Vauxhall's classic models
Though its capacity for innovative designs and real head-turners has been hampered ever since the GM take-over of 1925 (the firm famously went 25 years without producing a concept car, up until its centenary in 2003), Vauxhall has nevertheless produced its share of ‘classics' over the years. Here we take a look at a selection of well-loved Vauxhalls, from the 5hp 1903 original right up to today's 500hp VXR500 Monaro. The first Vauxhall
The company that was to become Vauxhall started out as Alexander Wilson and Co. in 1857, then building steam engines for the Admiralty; it didn't produce a petrol engine for 40 years. By that time called The Vauxhall Ironworks (Wilson, the founder, had actually quit by this point), the firm premiered its new motor in 1897 on a small river launch named Jabberwock.
By 1903, Vauxhall had refined this single-cylinder prototype to a point where it could be used in its first production car. Boasting five horsepower, two forward speeds (but no reverse) and a suspension set that was years ahead of its time, the first Vauxhall was a reliable machine and a good seller. It's also notable for its ‘tiller' steering, mounted alongside the driver rather than in front, in place of a steering wheel. Some 43 two- and four seat editions were sold in all, before Vauxhall started to manufacture its second car in 1904. Prices on the 1903 model started at £136, though you'd pay considerably more today for one of only two surviving examples (not that either is on sale). The first is privately owned and currently on display in the Science Museum in London; the second was bought back by Vauxhall for its Heritage Centre in 1996. Churchill tank
Vauxhall contributed to the war effort in a number of ways, and one of the most significant was the Infantry Tank Mark IV, or ‘Churchill Tank', built between the years 1941 and '45. Over 7,000 were produced in all, and the tank remained in service until 1952.
Designed and built at tremendous speed in the wake of the evacuation at Dunkirk (when most of the existing British armoured vehicles had to be abandoned in occupied France), early versions of the Churchill suffered from reliability problems and ill-chosen armaments. As a result its first combat outing, the infamous Dieppe Raid of August 1942, was a disaster. However later editions, notably the Mk III which saw its first action at El Alamein in October of the same year, were greatly improved. The Churchill proved a very versatile tank, and was adapted for many different uses throughout the war. Notable variants include: the Churchill AVRE (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers), which could be fitted with such medieval-sounding accessories as a spigot mortar, mine flails, fascine rollers and explosive placers; the Churchill ARK (Armoured Ramp Karrier), basically a mobile bridge; and the Churchill Crocodile, which featured a flamethrower capable of incinerating anything up to 150 yards in front if it. Many consider Vauxhall's tank to be the equal of the American M4 Sherman, which was in production in much bigger numbers at roughly the same time. 'Old Nail'
In 1970 Vauxhall began production on a car that was essentially a coupe version of the Viva; the Firenza. The car itself proved a failure in more ways than one (especially the 1973 ‘droopsnoot' restyling, which despite a tremendous amount of hype sold only 204 units - a little shy of the predicted 30,000), but as a racing vehicle in the hands of Dealer Team Vauxhall it was unstoppable.
DTV's racing driver at that time was the extremely talented Gerry Marshall, and the partnership brought Vauxhall an almost continuous stream of championship wins and good publicity during the seventies. And as DTV rarely replaced its race vehicles, preferring to fine tune and upgrade just a handful over each season, Gerry's perpetual success meant that some of the Firenzas acquired a celebrity status of their own - a practically unique feat in motorsport.
Of these, the most famous is 'Old Nail', the first racing Firenza ever produced by DTV and veteran winner of over 60 races in its lifetime. It was easily Marshall's most successful car, and was presented to him by Vauxhall on its retirement in 1975. Vauxhall Monaro VXR500
Though the production run has only just ceased (it was replaced by the VXR8 in 2007), the Monaro is a modern classic. Vauxhall's fastest ever model, it was (and remains) the darling of the British motoring press, winning Top Gear's ‘Muscle Car of the Year' award in 2005. The VXR500 Monaro was the final and most powerful variant of all; its supercharged six litre V8 engine capable of reaching 62mph in under five seconds.
The car is something of a mongrel, combining parts, design and expertise from all corners of the globe. It was originally designed and built by Holden, GM's Australian subsidiary, using a German vehicle platform and an American (Corvette) engine, then imported by Vauxhall and supercharged by Wortec, a British tuning company. This mixed heritage certainly doesn't harm its performance, however. Though discontinued, the Monaro is still available for purchase at some Vauxhall dealerships - costing somewhere in the region of £40,000. A great deal on Vauxhall car insurance
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