VAUXHALL VIVA SALOONS
From £802 (incl. P.T.)
There's a lot more quality built into the latest small Vauxhalls. They are bigger, quieter and even more robust than the earlier Vivas - and for 1972 there's a bigger engine too, to give them extra pep. The new unit is of 1256 c.c.s, achieved by increasing the bore of the old 1159 c.c, engine. The result is a small increase in b.h.p, and a more significant improvement in torque which shows itself in much more eager response to the throttle. The gearbox and rear axle have been beefed up to cope with the higher power, while the facia panel is brought up to Firenza specification.
VAUXHALL VIVA ESTATES
From £996 (incl. P.T.)
The best-looking estate car in the business, though perhaps the fastback slope at the rear has more aesthetic appeal than practical value. But these new estates share the bigger body size of the saloons and the extra quality. The glass area is enormous so there are no complaints about visibility. The engine options are the same as for the saloons and the mechanics are the same too, with live rear axles and coil suspension all round. The tailgate opens out of head-hitting reach and there's bags of room for extra luggage. Must come into the reckoning as an attractive car for young families.
VAUXHALL FIRENZA
From £973 (incl. P.T.)
There's an undoubted vogue for fastback Coupés and Vauxhall predictably leapt on to the bandwagon with the Firenza which they unveiled earlier this year. It is based of course on the new Viva, so everything mechanical about it is conventional - engine at the front, driving the rear wheels and so on. But the slippery shape can contain the 1256 c.c. engine, the 1600 c.c. unit or the 2-litre, which gives the Firenza just about 100 m.p.h. performance. Quality is vastly improved on the latest Vauxhalls, and the sporting Firenza is a welcome newcomer.
VAUXHALL VICTOR & VX4/90
Victor: From £1,071 (incl. P. T)
VX 4/90: £1,364 (incl. P.T.)
Vauxhall carry out a lot of permutations with their medium-sized cars, but the basic offering is the Victor Super, which has a 1600 c.c. overhead camshaft engine. You can ring the changes by having it with a 2 litre engine, or as the high-performance VX4/90 sporting derivative with lots of equipment, or in estate car form with a selection of engines including the 3.3 litre from the big sixes. All of them are long, low and sleek with nicely finished interiors and large luggage space. During the year, heavier duty rear springs have been fitted to improve comfort.
VAUXHALL VENTORA 2
£1,514 (incl. P.T.)
The Ventora proves effectively the old saying that there is no substitute for litres if you want effortless performance. It uses the 3.3 litre six-cylinder engine from the big Cresta range in the medium sized Victor body shell with rather pleasing results. There is enough torque for easy and smooth acceleration to show a clean pair of heels to one or two sports cars, and a top speed of around 103 m.p.h. all achieved in a no-fuss manner. The mechanical layout of the Ventora is conventional but the interior is a cut above average, with a high standard of trim for comfortable motoring.
VAUXHALL CRESTA & VISCOUNT
Cresta: From £1,416 (incl. P.T.)
Viscount: £2,066 (incl. P.T.)
The big Vauxhalls have been around for some time but continue to attract sales, offering quite a comprehensive performance/space/comfort package at a reasonable price. They are big cars in more ways than one, from the long, wide bodyshell with its enormous boot, to the well known 3,294 c.c. six-cylinder engine which gives them 100 m.p.h, performance. There are three versions, starting with the Cresta then stepping up in luxury to the Cresta de luxe and going the whole hog for comfort, finish and equipment to the executiveclass Viscount.
London show review
Classic Car Catalogue
Vauxhall 1971
Viva (HC)
Victor (FD)
Ventora
VX 4/90
Cresta (PC)
Viscount
Firenza Coupé - new model
Great Britain 
Viva
| wb: 8ft 0in (2461 mm) |
4 cyl. 1159 cc 59 bhp (SAE) 49 bhp (DIN) |
4 cyl. 1159 cc 72 bhp (SAE) |
4 cyl. ohc 1599 cc 80 bhp (SAE) 83 bhp (DIN) |
4 cyl. 1256 cc 62 bhp (SAE) |
| Saloon 2-door | Viva de Luxe - |
- de Luxe SL |
- - SL |
Viva de Luxe SL |
| Saloon 4-door | de Luxe - |
de Luxe SL |
- SL |
de Luxe SL |
| Estate | de Luxe - |
de Luxe SL |
- SL |
de Luxe SL |
(HC) (4 cyl, 1159 cc) – discontinued
(HC) (4 cyl, 1256 cc) – August
Victor, Ventora and VX 4/90
| wb: 8ft 6in | 4 cyl 1599 cc 80 bhp (SAE) 72 bhp (DIN) |
4 cyl 1975 cc 108 bhp (SAE) 88 bhp (DIN) |
6 cyl 3294 cc 140 bhp (SAE) 123 bhp (DIN) |
4 cyl 1975 cc 112 bhp (SAE) 104 bhp (DIN) |
||
| Victor | Saloon | Super | Super 2000 SL |
- | - | |
| Victor | Estate | Super | Super 2000 SL |
3300 SL | - | – May |
| VX 4/90 | Saloon | - | - | - | VX 4/90 | |
| Ventora 2 | Saloon | - | - | Ventora | - |
Victor
Victor Estate
VX 4/90
Ventora
Cresta and Viscount
| wb: 8ft 11½in | 6 cyl 3294 cc 140 bhp (SAE) 123 bhp (DIN) |
|
| Cresta | Saloon | ✓ |
| Cresta de Luxe | Saloon | ✓ |
| Viscount | Saloon | ✓ |
Viscont
Firenza
| wb: 8ft 0in | 4 cyl 1159 cc 60 bhp (SAE) |
4 cyl 1159 cc 56 bhp (SAE) |
4 cyl 1159 cc 73 bhp (SAE) |
4 cyl ohc 1599 cc 81 bhp (SAE) |
4 cyl ohc 1599 cc 78 bhp (SAE) |
4 cyl ohc 1975 cc 112 bhp (SAE) |
4 cyl 1256 cc 73 bhp |
| Coupé 2-door | de Luxe | de Luxe | de Luxe SL |
1600 de Luxe 1600 SL |
1600 de Luxe 1600 SL |
2000 SL |
4 cyl, 1159 cc – discontinued in August
Classic Car Catalogue