I seem to recall the Austin Healey Sprite being considered a sports car in its time.......so it definitely isn't about performance!
But what the heck...who cares what other people think, or indeed the so called expert motor journos.....at the end of the day it's down to how the individual feels about his own car that matters.
Yes it was and deservedly so. I well remember travelling from my home in bradford down to college in oxford in my spitfire in 1964 and averaging 61 mph for the journey on cross country roads. Leaving aside speed cameras you would be pushed to do that these days. But like the E type and the spridget, I would call that car a classic rather than a sports car these days. Obsolete technology and dontyou know itifyoudrive one.
We seem to have a fairly common view with the odd exception. F types and zx are tourers not sports cars.The elise and the 911 are definitely sports cars despite the latters 4 seats. But I would label the caterham a kit car for track days if for no other reason than I dont consider it really useable on the roads day to day. The trad I would label a classic because its based on classic technology of yesteryear.
The odd one is the boxter. I tested one together with a 911 and despite being prejudiced against the latter because of its rear engine, it felt much more of a sports car for reasons I could not put my finger on.
