Our 1973 list of fastest cars is very different from our 1972 list. The primary reason for the disparity has to do with the variety of vehicles tested by Consumer Guide in the early Seventies.
Seems that the lucky testers and editors of CG enjoyed quality time with a number of interesting and sporty cars for 1973 that they didn’t have access to in 1972. Among those cars, is, amazingly, a DeTomaso Pantera. Not surprisingly, the Ford-powered Italian sports car fared well in Consumer Guide testing (see results below).
For a little perspective, the slowest car tested by Consumer Guide in 1973 was the Volkswagen 113 “Beetle.” The popular German economy coupe struggled to reach 60 mph from a dead stop in 22.6 seconds. Clearly, merging into freeway traffic was not the Beetle’s forte. On the plus side, the car did return just over 30 mpg, pleasing the test crew immensely.
About that asterisk in the title: The 0-60 mph times below are the result of test runs conducted by the staff of Consumer Guide and reported in the Consumer Guide ’73 Auto Test magazine. Obviously there were faster rides out there, but we didn’t have the opportunity to test them.
DeTomaso Pantera: 6.0 Seconds
Body Type Tested: Coupe
Engine: 351-cubic-inch V8
Horsepower: 266
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Axle Ratio: 3.50:1
Curb Weight: 2860
Porsche 911: 6.8 Seconds
Body Type Tested: Coupe
Engine: 143-cubic-inch flat six
Horsepower: 157
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Axle Ratio: 4.43:1
Curb Weight: 2485
Chevrolet Corvette: 8.0 Seconds
Body Type Tested: Coupe
Engine: 350-cubic-inch V8
Horsepower: 275
Transmission: 3-speed automatic
Axle Ratio: 3.36:1
Curb Weight: 3416
Datsun 240Z: 8.8 Seconds
Body Type Tested: Coupe
Engine: 146-cubic-inch six
Horsepower: 151
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Axle Ratio: 3.90:1
Curb Weight: 2266
Dodge Charger: 10.0 Seconds
Body Type Tested: Coupe
Engine: 400-cubic-inch V8
Horsepower: 175
Transmission: 3-speed automatic
Axle Ratio: 3.23:1
Curb Weight: 3550
Dodge Dart: 10.0 Seconds
Body Type Tested: Coupe
Engine: 340-cubic-inch V8
Horsepower: 240
Transmission: 3-speed automatic
Axle Ratio: 3.23:1
Curb Weight: 2985
Chevrolet Nova: 10.7 Seconds
Body Type Tested: Sedan
Engine: 350-cubic-inch V8
Horsepower: 165
Transmission: 3-speed automatic
Axle Ratio: 3.08:1
Curb Weight: 3169
Mercury Capri: 10.7 Seconds
Body Type Tested: Coupe
Engine: 155-cubic-inch V6
Horsepower: 107
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Axle Ratio: 3.22:1
Curb Weight: 2245
AMC Matador: 10.8 Seconds
Body Type Tested: Sedan
Engine: 401-cubic-inch V8
Horsepower: 255
Transmission: 3-speed automatic
Axle Ratio: 2.87:1
Curb Weight: 3250
Fiat 124 Sport Coupe: 10.8 Seconds
Body Type Tested: Coupe
Engine: 98-cubic-inch four
Horsepower: 90
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Axle Ratio: 4.13:1
Curb Weight: 2204
