Sports and Executive Sedans
A new breed of sedan, these cars were aimed at hard-driving businessmen. The cars were well able to sustain foot-to-the-floor overtaking and relaxed high-speed cruising—in contrast to earlier counterparts that would shake themselves to pieces or overheat their engines. Much of the know-how behind these cars came directly from the race track, where sedans had fired the minds of engineers.
Vauxhall Cresta PB, 1962
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 3,294 cc, six-cylinder |
| Top speed | 93 mph (150 km/h) |
The Cresta was a large, comfortable car from the British branch of General Motors. From 1965, automatic transmission was introduced.
Austin/Morris Mini Cooper, 1961
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 1,275 cc, four-cylinder |
| Top speed | 100 mph (161 km/h) |
The Mini was never meant to be a performance car, but Formula 1 boss John Cooper spotted its potential. Tuned engines and disc brakes exploited its fantastic roadholding
Ford Zephyr Mk III, 1962
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 2,553 cc, six-cylinder |
| Top speed | 95 mph (153 km/h) |
Ford offered four- or six-cylinder engines in its biggest British sedan. This car came with front disc brakes, an all-synchromesh gearbox, and an optional automatic transmission.
Volvo 122S, 1961
| Origin | Sweden |
| Engine | 1,778 cc, four-cylinder |
| Top speed | 100 mph (161 km/h) |
The ultimate engine in this rugged yet capable sports sedan was a 100 bhp unit. It was a spirited performer, especially with optional overdrive, and was called the Amazon in Sweden.
Wolseley 6/110, 1961
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 2,912 cc, six-cylinder |
| Top speed | 101 mph (163 km/h) |
The 6/110 was a heavy car, so it had no real spark despite a 120 bhp engine. The already luxurious specifications could be enhanced with optional air conditioning and power steering.
Ford Falcon, 1964
| Origin | Australia |
| Engine | 3,277 cc, six-cylinder |
| Top speed | 105 mph (169 km/h) |
This Falcon was the first car designed in-and for-Australia, and its toughened-up specifications laid the foundations for sporty Falcons to come.
Rover P6 2000 TC, 1963
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 1,978 cc, four-cylinder |
| Top speed | 108 mph (174 km/h) |
In 1963 the P6 broke new ground for safety and sportiness in sedans. The TC (twin carburetor) added extra zest. A later version, the P6 3500, had a V8 engine.
Jaguar XJ6, 1968
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 4,235 cc, four-cylinder |
| Top speed | 124 mph (200 km/h) |
Widely hailed as the finest sedan car in the world, the beautiful XJ6 offered a superb compromise between high performance, ride comfort, and roadholding.
Daimler 2.5-liter V8-250, 1962
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 2,548 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 112 mph (180 km/h) |
After Jaguar had taken over Daimler in 1960, it created this compact luxury model by uniting the SP250’s refined V8 engine with the Jaguar Mk II body. Almost all were automatic.
Jaguar Mk II, 1959
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 3,781 cc, six-cylinder |
| Top speed | 125 mph (201 km/h) |
For many, this lithe Jaguar is the epitome of the 1960s sports sedan. The 3.8-liter version was a great sedan racer, although the 3.4-liter was more popular on the road.
Triumph 2000, 1963
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 1,998 cc, six-cylinder |
| Top speed | 93 mph (150 km/h) |
A stylish and well-liked car among business executives of the 1960s, the 2000 featured all-around independent suspension, front disc brakes, and Italian styling by Giovanni Michelotti.
Humber Hawk Mk IV, 1964
| Origin | UK |
| Engine | 2,267 cc, four-cylinder |
| Top speed | 83 mph (134 km/h) |
Humber’s largest executive cars received a styling revision around the rear window for their final three years, like this Mk IV. They still featured a column gearshift.
Isuzu Bellett, 1963
| Origin | Japan |
| Engine | 1,991 cc, four-cylinder |
| Top speed | 118 mph (190 km/h) |
Little known in the West, the neat Bellett was one of Japan’s first sports sedans and, in GT-R form, a star of Japanese production car racing. Over 170,000 were built.
Holden Monaro, 1968
| Origin | Australia |
| Engine | 5,736 cc, V8 |
| Top speed | 115 mph (185 km/h) |
The Monaro was a sporty, four-seater coupe derived directly from the HK series Kingswood/Brougham sedan. The ultimate edition of the Monaro was the 5.7-liter GTS 327 Bathurst.
Nissan Skyline GT-R, 1969
| Origin | Japan |
| Engine | 1,998 cc, six-cylinder |
| Top speed | 124 mph (200 km/h) |
The twin-camshaft engine in the GT-R turned the humdrum Skyline sedan into a serious race winner that notched up 50 race wins in its first three years.
It is a quote. The Definitive Visual History Of The Automobile 2011
