I'd agree the ride was good, but I wouldn't say they handled well. It was OK within it's limits, but those limits were relatively low, even compared to an SD1. They didn't take kindly to spirited driving.
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P6's were well built, but also over designed IMO. Anti-dive front suspension, De-Dion rear axle, and virtually everything else, body, trim, etc, attached with either bolts or screws. Not to mention the fuel reserve knob, and a gearlever designed to break or drop out the bottom of the car. :-) No manufacturer could continue to build cars, with so much attention to detail as that in the design of the P6, and remain compebreastive. Hence the SD1, which being a much simpler and less complicated design, was cheaper and more favourable for mbutt production. I don't think the SD1 was particularly badly built, but I believe the bodies on earlier cars were built from poor quality steel, which led to premature rusting and paint problems. Similar to the problems Lancia had at around the same time. Mechanically I think they were quite sound. The camshaft problems were largely down to poor maintenance IMO. Dirty oil in the 6's was a potential person of the camshaft and journals, as it blocked the oil valve in the gallery that fed the head. Mike.
