Vauxhall Victor Deluxe

Click Here for Full Screen Image - Click Here to Download Image

Launched in 1957, Vauxhall’s Victor F-Type brought plenty of glamorous American influences to the rather austere post-war British motoring scene.

Lashings of chrome around the big front grille gave the car a Chevy-esque flavour, resembling the ’57 Bel Air, while the wrap-around screen is reminiscent of early Corvettes, the Victor being the first European car to use the fashionable ‘panoramic’ windscreen. Slim remnants of the signature Vauxhall bonnet flutes ran along the front flanks as a reminder of past glories.

Bench seats were fitted front and rear trimmed in Rayon and ‘Elastofab’ and two-colour interior trim was standard, plus luxuries like door-operated courtesy lights and arm rests. To compliment this, the paintwork was usually two-tone.

Power came from a new Vauxhall 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine that produced 55bhp at 4,200rpm, good for a 0-60mph time of 28 seconds and a top speed of 75mph. Transmission was via an all synchromesh column change 3-speed gearbox. The body was of monocoque construction and incorporated independent front suspension complete with anti-roll bar and a live axle with semi elliptic leaf springs at the rear.

A reliable and tough vehicle, more than 390,000 F Series were sold between 1957 and 1961, the model becoming one of Britain’s most exported cars, with Victors taking to the roads as far afield as Canada, Australia, Ceylon and India. Even so, finding a good example anywhere in the world today is no easy task as they did have a propensity to rust so they have a very low survival rate.

This fine looking Victor Deluxe has managed to escape the ravages of time and was acquired by the Stondon Museum in 2000. Restored in 1998, a file of bills detail welding work, expenditure on chrome plating (of which there is a lot), interior trim and a repaint. There are seven old MOTs on file, the earliest dating from 1977 when the car had covered 51,500 miles. It was last used on the road in 1998 by which time the mileage had increased to 73,000 miles.

It has a current V5C which shows that it was first registered in April 1960 although bidders are advised that the attractive Radnorshire registration number, PFO 134, is non-transferable.

Catalogue amendment; Please note that this car has an age related number plate.