Vauxhall

Derived from the Vauxhall Iron Works, which was founded by Alexander Wilson and located in Vauxhall, London. Vauxhall began the manufacture of marine engines in 1857, although Wilson would leave the company at the turn of the century, the encumbant board of directors then required to determine the future direction of the company. Like many, the horseless carriage captured their imaginatrion, and by 1903 the company had manufactured their first car, a single cylinder 5hp. model.

Quickly outgrowing their London premises, the company moved to Luton, Bedfordshire, at the same time Vauxhall also adopting the Griffin as their emblem. Vauxhall gained a stellar reputation amoung the well heeled on the release of the 30/98 Prince Henry manufactured between 1913 and 1928. GM took ownership in 1926 when the company was experiencing financial problems. While the grand plan was to import Chevrolet trucks, the depression years were not easy given the public's distaste for anything imported, and the huge import tax didn't help either.

A decision was made to instead manufacture a local truck, using the excess capacity at the Luton facility. The name "Bedford" was adopted, although it would take until 1930 for the first true Bedford Truck to hit the road. The decision to also manufacture commercial vehicles turned out to be a good one, particularly given British manufacure of civilian vehicles was suspended during World War 2.

1913 - 1927
At the outbreak of war, the Prince Henry had already evolved into the classic 4½ litre 30/98 model, and this was revived in 1919. As the side-valve model, the E-Type, it was built up until 1922, featuring such Edwardian niceties as exposed valve springs, and a fixed cylinder head. More>>

1957 - 1962
Inspired by GM Detriot, the Vauxhall Cresta integrated rear wings and other design queues from its American parent. The car featured an all syncro 3 speed gearbox and smooth pushrod six, which gave the car a top speed of 145 km/h. More>>

1963 - 1966
Introduced in 1963, the HA Viva represented the first small car to be released by Vauxhall since the war. The Viva was a car much needed by Vauxhall, it having lost ground to many competitors. More>>

1966 - 1970
Look familiar? It should, as it was the Vauxhall Viva HB that became the General's first "small" Aussie car, the Torana HB. Originally introduced in the UK in August 1966, it would take until March 1967 for the car to be "Australianised" and ready for local consumption. More>>

1967 - 1972
In 1967 Vauxhall celebrated its Diamond Jubilee Year with the introduction of the new FD Victor. The range received much public acclaim for its styling, engines and safety features such as the energy-absorbing steering wheel. More>>

1968 - 1970
TWO more doors were added to Vauxhall's various Vivas (excluding station wagon (estate) cars and GTs) in October 1968. The extra two doors added roughly £48 to the 2-door Viva prices, which were themselves increased in all cases by £8 to pay for the General Motors collapsing steering column which was fitted as standard. More>>

1968 - 1970
Take one part SL90, one part Victor 2000 and add a dash of Cresta. The Viva GT was a strange concoction of various parts sourced from the then current Vauxhall lineup. Obviously the body and interior came courtesy of the HB Viva, while the Victor 2000 was used to source the 1975cc single ohc engine, along with the final drive and brakes. More>>

1968 - 1976
A long established tradition with virtually all car makers is the desire to have each new model offer better performance than the one it replaced. There are of course two ways to achieve this, modify and tune the existing engine to that it offers better performance and fuel economy, or simply plonk a larger engine in it. More>>

1970 - 1979
The last of the Viva's, the HC, was released in October 1970, and went on to enjoy a long 9 year production run. Again both wider and longer than its predecessor, the HC featured a masculine look, with straight lines and edges and flat-faced front end. More>>

1973 - 1975
In the late 1960's the concensus was very much that the sheet metal rolling of the production line at Vauxhall's Luton manufacturing plant was pretty ordinary, and performance enthusiasts usually shopped elsewhere. More>>

1975 - 1984
The Chevette was designed to fit into the Vauxhall range below the Viva, and was initially presented as a hatchback, a style that soared in popularity during the 1970s. The Chevette was the first British-built hatchback of this size, with Ford not responding with a similar product until the following year. More>>

1975 - 1976
We have no idea who made the decision to create a "hot" Chevette - it may well have been Bill Blydenstein himself. The choice of car may seem strange, but the Chevette did offer excellent steering and roadholding, and road testers of the standard iteration had often declared that the chassis deserved more power. More>>

1975 - 1981
The Cavalier 1300L was the cheapest and lowest-powered of the range. Above it, also with a choice of two or four doors and with the same standard of trim, came the 1600L. Above this was the 1600GL, available only in four-door form and with substantial extra trim (though little of it might be regarded as fundamental). Then came the 1900G L, again only available with four doors. Rounding off the Cavalier range is the 1900GLS Coupe, the only Vauxhall equivalent of the Opel Manta. More>>