Vauxhall Victor 1800 FE

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The Vauxhall Victor F-Series was launched in 1957 and remained in production until it was replaced by the Cavalier/Carlton range in 1978, being steadily developed throughout that time.

All were large family saloons and initially featured very American styling cues taken from the Chevrolet Bel Air, although the lines became much cleaner and less fussy with the launch of each new generation. The FE range, as here, ran from 1972 until 1976 and was based on the platform of the highly successful Opel Rekord.

Even larger than its predecessors, the FE offered increased leg- and head-room for passengers and was billed as ‘Transcontinetal Transport’ in Vauxhall’s advertising campaign of the time. Power came from a 1,760cc four-cylinder engine mated to a 4-speed gearbox with beefed up suspension to counter criticism of a ‘wallowy’ ride in the earlier FD model. Good fun to drive and with decent performance for its day, the 1800 FE could reach 60mph in 17 seconds on its way to a top speed of 89mph.

First registered in October 1972, this 1800 FE had just one owner from new until 2006 when it was acquired for the Stondon Museum Collection. It has covered less than 62,800 miles to date, backed up by a run of some 17 old MOTs back to 1987. In running order with an MOT until October 2016, it also comes with spare keys, two old tax discs and a modern V5C which shows that the MGC number plate is transferable, though too modern to put on an MGC, sadly.