OK, the 450 is listed to hit peak power at 9000. The way they did things then, that means the redline is probably 9200 - 9500. The top speed is listed as 106. Stat sheets like that one usually use redline, tire diameter and gearing to get top speed. So, by that reckoning, the America would top out at about 118. Comparing 118 @ 7400 to 106 @ maybe 9500, certainly over 9000, shows a huge difference in gearing that could make the 450 seem quicker at low speeds.
To give you an idea of just how much of a difference gearing can make, I had a friend who worked his way through UCLA. Part of his income came from drag racing 1 car length in his stock 40 HP '31 Ford. The only car that ever beat him was a striped down '36 'T-Bug' with leather bands in the gearbox. Now, was the Model A a better car than, say, a 327 'Vette or a Chrysler 300C? Not unless your life revolved around acceleration for the first 14 feet.
