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110-544: Local government in Bedfordshire was reorganised with effect from 1 April 2009. The borough of Luton had already been made a unitary authority independent from the county council in 1997. The changes in 2009 divided the rest of the county into two unitary authorities: Bedford and Central Bedfordshire . The new Central Bedfordshire covered the combined area of the two former districts of Mid Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire . Central Bedfordshire Council also took over

220-534: A 22.2% increase compared with 2001. In 2021, 52,566 residents (23% of the total) were aged under 16, 146,330 (65%) were aged 16 to 64, and 26,363 (12%) were aged 65 or over. Local inhabitants are known as Lutonians . Luton has seen several waves of immigration. In the early part of the 20th century, migrants from Ireland and Scotland came to the town. These were followed by South Asian and Afro-Caribbean immigrants. More recently immigrants from European countries such as Albania have made Luton their home. As

330-560: A Vauxhall on the UK market. Early in 1980, Vauxhall moved into the modern family hatchback market with its Astra range that replaced the aging Viva, and quickly became popular with buyers. The Astra was a rebadged version of the first front-wheel drive Opel Kadett, which had been launched in 1979, and was sold alongside the Astra for several years. Initially imported from Opel's plant in Bochum , it

440-776: A capacity for building around 100,000 units a year. In 2012, the Ellesmere Port plant employed around 1,880 staff and had a theoretical (three-shift) capacity around 187,000 units a year. Vauxhall-branded vehicles are also manufactured in Opel factories in Germany, Spain , and Poland . The current car range includes the Astra ( small family car ), Corsa ( supermini ), Crossland ( subcompact crossover SUV ), Mokka ( subcompact SUV ), and Grandland ( compact SUV ). Vauxhall sells high-performance versions of some of its models under

550-465: A full-synchromesh gearbox, mechanical windscreen wipers and a 'six-stage' carburetor. Priced at £168-182, the 10-4 was only slightly more expensive than old-fashioned equivalents from Austin and Morris and cost around £30 more than the cheapest 10-horsepower class car on sale, the Ford 7W . The model was promoted as "The £1 Million Motor Car", reflecting the supposed investment in its design and production and

660-717: A merger with the University of Luton; two of its campuses are in Luton. Since 1997, Luton Borough Council has been a unitary authority , performing all local government functions in the borough. Luton Town Football Club , nicknamed the Hatters , due to the town's connection to hatmaking, has had several spells in the top flight of the English league as well as a Football League Cup triumph in 1988 . They play at Kenilworth Road , their home since 1905 ; planning permission for

770-631: A new larger stadium was approved in 2019. Luton International Carnival , the largest one-day carnival in Europe, is held on the day before the last Monday in May; the Saint Patrick 's festival is held on the weekend nearest to Saint Patrick's Day as there is a large Irish community in Luton. The town also has a large Pakistani community which, along with the Irish, were attracted to employment at

880-408: A reputation for rapid and severe structural corrosion. The F-Type Victor was especially badly affected by this issue, caused by a combination of thin-gauge steel to minimise weight, numerous moisture traps in its body design (for instance the hidden tailpipe design encouraged corrosive exhaust gases and condensation to collect in the rear wing corners), the fitting of a plasticised underseal treatment to

990-516: A result of this Luton has a diverse ethnic mix, with a significant population of Asian descent, mainly Pakistani (41,143 residents, 18.3%) and Bangladeshi (20,630, 9.2%). People in Asian ethnic groups accounted for 86% of Luton's Muslim population in 2021. As of the 2021 census, the White British (White English, Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish) population of Luton comprised less than

1100-605: A reverse gear in 1904. A single survivor could still be seen at the London Science Museum in 1968. A 1903 model was entered in the London-to-Brighton car run in 2018. To expand, the company moved the majority of its production to Luton in 1905. The company continued to trade under the name Vauxhall Iron Works until 1907, when the modern name 'Vauxhall Motors' was adopted. The company was characterised by its sporting models, but after World War I ,

1210-400: A separate parish, now forming part of Central Bedfordshire . Luton was made a county borough in 1964, making it independent from Bedfordshire County Council . It was redesignated as a non-metropolitan district in 1974, making it once more subordinate to the county council. In 1997 the borough council was made a unitary authority, regaining its independence from the county council (which

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1320-642: A significant player in the British car market. After 15 months on sale the AS-type Light Six was replaced by the D-type Light Six. This was fundamentally the same as the outgoing model with minor styling and interior updates, but with one major engineering change - namely the addition of Dubonnet suspension to the front, making the new Light Six the first mass-production British saloon car with independent front suspension. The Dubonnet system

1430-639: A similar elevation range from −17.0 °C (1.4 °F) in December 1981 and −16.7 °C (1.9 °F) in January 1963 to 36.6 °C (97.9 °F) in July 2019 and 33.8 °C (92.8 °F) in August 1990 and July 2006. Records for Rothamsted date back to 1901. The 2021 United Kingdom census showed that the borough had a population of 225,262, a 10.9% increase from the previous census in 2011 and

1540-400: A single body design across three distinct models. In 1954, GM management sanctioned a switch to a two-body line-up at Vauxhall with concurrent investment to expand both the body shop and production lines at Luton. The new model would replace the four-cylinder Wyvern with a smaller car using the same engine, bringing Vauxhall into line with the established norm for cars in the 1.5-litre class -

1650-454: A single body design in order to maximise productivity and reduce supply costs. The British government had also revoked the RAC taxable horsepower system and replaced it with a flat charge per vehicle regardless of engine size. This meant that there was no longer such an imperative to offer similar models with different engine capacities to fit in the different bands of the old tax system. Therefore,

1760-508: A single body design) with the addition of the Cresta , which was a more luxuriously styled and appointed version of the Velox. Following GM practice from America, from this point Vauxhall began offering annual minor updates, improvements and styling changes to its cars to both keep up with competitors and to tempt existing owners to replace their car. Since the restarting of car production in 1945

1870-486: A spell, working as a draughtsman with GM's Lansing -based Oldsmobile division. As the first significant post-acquisition passenger car, the Cadet, initially retailing at £280, is generally regarded as demonstrating Vauxhall's newly acquired interest and expertise in controlling production costs, but it was also the first British car to feature a synchromesh gearbox . General Motors continued to reposition Vauxhall towards

1980-537: A star to perform at their factory for three consecutive days. Vauxhall was one of the first English car makers to switch from wartime to civilian production, mostly due to the ease with which Bedford trucks in production for military use could be redirected to the civilian market. The first post-war civilian trucks were made a few days before VJ Day in August 1945, with Vauxhall car production resuming in September. These initial models were essentially unchanged from

2090-583: A subsidiary of Stellantis in January 2021, having previously been owned by General Motors since 1925. Vauxhall is one of the oldest established vehicle manufacturers and distribution companies in the United Kingdom. It sells passenger cars, and electric and light commercial vehicles under the Vauxhall marque nationally, and used to sell vans, buses, and trucks under the Bedford brand. Vauxhall

2200-472: A third of the total (31.8%), the twelfth lowest proportion out of 318 local authorities in England and Wales and the second lowest (after Slough ) outside of London. Overall, 45.2% of Luton's population in 2021 was White (including non-British White people), down from 54.7% in 2011. In 2011 81% of the population of Luton defined themselves as British. At the 2021 census, the religious affiliation of Luton

2310-423: A unitary structure, independent front suspension with coil springs, a leaf-sprung live rear axle and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder overhead valve engine with a three-speed manual transmission with column-mounted change - it was, by necessity, virtually all brand new. The drivetrain was largely lifted from the outgoing E-Type Wyvern, but the engine received a higher compression ratio and updated carburation to account for

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2420-530: Is a town and borough in Bedfordshire , England. The borough had a population of 225,262 at the 2021 census. Luton is on the River Lea , 32 miles (50 km) north-west of London , 18 miles (29 km) north-west of Hertford , 20 miles (32 km) south of Bedford and 23 miles (37 km) south-east of Milton Keynes . The town's foundation dates to the sixth century as a Saxon settlement on

2530-577: Is just one tier of local government covering Luton: Luton Borough Council , which has been a unitary authority since 1997, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council . There are no civil parishes in the borough. The borough remains part of the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire . As of the 2024 UK general election , Luton is represented in Parliament by Sarah Owen who holds Luton North and Rachel Hopkins who holds Luton South , both for Labour . Luton

2640-648: Is traditionally the emblem of industry and the hive represents the straw plaiting industry for which Luton was famous. The rose is from the arms of the Napier family, whereas the thistle is a symbol for Scotland . An alternative suggestion is that the rose was a national emblem, and the thistle represents the Marquess of Bute , who formerly owned the Manor of Luton Hoo. The Local Government Act 1894 directed that parishes could no longer straddle borough boundaries, and so

2750-530: The Brooklands circuit, the Vauxhall was so far ahead of all other cars of any class that the driver could relax, accomplishing the 200 miles (320 km) at an average speed of 46 mph (74 km/h), when the car was capable of 55 mph (89 km/h). The Y-Type went on to win class E of the trial. The Y-Type was so successful that it was decided to put the car into production as the A09 car. This spawned

2860-546: The City and other parts of the country via rail and major roads such as the M1 (which serves the town from junctions 10 and 11) and the A6 . The town has three railway stations: Luton , Leagrave and Luton Airport Parkway that are served by East Midlands Railway and Thameslink services. Luton is also home to London Luton Airport , one of the major feeder airports for London and

2970-570: The M1 and the A6 ) and a major rail-link being constructed through the town. Luton has a temperate marine climate , like much of the British Isles , with generally light precipitation throughout the year. The weather is very changeable from day to day and the warming influence of the Gulf Stream makes the region mild for its latitude . The average total annual rainfall is 698 mm (27.5 in) with rain falling on 117 days of

3080-611: The University of Bedfordshire . A large campus of the university is in Luton town centre, with a smaller campus based on the edge of town in Putteridge Bury , an old Victorian manor house. The other campuses of the university are located in Bedford , Milton Keynes and Aylesbury . Vauxhall Motors Vauxhall Motors is a British car company headquartered in Chalton , Bedfordshire , England. Vauxhall became

3190-580: The Vauxhall A-Type . Four distinct types of this were produced between 27 October 1908 and when mass production halted in 1914. One last A-Type was put together in 1920. Capable of up to 100 mph (160 km/h), the A-Type Vauxhall was one of the most acclaimed three-litre cars of its day. Two cars were entered in the 1910 Prince Henry Trials, and although not outright winners, performed well, and replicas were made for sale officially as

3300-638: The Vauxhall Viva small family car commenced, with the new car being aimed at the like of the Ford Anglia . The German version of the car was sold as the Opel Kadett . The locally assembled Vauxhall Viva was launched in Australia in May 1964. In 1966, Vauxhall's Slant Four engine went into production – the first production overhead camshaft inline-four to use a rubber timing belt . Also,

3410-737: The executive car market with the launch of its all-new Carlton saloon and estate, which were facelifted versions of the German-built Opel Rekord . A year later, a more upmarket saloon model, the Senator , was launched under the Opel brand, and finally became available as a Vauxhall from 1983. By 1979, Vauxhall had increased its market share substantially; it was still some way behind Ford and British Leyland, but had overtaken Talbot (the Peugeot -owned successor to Rootes and Chrysler UK ). By this time, GM had decided to withdraw

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3520-415: The national grid rendered the 23 megawatt (MW) coal and latterly oil-fired power station redundant. The station had a single chimney and two reinforced concrete cooling towers. The power station closed in 1968; in its final year of operation it delivered 3,192 MWh of electricity to the borough. Luton Airport opened in 1938, owned and operated by the council. It is now one of the largest employers in

3630-532: The 1908 RAC and Scottish Reliability Trial, held in June that year. The cars were so successful that Pomeroy took over from Hodges. Pomeroy's first design, the Y-Type Y1, had outstanding success at the 1908 RAC and Scottish 2000 Mile Reliability Trials – showing excellent hill-climbing ability with an aggregate of 37 seconds less time in the hill climbs than any other car in its class. With unparalleled speeds around

3740-525: The 1920s), wrap-around front and rear screens, large chromed bumpers and an exhaust tailpipe integrated into one of the rear overriders. A year after launch the Victor would also provide the basis for Vauxhall's first factory-built estate car . The new P-Type Velox/Cresta models were announced in October 1957. Like the Victor these essentially featured updated versions of the drivetrain (and running gear) from

3850-568: The AS-type Light Six . With an all-steel body and a refined and modern overhead valve inline-six engine, the Light Six was produced in 12- and 14- 'tax horsepower' variants. Modernisation and expansion of the Luton factory meant that the Light Six was sold for £195 for the standard four-door saloon, which was significantly less than many of its older rivals with four-cylinder engines and less interior appointments, and Vauxhall made

3960-742: The C-type, but now known as the Prince Henry . During the First World War, Vauxhall made large numbers of the D-type, a Prince Henry chassis with derated engine, for use as staff cars for the British forces. After the 1918 armistice, the D-type remained in production, along with the sporting E-type . Pomeroy left in 1919, moving to the United States, and was replaced by C.E. King. In spite of making good cars, expensive pedigree cars of

4070-596: The Cavalier range by 1978, but there never was an estate version. The Cavalier helped Vauxhall regain lost ground in this crucial sector of the market, while the Chevette proved to be hugely popular in the growing supermini sector, as more buyers turned to smaller cars following the oil crisis of 1973. The Chevette range later evolved into a three-door estate, as well as saloons with two or four doors. Both models were based on models produced by Opel, GM's German subsidiary,

4180-821: The Chevette being based on the Opel Kadett , but with a distinct front end. Along with the Chevrolet Chevette in the US and Canada, the Chevette and Kadett were built on GM's T-Car platform . Similarly, the Cavalier was based on the Opel Ascona , but featured the front end of the Manta , as did the Chevrolet Chevair in South Africa . This marked the end of a long and gradual process by GM to consolidate its two European subsidiaries with preference for

4290-602: The E-Type Wyvern was a significantly larger car than its direct competitors. The new car would be launched for 1957 alongside new Velox/Cresta models which could, correspondingly, be slightly enlarged since their body no longer had to be shared with a model in the class below. The small model, named the F-Type Victor was announced first in February 1957. Although its engineering followed familiar Vauxhall lines -

4400-671: The E-Type models in a new, larger and much more flamboyantly-styled body. American styling cues were again much in evidence, this time being heavily influenced by a 1954 Cadillac concept car called the Park Avenue. Both the new Vauxhall models continued the success of their predecessors. The Victor achieved new sales records for Vauxhall and in the late 1950s was Britain's most exported car, being sold in most right-hand drive car markets such as Australia, New Zealand , South Africa , India , Pakistan , Thailand and Singapore . The model

4510-596: The FD Victor was launched at the Earls Court Motor Show , considered by many to be one of Vauxhall's finest all-British styling efforts. During the 1960s, Vauxhall acquired a reputation for making rust-prone models. The corrosion protection built into models was tightened up significantly, but the reputation dogged the company until at least the early 1980s. In 1967, Vauxhall became a Royal Warrant Holder : Motor Vehicle Manufacturers to HM The Queen –

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4620-530: The GSe sub-brand. Significant former Vauxhall production cars include the Victor , Viva , Chevette , and Cavalier . Vauxhall is set to close its Luton plant in the future due to Government incentives for plug-in electric vehicles adversely affecting ICE vehicle sales, despite the plant readying a 2025 transition to a new all-electric Vauxhall Vivaro 3 line. Scottish marine engineer Alexander Wilson founded

4730-574: The Luton factory as well as a significant expansion of Vauxhall's engineering and design staff. The first of the new models was released in September 1937. This was the H-type 10-4 (the model number referring to its 10 tax-horsepower, four-cylinder engine). This was the first truly small Vauxhall in many years. As well as its advanced unibody structure - a first for a British saloon car - the 10-4 also featured an overhead valve engine, fully hydraulic brakes and Dubonnet front suspension. Other features included

4840-622: The Royal Mews. The warrant of HRH The Prince of Wales was added in 1994. By the late 1960s, the company was achieving five-figure sales on its most popular models, including the entry-level Viva and the larger Victor . In 1970, the HC Viva was launched, which went on to become Vauxhall's best-selling car of the decade, featuring among the 10 best-selling cars in Britain each year until after 1976, with production not finishing until 1979, when

4950-489: The Second World War, car production at Luton was suspended to allow Vauxhall to work on the new Churchill tank . Despite a bombing raid in August 1940, in which 39 employees were killed, it was taken from specification to production in less than a year, and assembled there (as well as at other sites). More than 5,600 Churchill tanks were built. Luton also produced around 250,000 lorries for the war effort, alongside

5060-501: The Vauxhall badge still being built in the UK. The introduction of the Opel-based Vauxhalls marked a significant improvement in both the design and build quality of Vauxhall cars, which were now considered strong rivals to their Ford competitors. By the end of the 1970s, Vauxhall had boosted its market share substantially, and was fast closing in on Ford and British Leyland. In 1978, Vauxhall strengthened its position in

5170-522: The Vauxhall brand from most other European markets in favour of Opel. This saw an end to the export of Vauxhall models, as exports to Continental Europe had fallen from 32,000 units in 1970 to 12,900 units in 1978. By 1981, these were largely confined to Chevettes sold in Germany. While Opel-built cars were exported to the UK and badged as Vauxhalls, no Vauxhall-built cars were exported badged as Opels. It would not be until 1990 that Vauxhall would resume left hand drive production for export. Similarly,

5280-583: The Vauxhall brand more than doubled. This was complemented in 1983 with an estate , based on the Camira produced in Australia by Holden , with the tailgates for the Vauxhall version being built there and shipped to Luton. It was Britain's second-best selling car in 1984 and 1985, and spent most of its production life vying with the Ford Sierra for top place in the large family car market. The Cavalier

5390-612: The Vauxhall car plant. Luton Hoo is an English country house , estate and Grade I listed building originally designed by Scottish architect Robert Adam but later transformed to the designs of Robert Smirke . Luton is believed to have been founded by the Anglo-Saxons sometime in the 6th century. Its name first appears in the 8th century as Lygetun , meaning "town on the River Lea". The Domesday Book records Luton as Loitone and as Lintone . Agriculture dominated

5500-508: The Viva nameplate was finally discontinued after 16 years and three generations. In 1973, the Vauxhall Firenza "Droopsnoot" coupe was unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show, introducing the public to Vauxhall's new aerodynamic look for all of its subsequent 1970s models. By 1973, the Victor was losing sales in a market that was becoming increasingly dominated by the Ford Cortina . This was not enough to keep Vauxhall from being well behind market leaders like Ford in sales, and most of its range

5610-411: The Wyvern and Velox were still competitive despite being considered small and cramped alongside the likes of the Morris Minor or the A40 Devon of Austin. The Velox especially, with its smooth and powerful engine in a relatively small car, offered strong performance and good reliability to compete against the V8-powered Ford Pilot . The L-Types were replaced by a truly new model, the E-Types, in 1951 with

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5720-414: The airport, Dunstable and Houghton Regis . Hertfordshire-based bus operator Uno also run buses on their 'Dragonfly' 610 route to Hatfield, Potters Bar and Cockforsters Luton is also served by a large taxi network. As a unitary authority , Luton Borough Council is responsible for the local highways and public transport in the borough and licensing of taxis. Luton is one of the main locations of

5830-440: The ancient parish was split into a Luton parish covering the same area as the borough and a Luton Rural parish covering the area outside the borough. Luton Rural was abolished in 1896 and its area divided into the four parishes of Hyde, Leagrave, Limbury and Stopsley. In 1928 the Leagrave and Limbury parishes were both abolished and their areas absorbed into the borough of Luton; Stopsley was similarly absorbed in 1933. Hyde remains

5940-492: The area. The pre-war years, were something of an economic boom for Luton, as new industries grew and prospered. New private and council housing was built in the 1920s and 1930s, with Luton starting to incorporate nearby villages Leagrave , Limbury and Stopsley between 1928 and 1933. Post-war, a number of substantial estates of council housing were built, notably at Farley Hill , Stopsley , Limbury , Marsh Farm and Leagrave ( Hockwell Ring ). The Marsh Farm area of

6050-416: The bigger, heavier E-Type models these gave very poor performance, especially the Wyvern with an engine all-but unchanged since 1937. The new engines, both slightly larger than the existing design, were fitted to both models during 1952 and brought performance up to a competitive level. In terms of price and production the E-Type Vauxhalls were now full contenders in the mid-size car market in Britain, alongside

6160-407: The clay deposits in the east of the town. The source of the River Lea , part of the Thames Valley drainage basin , is in the Leagrave area of the town. The Great Bramingham Wood surrounds this area. It is classified as ancient woodland ; records mention the wood at least 400 years ago. There are few routes through the hilly area for some miles, this has led to several major roads (including

6270-413: The company at 90–92 Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall , London, in 1857. It was founded as Alex Wilson and Company, and from 1897, the company built pumps and marine engines. In 1903 the company built its first car, a five-horsepower single-cylinder model steered using a tiller , with two forward gears and no reverse gear. About 70 were made in the first year, before the car was improved with wheel steering and

6380-420: The company's designs were more austere. Much of Vauxhall's success during the early years of Vauxhall Motors was attributable to Laurence Pomeroy . He joined Vauxhall in 1906 at the age of 22, as an assistant draughtsman. In the winter of 1907/8, the chief designer F. W. Hodges took a long holiday, and in his absence, the managing director Percy Kidner asked Pomeroy to design an engine for cars to be entered in

6490-477: The council since its creation in 2009 has been as follows: The first leader of the council was Tricia Turner, who had been the last leader of Mid Bedfordshire District Council. The leaders of the council since 2009 have been: Following the 2023 election and a subsequent change of allegiance in June 2023, the composition of the council was: The next election is due in 2027. The council inherited offices at Priory House (built 2006) in Chicksands , just outside

6600-522: The early 1980s, the Vauxhall brand was withdrawn from sale in all countries apart from the UK. At various times during its history, Vauxhall has been active in motorsports, including rallying and the British Touring Car Championship . After 92 years under GM's ownership, Opel /Vauxhall was sold to Groupe PSA in 2017. Vauxhall has major manufacturing facilities in Luton (commercial vehicles, IBC Vehicles ) and Ellesmere Port (passenger cars). The Luton plant employs around 1,100 staff as of 2024 and has

6710-448: The eastern part of the Chiltern Hills . The Chilterns are a mixture of chalk from the Cretaceous period (about 66 – 145 million years ago) and deposits laid at the southernmost points of the ice sheet during the last ice age (the Warden Hill area can be seen from much of the town). Bedfordshire had a reputation for brick making but the industry is now significantly reduced. The brickworks at Stopsley took advantage of

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6820-452: The end of the First World War . Dr. John G. Dony, author of The Flora of Bedfordshire told his history students (he taught at Luton Grammar, predecessor of Luton Sixth Form College ), during the 1950s, that he had broken the last intact window of the old town hall during the 1919 riots. Local people, including many ex-servicemen, were unhappy with unemployment and had been refused the use of a local park to hold celebratory events. They stormed

6930-426: The floorpan which served to trap moisture and dirt once it became chipped or cracked and the fact that the Victor was built in quantities and rates that the Luton plant had not previously dealt with. A manufacturing plant at Ellesmere Port , Cheshire, was opened in 1962, initially making components to supply to the production lines in Luton, before passenger-car production began there in 1964. In 1963, production of

7040-404: The functions of the abolished Bedfordshire County Council within the area. Central Bedfordshire is legally both a non-metropolitan district and a non-metropolitan county , but there is no separate county council; instead the district council performs both district and county functions, making it a unitary authority. Central Bedfordshire remains part of the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire for

7150-423: The kind that had served the company well in the prosperous prewar years were no longer in demand; the company struggled to make a consistent profit and Vauxhall looked for a major strategic partner. On 16 November 1925, Vauxhall was acquired by General Motors for US$ 2.5 million. At the time, the purchase was not popular among senior U.S. GM executives. Vauxhall was only making seventeen cars per week and

7260-426: The larger, and in terms of both absolute sales and market share, more successful Opel, which sold 925 000 vehicles to Vauxhall's 143 600. Since the early 1960s, Vauxhalls, whilst being designed and built in the United Kingdom, increasingly shared their general specification, engineering features, and styling with Opel counterparts (the Viva with the Kadett and the Victor with the Rekord , for instance) even if

7370-445: The largest car plant in the United Kingdom in Luton, during the Second World War , it built Churchill tanks as part of the war effort . Despite heavy camouflage, the factory made Luton a target for the Luftwaffe and the town suffered a number of air raids . 107 died and there was extensive damage to the town (over 1,500 homes were damaged or destroyed). The original town hall was destroyed in 1919 during Peace Day celebrations at

7480-408: The last all-British Vauxhall. Following the introduction of the Chevette and Cavalier, virtually all future Vauxhalls would be lightly restyled Opels, under what was described by the company's management as "Opelisation". The exceptions would be based on models from elsewhere in the GM organisation. However, Vauxhall retained its two British factories at Luton and Ellesmere Port, with most cars wearing

7590-480: The latest engineering developments. Vauxhall and GM management planned a completely new three-model car range which would use cutting-edge unibody construction instead of the traditional body-on-frame design. The first mass-production unibody car, the Citroën Traction Avant began production in 1934, the same year that design work on the new Vauxhall range began. As well as designing an entirely new car body, this change required major expansion, renewal and investment in

7700-546: The likes of the Ford Consul / Zephyr and especially the increasingly old-fashioned Hillman Minx . By 1953 Vauxhall was building 110,000 E-Type models at Luton per year, with around half of production going to export - mostly in the Commonwealth markets which still maintained preferential tariffs for British-made products. For 1955, the E-Type Vauxhalls received a facelift with new frontal and interior styling and minor mechanical refinements. Most importantly, Vauxhall returned to offering three car models (albeit all still sharing

7810-421: The limiting factor for Vauxhall sales had been production, sometimes leading to lengthy waiting lists for customers. While the Luton factory had been expanded and modernised in the early 1950s, the main restriction was the lack of capacity for building the unitary bodyshells. Expansion of the body shop would require large investment that GM was reluctant to release and this was the main reason for Vauxhall relying on

7920-421: The local economy at that time, and the town's population was around 700 to 800. In 1121 Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester started work on St Mary's Church in the centre of the town. The work was completed by 1137. A motte-and-bailey castle which gives its name to the modern Castle Street was built in 1139 but demolished by 1154. The hat making industry began in the 17th century and became synonymous with

8030-406: The middle of the British car market, aiming to produce higher volumes of more conventional cars that, using GM's large engineering, design and production resources, would offer modern technology and high levels of equipment at a reasonable price with competitors being the likes of Wolseley and Humber. The Cadet had been the first step in this process, which gathered pace in June 1933 with the launch of

8140-426: The new Bedford Dunstable plant , which was opened in 1942, with Bedford designs being common in British use. As a morale booster for the company employees, on 23, 24, and 25 February 1944, Adelaide Hall appeared in concert at the factory in Luton, where she entertained the employees during their lunch break. In all, she performed in front of more than 10,000 workers; this was the first time that Vauxhall had contracted

8250-542: The new 1948 L-Type Vauxhalls consisted of just a pair of models, both using the body structure, floorpan and many running gear parts of the H-type/Ten model. However Vauxhall's director of styling, David Jones, managed to fit brand new exterior panels to the front, rear and rear-quarters of the old body centre-section to give the L-type a modern look which shared its basic shape and features with GM's Chevrolet Fleetline of

8360-493: The new cars having been in development since 1948. GM was still restricting Vauxhall to a one-body policy and the range still consisted of two models differentiated mostly by their engines – the four-cylinder EIX Wyvern and the six-cylinder EIP Velox . While they were designed at Luton they drew a lot of influence from styling developments made in Detroit , especially the revised 1951-model year Chevrolets . The E-Types continued

8470-410: The new widespread availability of high octane fuel and so made more power. Stylistically the Victor followed the familiar Vauxhall trend of following American styling trends, although the Victor took this to a new level by closely resembling the famous 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air , complete with tailfins , prominent 'flutes' on the bonnet (a modern evocation of a familiar Vauxhall styling cue dating back to

8580-419: The parish vestry . The town was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1876. Later in 1876 the new borough council was granted a coat of arms . The wheatsheaf was used on the crest to represent agriculture and the supply of straw used in the local hatmaking industry (the straw plaiting industry was brought to Luton by a group of Scots under the protection of Sir John Napier of Luton Hoo ). The bee

8690-407: The plant began in 1905 and continued until its closure in 2002. Production of commercial vehicles continues and the head office of Vauxhall Motors is in the village of Chalton on the northern border of the borough . London Luton Airport opened in 1938 and is now one of Britain's major airports, with three railway stations also in the town. The University of Bedfordshire was created from

8800-589: The purposes of lieutenancy . The council went under no overall control at the 2023 election , having previously had a Conservative majority. An independent -led administration - the first in a unitary authority in English local government history - subsequently formed with independent councillor Adam Zerny being appointed leader of the council at the Annual Council and Extraordinary General Purposes Committee , held on 25 May 2023. Political control of

8910-470: The rear axle retained leaf springs but also with the addition of telescopic dampers. The transmission and steering remained little-changed from the existing design. Vauxhall planned and developed a new range of short-stroke overhead-valve engines for the E-Types but financial and production constraints meant that the first new Wyverns and Veloxes were launched with the same engines as the outgoing L-Type. In

9020-536: The river, from which Luton derives its name. Luton is recorded in the Domesday Book as Loitone and Lintone . One of the largest churches in Bedfordshire, St Mary's Church , was built in the 12th century. There are local museums which explore Luton's history in Wardown Park and Stockwood Park . Luton was once known for hatmaking and also had a large Vauxhall Motors factory. Car production at

9130-528: The same quantities as the entire E-Type range had, but over 180,000 were built between October 1957 and July 1962 with over 100,000 of those cars being exported. Both the Victor and the Velox/Cresta received criticism for their overtly American styling, which many reviewers saw as gaudy against more conservative British tastes. Both models had their styling revised in 1959 to remove some of the more extreme styling details. Both models also quickly developed

9240-757: The same year, albeit at a much smaller scale. The new models were the Wyvern (using the four-cylinder engine previously used in the Twelve) and the Velox using a new wide-bore development of the six-cylinder engine from the Fourteen. Otherwise, the L-Types reused the three-speed transmission (albeit with a switch to a column gear change , hydraulic brakes and Dubonnet suspension of the pre-war models essentially unchanged. Those predecessors had been advanced for their time so

9350-450: The south-east. A light metro people mover track, Luton DART , opened in 2023, linking the airport and Luton Airport Parkway railway station. A network of bus services run by Arriva Shires & Essex , Grant Palmer and Centrebus serves the urban area of Luton and Dunstable . A bus rapid transit route opened in 2013, called the Luton to Dunstable Busway , connecting the town with

9460-606: The three-model range (H-, I-, and J-type unibody designs) that had been launched just before the outbreak of war in 1939. However, they were now renamed simply as the Vauxhall Ten, Twelve and Fourteen respectively, were each available in a single body and specification (four-door saloons to what had been the Deluxe trim level) to ease production and had minor internal and external trim differences to account for shortages or extra costs of various materials. Government regulations of

9570-509: The time meant that 75% of production had to be sent for export, so very few of these revived models reached buyers in the United Kingdom. Further rationalisation occurred in 1946 when the Twelve ceased to be a distinct model and now shared the body of the Ten but with the larger-capacity engine. These models were superseded by 'new' cars in 1948. GM management had dictated that Luton should only utilise

9680-644: The town hall, setting it alight ( see Luton Town Hall ). A replacement building was completed in 1936. Luton Borough Corporation had provided the borough with electricity since the early twentieth century from Luton power station , located adjacent to the railway. Upon nationalisation of the electricity industry in 1948 ownership passed to the British Electricity Authority and later to the Central Electricity Generating Board . Electricity connections to

9790-694: The town of Shefford , from Mid Bedfordshire District Council, and the South Bedfordshire District Council offices (built 1989) in Dunstable . Priory House became the new council's headquarters. The South Bedfordshire offices were renamed Watling House and served as additional offices for the council until being closed in 2022. Since the last boundary changes in 2023, the council comprises 63 councillors , elected from 31 wards . Elections are held every four years. Luton Luton ( / ˈ l uː t ən / )

9900-556: The town was developed in the mid to late 1960s as a large council housing estate, mostly to house the overspill population from London . However, the estate gained a reputation for high levels of crime, poverty and unemployment, which culminated in a riot on the estate in July 1992 and another more serious riot three years later. The closure of the Vauxhall manufacturing plant in 2002 had negative effects for Luton, leading to increased unemployment and deprivation. In 2024, Stellantis announced plans to close its truck plant in Luton. There

10010-464: The town's working population (classified 16–74 years of age by the Office for National Statistics ), 63% are employed. This figure includes students, the self-employed and those who are in part-time employment. 11% are retired, 8% look after the family or take care of the home and 5% are unemployed. Luton is situated less than 30 miles (50 km) north of the centre of London, giving it good links with

10120-450: The town. The town grew: in 1801 the population was 3,095, but by 1850 it was over 10,000 and by 1901 it was almost 39,000. Newspaper printing arrived in the town in 1854. The first public cemetery was opened in the same year and Luton was made a borough in 1876. Luton's hat trade reached its peak in the 1930s, but severely declined after the Second World War and was replaced by other industries. In 1907, Vauxhall Motors opened

10230-717: The two cars were distinct, with few to any interchangeable parts. From the late 1960s and into the early 1970s, increasing economic turmoil in the UK, declining build quality, and increasing strike action throughout British industry (and in stark contrast, the Wirtschaftswunder or economic miracle of West Germany during the same period), plus the entry of the UK into the European Economic Community in 1973, made maintaining two parallel model lines serving similar markets increasingly undesirable. The FE Series Victor , launched in 1972, would be

10340-479: The unusual decision to offer both 12 and 14 models for the same price. Two-door saloon, coupe, tourer and cabriolet bodies were also available for extra cost, plus a range of other body designs from coachbuilders . The Light Six was an immediate sale success, surpassing all previous Vauxhall products by a large margin with 26,000 examples being sold in just over 12 months and with the Luton factory moving onto 24-hour shift work to meet demand. Vauxhall had suddenly become

10450-508: The use of Opel brand on the UK market would be confined to sporting models, and with the success and wide range choice of the new Vauxhall products of the early 1980s, the Manta was the only Opel-badged car being imported to the UK by the end of 1984. When the Manta was finally discontinued in 1988, Opel models were no longer officially imported to the UK. Its successor, the Calibra, was badged as

10560-435: The use of unibody construction, but of a brand new and much larger design with full-width ' pontoon ' styling. They offered significantly more cabin and luggage space and a great deal of effort was put into both the styling of the interior and the reduction of vibration and noise. The complicated Dubonnet suspension system was replaced by more conventional design using coil springs and twin wishbones with telescopic dampers, while

10670-466: The vanguard of automotive engineering for the mass market in Britain. However the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 greatly restricted the sales of all new cars just as the new Vauxhall range was entering the market and production was reaching full flow. Car production was ceased entirely in May 1940, by which time over 50,000 10-4s, 10,000 12-4s and 15,000 14-6s had been built. During

10780-678: The year. The local climate around Luton is differentiated somewhat from much of South East England due to its position in the Chiltern Hills , meaning it tends to be 1–2 degrees Celsius cooler than the surrounding towns – often flights at Luton airport , lying 160 m (525 ft) above sea level, will be suspended when marginal snow events occur, while airports at lower elevations, such as Heathrow , at 25 m (82 ft) above sea level, continue to function. Absolute temperature extremes recorded at Rothamsted Research Station, 5 miles (8 km) south south east of Luton town centre and at

10890-480: Was a GM patent, also used on Chevrolet and Pontiac models in the US and on Opel cars in Europe. The D-type Light Six was priced at between £205 and £245 for the standard saloon depending on the exact specification, which was still a lower-than-average price for a car of the new Light Six's size, power, equipment and technical specification and this was another successful model for Vauxhall. The overall strategy for Vauxhall continued to be to make smaller models with

11000-562: Was also sold in left-hand drive form by General Motors in Canada (under the specially-created Envoy name and under the original Vauxhall Victor name through Pontiac dealerships in the USA. Nearly 400,000 F-Type Victors were built at Luton between the start of 1957 and the end of production in mid-1961. With the Victor taking the place of many previous Wyvern sales, the P-Type models did not sell in

11110-501: Was an ancient parish in the Flitt hundred . The parish was the largest in Bedfordshire by area, and was subdivided into five hamlets or townships : Hyde , Leagrave , Limbury , Stopsley , and a Luton township covering the central part of the parish including the town itself. The Luton township was made a local board district in 1850. The local board was the town's first elected local authority; previously it had been administered by

11220-561: Was as follows: Luton's economy has traditionally been focused on several different areas of industry, including car manufacturing , engineering and millinery . However, today, Luton is moving towards a service based economy mainly in the retail and the airport sectors, although there is still a focus on light industry in the town. Notable firms with headquarters in Luton include: Notable firms with offices in Luton include: Luton's post-war and more recent industrial decline has been compared to that of similar towns in northern England. Of

11330-640: Was established as a subsidiary of Vauxhall in 1930 to manufacture commercial vehicles. It was a luxury car brand until it was bought by General Motors, who thereafter built mid-market offerings. As Opel made vehicles, they branded under Vauxhall often. From the time of the Great Depression Vauxhall became increasingly mass-market. Since 1980, Vauxhall products have been largely identical to those of Opel , and most models are principally engineered in Rüsselsheim am Main , Germany. During

11440-401: Was founded by Alexander Wilson in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer. It was purchased by Andrew Betts Brown in 1863, who began producing travelling cranes under the company, renaming it "Vauxhall Iron Works". The company began manufacturing cars in 1903, and changed its name back around this time. It was acquired by American automaker General Motors (GM) in 1925. Bedford Vehicles

11550-467: Was in a financial mess. The company's image and target market were gently but firmly changed over the next five and more years, marked particularly by the introduction in late 1930 of the low-cost two-litre Vauxhall Cadet and the next year the first Bedford truck, which was Chevrolet based. Vauxhall's chief engineer since 1920, Charles Evelyn King, retired as engineering director in 1950. The company's future chief engineer, Harold Drew, left Luton for

11660-529: Was later produced at the Vauxhall plant in Ellesmere Port. In 1981, the company released the Mk2 Cavalier , the first Vauxhall of this size to offer front-wheel drive and a hatchback bodystyle. Built at the Luton plant, it really boosted Vauxhall's fortunes, with the Cavalier's sales for 1982 almost trebling its total for 1981, and peaking at more than 130,000 by 1984. During that time, sales of

11770-412: Was noted for its excellent fuel economy of over 40mpg when touring due to its efficient modern engine and lightweight body. The 10-4 was considered to be the finest small car in the world at the time of its launch and initial demand greatly exceeded production capacity. Just six months after the 10-4's launch, the 10,000th example left Luton - a production record for the Vauxhall at the time. The H-type 10-4

11880-507: Was only the first and smallest in the proposed trio of similarly advanced unibody cars. The I-type 12-4 (essentially the same as the 10-4 but with a longer wheelbase and an enlarged engine) was introduced in September 1938 and the J-type 14-6 , replacing the old Light Six, was introduced the following month but sales did not begin until early 1939. This advanced three-model range was very well received by critics and buyers and placed Vauxhall in

11990-630: Was struggling even to keep pace with Chrysler UK (formerly the Rootes Group ). Vauxhall's sales began to increase from 1975, with the launch of two important new models, the Chevette , a small three- door hatchback that was the first car of its kind to be built in Britain, and the Cavalier , a stylish four-door saloon designed to compete head-to-head with the all-conquering Ford Cortina. A two-door coupe and three-door "sport hatch" had joined

12100-475: Was subsequently abolished in 2009). Luton is situated 28 miles north of London and 39 miles southwest of Cambridge . The town forms the core part of the wider Luton/Dunstable Urban Area which includes the nearby towns of Dunstable and Houghton Regis in Central Bedfordshire . The town is the most populous settlement in Bedfordshire followed by Bedford . Luton is located in a break in

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