115-564: The Vauxhall Cresta is a British automobile which was produced by Vauxhall from 1954 to 1972. The Cresta was introduced in 1954 as an upmarket version of the Vauxhall Velox , itself a six-cylinder version of the Vauxhall Wyvern . The Cresta models were the E (1954–1957), PA (1957–1962), PB (1962–1965) and PC (1965–1972). The Viscount (1966–1972) was an upmarket Cresta PC. The Vauxhall Velox had been introduced in 1948, with
230-708: A Unilever operation which was 60 percent Nigerian-owned. By the end of the 1970s, the TJ was the most sold Bedford product in Nigeria, which was Bedford's main export market outside of Europe at the time. In Pakistan, the J5/6 is very popular and dominated commercial vehicular traffic. It has a cult status among drivers and is known for its power, reliability, and durability. Over half of the trucks in Pakistan are Bedford vehicles. An Indian company, Hindustan Motors , also produced
345-534: A GM three-speed automatic transmission. The British version of the Vauxhall Viscount automatic with the two-speed Powerglide transmission was road tested by Motor in September 1966. A maximum (best) top speed of 100 mph (161 km/h) was recorded with 0-60 mph in 14.5 seconds and a standing quarter mile in 20.3 seconds. Overall mpg was 15.6. The later automatic Viscount model, with
460-670: A PC version of the Cresta as personal transport. The Queen's PA Friary estate forms part of The Royal Car Collection at the Sandringham Exhibition & Transport Museum. Vauxhall Motors Vauxhall Motors is a British car company headquartered in Chalton , Bedfordshire , England. Vauxhall became a subsidiary of Stellantis in January 2021, having previously been owned by General Motors since 1925. Vauxhall
575-560: 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
690-515: A combined housing and there were redesigned wheel trims and hub caps. Inside, a redesigned fascia with a padded top and a horizontal speedometer was featured. In October 1961 the final updates to the PA series were made. Front disc brakes became an optional extra (four months after Ford had made them standard on the Zephyr/Zodiac). Separate front seats became an option to the standard bench and there
805-465: 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
920-461: A heated rear window. Areas of the grille and headlamp surrounds were blacked out to give a classier look and the tail-lights had a chrome overlay. The dark green, blue or maroon paintwork featured simulated, hand painted coachlines, along each flank, to give the car a coachpainted appearance. The outer pair of the quad, five inch, sealed beam headlamps were twin filament, giving the car four main beams. The Viscount also came with wider tyres and rims than
1035-463: A new version in 1951. The Cresta E version, launched in 1954, had the same 2262 cc six-cylinder engine in the same state of tune but scored over the Velox in having a choice of leather or fabric upholstery, optional two-tone paintwork, a heater as standard, a small electric fascia mounted clock, a cigar lighter, a lamp automatically illuminating the boot when opened and a vanity mirror on the inside of
1150-527: A power output of 95 bhp at 4,600rpm. Increased diameter wheels allowed larger brakes to be fitted, but these were still of the drum type (Ford had introduced front disc brakes as an option on the rival Zephyr/Zodiac models in September 1960 and would make them standard in June 1961). The Cresta engine was also used in the Bedford J0 light trucks, and offered saloon levels of performance. Externally, there
1265-408: 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
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#17327830242871380-605: 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 ,
1495-416: A rigid axle and semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear. The Lockheed brakes used 9 in (230 mm) drums all round. Carried over from the last of the E series cars, the 2,262 cc six-cylinder engine had pushrod-operated overhead valves and a compression ratio of 7.8:1 (a low compression 6.8:1 version was available); it produced 82.5 bhp (61.5 kW) at 4,400 rpm. A single Zenith carburettor
1610-642: 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
1725-400: 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 -
1840-454: 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,
1955-456: 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
2070-453: A small-block V8 would have dropped straight in, this option was never offered. Initially, the three-speed column-shift manual transmission was standard with optional overdrive; four-speed manual and two-speed Powerglide were also optional. Later cars, from about 1971, came with four-speed manual or three-speed automatic, both with floor shift though the base Cresta continued with a bench front seat. The De Luxe version had four headlamps instead of
2185-486: 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
2300-533: 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
2415-432: A steel-framed glass fibre roof extension and tailgate. The rear doors with squared-off window frames were straight from the factory-built Victor estate. In October 1964 the engine was increased in capacity to 3293 cc by virtue of a larger, 92 mm, bore in combination with the original 82.55 mm stroke. Power increased to 115 bhp at 4,200 rpm. The model received a new full-width chrome grille incorporating
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#17327830242872530-586: 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
2645-423: 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
2760-641: 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 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
2875-653: 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 a capacity for building around 100,000 units a year. In 2012, the Ellesmere Port plant employed around 1,880 staff and had
2990-530: 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
3105-729: The Dunstable plant was sold to David J.B. Brown and became AWD Trucks . Production of the TJ continued under the AWD Bedford badge. After Marshall SPV purchased AWD Trucks, production of the TJ series continued, but in limited numbers. The last TJ trucks were built in 1998, when an order was placed for 100 trucks to be exported to Kenya. The Bedford TJ was assembled in Bedford's Nigerian plant in Apapa ( Tin Can Island ) by UACN ,
3220-580: 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
3335-687: 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,
3450-628: The Victor FB introduced the previous year and with which it shared its doors. The engine was the same 2,651 cc (162 cu in) straight six as the last of the PA series and although the compression ratio was increased to 8.5:1, power output remained at 95 bhp. Front disc brakes were now fitted as standard. In October 1963, an estate conversion was made available, the work carried out by Martin Walter Ltd. of Bedford Dormobile fame and fully approved by Vauxhall. The conversion featured
3565-737: 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
Vauxhall Cresta - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-481: 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
3795-525: 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
3910-620: 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
4025-742: 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
4140-596: 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,
4255-821: 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
4370-403: The Cresta (7.00-14in on 5" rims rather than 5.90-14in on 4.5" rims). All PC 3.3 had twin tail-pipes. The standard transmission option was GM's Powerglide two-speed automatic, but a four-speed manual gearbox was available, initially on the UK market at a saving of £85: elsewhere the manual gear box was a no-cost option. In the third quarter of 1970 the two-speed Powerglide automatic was replaced with
4485-602: 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 -
4600-671: 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
4715-596: 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 –
Vauxhall Cresta - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-530: 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
4945-574: 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
5060-531: The PA Cresta began in May 1958 by General Motors Holden . Subsequent models were assembled up until 1965. In August 1959, the Cresta was given a facelift, with a new, larger, grille and the replacement of the three piece rear window with a single wrap around screen. The previous ribbed roof panel was replaced with a smoothly contoured version (with structural revisions to the C pillars and rear parcel shelf area to retain structural strength). The Vauxhall flutes on
5175-595: The PC models in October of that year. Australia continued to locally assemble the PB Cresta. New Zealand fully imported the PB Cresta from Britain. The last of the series, the PC, was introduced for the London Motor Show in October 1965. No longer offered as a lower specification Velox version, it was designated PCS (standard), PCD (De Luxe) and PCE (Executive), this last model having its own name, 'Viscount'. It
5290-622: 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
5405-489: 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
5520-529: The TJ series was not very popular in the United Kingdom and did not sell in big numbers, with the exception of the AA and Post Office Telephones . In particular, Holland's Pies in Lancashire used a large fleet of TJ vans well into the 1980s, being notable for being kept in very clean condition and this resulted in the TJ being often called a 'Holland's pie van' around Lancashire. The lightest versions (J0) shared
5635-538: The Vauxhall Cresta estate car. This vehicle resulted from a conversion by Martin Walter of Folkestone , a firm better known for their (primarily Bedford based) Dormobile motorhome conversions. The estate version was 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (6.4 cm) higher than the saloon due to a combination of heavy-duty rear suspension, an increase in the outer diameter of the tyres (to 7.00-14 in from 5.90-14in) and
5750-501: 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
5865-522: 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,
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#17327830242875980-416: 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
6095-508: 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
6210-411: 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
6325-464: The back seat was folded down, but Vauxhall's contender was never priced to be a big seller and the last estate cars were made in 1968. Introduced early in June 1966, with the same engine and mechanical components as the Cresta PC, the Viscount was the "executive" version of it (hence the PCE model code). It was supplied as standard with power steering, electric windows, reclining seats, a vinyl roof, walnut dashboard, inertia reel seat belts front, and even
6440-451: The band are wearing '50s-style clothing.The Specials Ghost Town Car can now be seen in the Coventry Music Museum . Today the PA Cresta is a recognised classic, with the other variants perhaps less appreciated but gaining recognition. One famous PA owner in the late 1950s was Don Lang . The PB was a major styling revision, completely eliminating the tailfins , with a flat bonnet and generally more conservative styling taking its cues from
6555-416: 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
6670-526: The body trim and two tone colour scheme. In June 1957, the Cresta received a redesigned engine of the same capacity based on the deeper block design introduced in four-cylinder form in the Victor F series in March of that year. A Cresta tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1956 had a top speed of 82.2 mph (132.3 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 20.2 seconds. A petrol consumption of 23.5 miles per imperial gallon (12.0 L/100 km; 19.6 mpg ‑US )
6785-410: The braking, becoming standard fitment on the New Zealand models. A few twin-headlamp Cresta De Luxe, Viscount, and estate car versions were also imported, built-up, from the UK. The facelifted model, never offered in New Zealand, had twin headlamps as standard and a more integrated dash panel. Floor shift, rather than column change, was also standard. In January 1967 domestic market deliveries began of
6900-413: 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
7015-420: 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
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#17327830242877130-488: 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 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
7245-500: The competition. In 1975, the TJ was withdrawn from the UK market and superseded by the Bedford CF . After 1975, the TJ was offered only for export where it was pretty successful, however, during the 1980s, exports to countries such as Australia and New Zealand stopped since it was clear that these trucks were very outdated, and couldn't compete in the market anymore due to changing emissions and regulations. Nevertheless, it continued production for export to developing countries. In 1987,
7360-427: The earlier diecast version. This model was assembled in New Zealand, alongside the Wyvern and Velox, with 840 being built in 1956, according to a local owners' group with access to copies of the GM Petone plant ledgers. More changes were made in October 1956, with a new grille with horizontal bars, higher compression ratio engine, electrically operated windscreen wipers (replacing the camshaft driven system) and changes to
7475-410: The end of the 3.3-litre PB run. Servo-assisted brakes, with discs at the front, were fitted. Minor changes to gearing and the option of power steering were introduced early in 1965 and, later in 1965, the white park/indicator front lamps were changed to amber lens indicators with the parking lamps now in the headlamps for the home market due to legislation changes. The PB series continued until replaced by
7590-415: The end of this period, after Bedford vehicles had lost their market lead, the TJ shared the assembly line with competing trucks from Toyota . As the design aged, Bedford's reputation shrank, the British pound went up, while Britain itself lost much of its standing in Malaysia. GM instead chose to focus more on promoting trucks from corporate stablemate Isuzu in that market. The TJ trucks were replaced by
7705-426: 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
7820-491: The front passenger's sun visor along with a special ornamental badge above the V (for Vauxhall) badge on the nose of the car. A radio was optional. In October 1955, a facelift model with deeper front and rear screens was introduced. The balanced drop windows were replaced by ones with proper winding mechanisms, there were interior trim improvements, separate amber rear flasher lights and windscreen washers became standard. A new chrome-plated grille with fewer vertical slats replaced
7935-463: The front wings finally disappeared, replaced by a straight chrome side moulding which was also the division point for the two tone colour scheme. Further changes came in August 1960 with the introduction of a new engine of square dimensions (bore and stroke were both 82.55mm) with a redesigned, longer, cylinder block and a capacity of 2651cc. A further increase in compression ratio to 8.0:1 and larger valves in wedge shaped combustion chambers contributed to
8050-457: The handbrake lever was mounted under the dashboard and the gearchange lever was column mounted. The car could be ordered painted in either single or two tone colours. A PA tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1958 had a top speed of 89.8 mph (144.5 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 16.8 seconds. A petrol consumption of 25.2 miles per imperial gallon (11.2 L/100 km; 21.0 mpg ‑US )
8165-427: The headlights and there was a full-length chrome strip along the body sides. The gearbox was still three-speed with column change but an overdrive was available. As standard, the 3.3-litre cars had a three-speed column-change gearbox, with a four-speed floor-change unit as an option. Three-speed hydramatic automatic transmission was available with both engines but this was changed to the two-speed Powerglide unit towards
8280-423: 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
8395-471: The larger versions (J5/6) of the vehicle in that country from 1968. Production lasted for three decades, but the vehicle proved to be unable to compete with Tata and Ashok Leyland vehicles and was finally discontinued in 1998. The TJ was widely exported. In Australia they were distributed by Holden . Bedford TJ trucks were also produced in Malaysia from knock-down kits until the early 1980s. Towards
8510-582: 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
8625-456: 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
8740-708: The last vehicle to be produced to have a relation with Bedford. Production of the Bedford TJ began in 1958 as Bedford’s new bonneted truck model, and was a modernised version of the Bedford TD series, modelled after the Chevrolet Advance Design truck. The TJ truck was produced in many versions, ranging from light pickups to heavy-duty vehicles, with payloads up to 6-8 tons. Unfortunately, due to their relatively dated styling and presumably since bonneted trucks were falling out of favor these years,
8855-554: 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
8970-732: 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
9085-421: 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
9200-406: 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
9315-444: The modified roof line. The Cresta estate was initially offered in the UK at £1,507, which represented a price premium of around 40% over the equivalent saloon. The long established Humber Hawk estate and recently introduced Ford Zephyr estate carried UK sales prices of £1,342 and £1,379 respectively. The Cresta estate offered a load platform length of 47 inches (120 cm) which increased to an impressive 76 inches (190 cm) when
9430-426: 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
9545-542: 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
9660-493: 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
9775-410: 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
9890-470: 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
10005-544: The same petrol engine as the Vauxhall Cresta , which offered relatively good performance, although it could not cope very well with loads over 800-900 kg. Heavier variants used the same engine as on the Bedford TD series. In export markets, specifically in countries such as India, Pakistan, Africa and other developing nations, the TJ sold in great numbers due to its reliability and relatively low price compared to
10120-528: 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
10235-757: 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
10350-606: 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
10465-420: The three-speed Strasbourg GM transmission, ought to have improved on these acceleration figures, especially at the lower speeds. Production ended in 1972 with no direct replacement, although the Cresta engine continued to be used in the slightly smaller Vauxhall Ventora (the new flagship of the Vauxhall range) until 1978. In the 1950s and 1960s Queen Elizabeth II used a bespoke PA Friary Estate , and later
10580-509: 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
10695-574: 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 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
10810-717: 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
10925-561: The two fitted on the (much rarer) base models though the very last base Crestas also had four headlamps. General Motors Holden assembly of the Cresta ended with the pre-facelift 2.6 litre PB in 1965, therefore the PC Cresta was not sold in Australia. General Motors New Zealand ran its own assembly line in Petone (1966–67) and Trentham, near Wellington, to 1971. The Cresta had been built at Petone from 1955 to 1960 and then, until 1966, Cresta
11040-479: 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
11155-508: 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
11270-435: 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
11385-466: 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
11500-533: 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
11615-604: Was a different car, larger and styled with the coke-bottle look that would also be seen in the FD Victor series: it now resembled a slightly smaller Chevrolet Impala and also the second generation Opel Kapitan/Diplomat , although it had no engineering commonality with either. It was similar to the Australian Holden HR , but larger and better trimmed, and featured the 3.3-litre straight-six engine with 140 hp SAE gross (104 kW; 142 PS) at 4,800 rpm for its entire seven-year production run. This engine
11730-419: Was a redesign of the rear lights, with shallower units replacing the elongated oval ones of the previous versions. The direction indicators, previously in the rear tail fins were now incorporated in the main lamp unit and the fins were now solid with a V for Vauxhall badge. The rear bumper was now a higher mounted straight topped design. The front sidelights and direction indicators, previously separate were now in
11845-562: 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
11960-417: Was fully imported from Britain in very small numbers. From 1966 the Petone plant began locally assembly of the PC Cresta. The 'base' Cresta model built changed very little during that time and did not receive the facelift that appeared on the UK market late in 1970 as the 1971 model. The only option was the two-speed Powerglide. However, in 1970 the brake system was upgraded to a tandem master cylinder to improve
12075-467: 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
12190-529: 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
12305-412: 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
12420-505: Was now wood trim to the fascia and door cappings. The PA Cresta continued in production in this form until replaced by the PB series in October 1962. During the 1970s, many PA Crestas were modified and customised . The model was very popular with fifties revivalists; many were driven by teddy boys and were very much seen as part of the rock 'n' roll image. A 1960 PA Cresta features in the 1981 video for " Ghost Town " by The Specials , in which
12535-507: 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
12650-498: Was rated 123 hp SAE net (92 kW) while the DIN rating is 123.5 PS (91 kW); both net ratings are at an engine speed of 4,600 rpm. A low compression version, 7.0 rather than 8.5:1, was also available for certain export markets. For the first three model years, the 2.6-litre engine with 115 PS SAE (85 kW) was offered in export markets where smaller engines were more marketable; mostly in continental Europe. Though
12765-487: Was recorded. The test car cost £1073 including taxes of £358. They tested the 2.6 Litre version with overdrive in 1960 and found the top speed had increased to 94.7 mph (152.4 km/h), acceleration from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) to 15.2 seconds and fuel consumption improved to 26.8 miles per imperial gallon (10.5 L/100 km; 22.3 mpg ‑US ). The test car cost £1077 including taxes of £317. The car without overdrive cost £1014. Australian assembly of
12880-548: Was recorded. The test car cost £931 including taxes. The PA Cresta was announced on 2 October 1957. It mimicked the American fashion for tail-fins, wrap-around windows and white-wall tyres, taking its cues from Harley Earl's 1954 Pontiac Strato-Streak concept. All factory-built PAs were four-door saloons: the estate cars were converted by Friary of Basingstoke, Hampshire and are rare today. The PA Cresta had independent front suspension using coil springs and an anti-roll bar with
12995-415: Was relaunched in 1988, an all-new format that won praise for its sleek looks and much-improved resistance to rust. Bedford TJ The Bedford TJ is a truck that was produced by Bedford and its successors from 1958 to 1998, as a replacement for the earlier Bedford A series of medium-duty trucks that were built between 1953 and 1958. The TJ was the last bonneted truck produced by the company, and
13110-630: 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
13225-399: Was used. The transmission had three forward speeds. It was well equipped with leather and nylon upholstery for its bench front and rear seats and woven pile carpet. A heater was fitted as standard. The radio remained an option on the home market. Other options included fog lamps, reversing light, locking filler cap and external mirrors. In order to keep the front floor clear to seat six people
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