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>>
