filthy rich some day next week, you should be aware of the fine art of spending big money on cars. The first rule of high­-roller etiquette is never, ever come right out and ask the price. We’ll save you that trouble. The Mercedes-Benz 450SL is the bargain buy in this league at a mere $37,526. Of course, you should expect to pay a little extra for a back seat; the two-plus-two Aston Martin Vo­lante is justifiably a bit more costly, at $79,650. And for you really conspicu­ous consumers, we have the most ex­pensive car on the face of the earth, the Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible, at a cool $140,925. Cash, check, and Man­hattan office buildings are acceptable forms of payment. Aaron Kiley|Car and DriverThe purpose of gathering these three blue-chip commodities together was not to name the one, true Smart Buy, or even the World’s Best Ragtop, but rath­er to try and find out how much of this $258,101 mix is myth and how much is genuine coachbuilder’s magic. If we had a good time in the process, well then, that’s just one of the pratfalls of work­ing at Car and Driver. So we started with some of our usual test procedures, car­ried on with several afternoons of pho­tography in and around various high-roller enclaves, and spent the remaining hours racking up miles behind the wheel. Sure, it’s tough to go back to Su­barus and Toyotas after Aston Martins, Sunday-afternoon soaring, and pate de foie gras, but we manage. View PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and DriverView PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and DriverOur high-rolling resulted in three ed­itors and one photog wearing winter tans back to the Michigan office. Every belt buckle was adjusted a notch wider because of the aforementioned high-cal sojourns. And, oh yes, we did learn a thing or two about expensive cars, some of which was surprising. Money may not buy you love, but, well spent, it’ll defi­nitely buy plenty of attention. A week of stirring up a wake of twisted necks, lift­ed eyebrows, and more oohs than boos gave us a good feeling for the level of respect each of these high-rollers can command. 1980 Aston Martin Volante
DOHC V-8, 4110 lb
Base/as-tested price: $78,650/$79,650
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.8 sec
1/4 mile: 15.9 sec @ 92 mph
Top speed: 128 mph
Braking, 70­-0 mph: 225 ft
Passenger compartment/trunk space: 86/6 cu ft3
EPA estimated fuel economy: 10 mpgView PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and DriverView PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and Driver The Rolls was far and away the win­ner here; it never failed to elicit the full red-carpet treatment, complete with fawning valets and gracious maitre d’s. The Parthenon-perfect radiator shell, sculptured mascot, and interlocked Rs that make way for the Corniche are more recognizable than the presidential seal. The Rolls-Royce that follows com­mands at least as much esteem. It’s still the benchmark of class in cars, and quite secure in its status. View PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and DriverView PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and DriverUnfortunately, California was the wrong venue for the Mercedes 450SL. This was the in-car a few years back, but now that upwardly mobile attorneys and physicians drive SLs in droves, its awe-factor has fallen. In Beverly Hills, the rich folks’ Disneyland, it’s not at all unusual to stop for a light amid a three-car-wide silver streak, with little more than different top configurations to distinguish one SL from another: stylish ladies prefer the chic-looking soft top; men go for the steel roof no matter what the weather; while only exposure-hungry starlets seem to select topless running. Blond hair and bare shoulders will certainly turn heads, but the other two SLs invari­ably glide by without a nod. 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SL
SOHC V-8, 3740 lb
Base/as-tested price: $35,839/$37,526
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 11.4 sec
1/4 mile: 18.1 sec @ 79 mph
Top speed: 108 mph
Braking, 70­-0 mph: 199 ft
Passenger compartment/trunk space: 63/7 cu ft3
EPA estimated fuel economy: 16 mpgView PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and DriverView PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and DriverLikewise, the Aston Martin Volante flew way over these blase Californians. For most of them, 80 Gs’ worth of fine British craftsmanship registers the same impact as a nice, clean ’65 Mustang. The few interested enough to search out the nameplate inevitably ask, “Say, mister, how much do those Austin Mar­tians go for, anyway?” That’s the risk you take in flaunting this sort of wealth before the proles. Fortunately, there are compensations. You’ve got to limit your exposure if you want to travel about like a true high­roller. These convertibles are best sa­vored privately, by the owner and a close circle of friends en route to the week’s special event. Both the Aston Martin and the Mer­cedes-Benz are drivers’ cars, while the Rolls is most appropriately enjoyed in the hands of a trusty chauffeur. Even though the 450SL’s chassis lacks the up-to-the-minute refinement of Mercedes’ big sedans, and in spite of a debilitating loss of power for 1980 (twenty horse­power sacrificed to tighter emissions controls), it still feels good when you’re in a hurry. The stout control efforts, the open-arms way your hands lie on the steering wheel, and the rock-solid sen­sations that register through the body­work, seats, and suspension settings give the SL an integrity never seriously challenged by hard running or bad roads. The best part is the unique-to­-Mercedes shock damping that keeps each foot firmly planted, with just enough harshness telegraphed back to keep the driver assured that all systems are under control.View PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and DriverView PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and Driver1980 Rolls-Royce Corniche
V-8, 5180 lb
Base/as-tested price: $140,000/$140,925
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 12.5 sec
1/4 mile: 18.6 sec @ 73 mph
Top speed: 106 mph
Braking, 70­-0 mph: 205 ft
Passenger compartment/trunk space: 81/10 cu ft3
EPA estimated fuel economy: 10 mpgThe Aston Martin takes this business-like attitude toward motoring and adds the finest hardwoods, leather, and alu­minum-bodywork artistry money can buy. The instant you fire up the four­-carburetor, four-camshaft V-8, the Vo­lante starts speaking in distinctly male tones. A basso rumble to the pipes and heavy efforts at every control leave the undeniable impression that this is a car for men of stature. Around town, this car is sluggish and cantankerous; it’s too heavy and tall-geared to launch itself from a light with authority. A Scirocco will beat it in maneuverability, if only because the VW has rear visibility where the Aston has a folding top. But on the road when the motor’s on-cam and the bends are 80-mph or better, the direct steering, hard brake pedal, and built-in forthrightness are just right for the mission: speed with grace.
View PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and DriverView PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and DriverMeanwhile, the Rolls conveys just the opposite message: “Why hurry?” Toss it about like one of these sports jobs, and the 2.6-ton Corniche whips its tail like a trailer. The Rolls-Royce craftsmen have toiled diligently to achieve a “ball of silk” feel throughout, from the elec­trically operated shift selector to the swift-but-silent power top, and they’d appreciate due respect. One doesn’t bat a ball of silk around with a tennis racket, after all. The Corniche is overassisted and underdamped by today’s standards. Unless, of course, you’re ready to take life at a more leisurely pace, in which case the world that flickers and flashes back at you from the depths of the Brewster Green paint seems entirely ac­ceptable. Set the auto-temp, crank up some Eagles on the Blaupunkt, wrap the top under its leather cover, and the Cor­niche will take you to all the right places. Wise owners make a point of reserving the Rolls strictly for special oc­casions, while striving to keep the annu­al odometer accumulation less than 10,000 mellifluous miles. With such a policy, the sheer envy of one’s peers will appreciate this investment even more than the Corniche’s devoted owner. No doubt you’ll rise above such pid­dling concerns as market value once you achieve full high-roller status. Which is exactly why we won’t trouble you here with mundane gas-mileage, luggage­-space, and operating-cost statistics. If it’s necessary to pack a few things for the weekend in Vermont, just pick up the Aston’s $2000 fitted luggage. With­out a twinge. What could it possibly matter when you’re into blue-chip con­vertibles? You’ve already learned the single most important fact of life while getting here: it’s only money.View PhotosAaron Kiley|Car and Driver
Source: caranddriver.com