I bought a 1957 Wyvern in 1966 from a neighbour for £50 when I was 19. My 1st car. I loved it, especially in bad weather when my two young MOD brothers rode around on Lambrettas getting soaked & frozen 😄💁♀️
This was the first car I ever drove,it was the 4cylinder Wyvern model which was owned by a friend of my family,he used to let me drive it on local farm land because I was only 13,he also had a Bedford S-Type 7ton diesel tipper which I also drove around the sand quarry where we used to load up from,he had no children of his own and I think I was his surrogate son,he was a lovely man and we were always together,he died suddenly and I was devastated for years.
To david ellis. I feel you were lucky to have a connection to these lovely cars, through the friendship with the man who owned it. Someone who owned such a fine thing, would obviously need to to show it to somebody who appreciated it! I've, on another of these videos, in the comments section, mentioned that my mother had a stylish friend along the road, called Mrs. Price - who owned a fantastic BLACK one. She invited my mother to go into London in it - to the Christmas display of the department store HARRODS. Mrs. Price's daughter Cheryl and I saw Father Christmas, while our mothers enjoyed the store's Christmas display! Although our families lost touch, I actually saw stylish Mrs. Price again, in the Post Office, in Croydon. She can't have recognised me now I was grown up - but I recognised her 1950's American movie influenced hairstyle only her hair was now WHITE not BLACK. I thought, chatting to her in the queue, that I would tell her another time in the Post Office who I was , and how much I loved the special trip (in her special car) to London. I thought she might have thought I was being rather gushing to say more the first time we met in years. Sadly that was a stupid idea, because I never did see her ever again. But I HAVE remained hooked on these cars, and was pleased to read your own story.
The front looks like a '53 Plymouth, and the whole car reminds me of a miniature Desoto. They were really quite heavy for a small car, and gas mileage was only about 23 mpg per imperial gallon. They look kind of hokey now, but they were very modern looking compared to all the older cars we see in the highway scenes. The base Velox was cheap enough, and wages increased enough, that many British working men were able to afford a new car for the first time ever.
My Dad bought one new in about 1956. It was very impressive to look at, and I bragged to the other kids that it was an American car. However the rather gorgeous metallic bronze paint must have been unstable because, after a period of time, months not years several of the panels turned different colours. Leave it in the hot sun and, the following day when it had cooled down it was like a patchwork. Vauxhall rejected warranty claims but the local Vauxhall agent (Imperial Garage, Blackpool) blew in some areas, which made it look worse. He never had a metallic car again!
I used a 56 for banger racing in 1968. Incredible to think that, in those days, a twelve year old car was only useful for smashing to bits on a gravel stadium. Can´t see that happening to a 2005 Vectra.
I bought a Victor FD in 1971 I think it was a 1956 model for £40 used it for a couple of years and when it failed the mot for rusted chassis I scrapped it and bought a 1964 Victor 101 which at 10 years old had 75k on the clock and I had to have the engine rebuilt ! Ah those were the days .
this must have been around 1952/53 - these cars looked stunning back then as most cars on the roads were pre-war. They didn't rust any more than other makes - I had a Ford, Triumph and Hillman from the 60s and they all rusted badly.
Since seeing one of these in the Elvis Costello "Possession" video, I've been fascinated by those pull-down (as opposed to crank-down) side windows. Did they have springs to balance them? Did they require much maintenance? How did they keep people from pulling them down from the outside with a piece of duct tape an stealing the car? Another interesting feature is the way badge at the hub of the steering wheel stays vertical as the wheel turns ( 9:43); I assume that was to simply the horn wiring.
Yes you can adjust the tappets with the motor running. Very hard but it really does make them ultra quiet, the only trouble is to get a single 13 thou feeler gauge. Smoking on the factory floor? Spraying with no face masks and hardly any masking? Where is Health and safety?? Nice one again Neil.
I remember adjusting tappets like that on a 3.3l PB Cresta. The guage starts out at 13 thou, but ends up a bit thinner. Also, don't rev the engine, oil goes everywhere.
Nice looking shop I bet it was a good life with a all the lads in the works 😊
This is my favourite version, with the chrom "bumper" surrounding the grille!
I bought a 1957 Wyvern in 1966 from a neighbour for £50 when I was 19. My 1st car. I loved it, especially in bad weather when my two young MOD brothers rode around on Lambrettas getting soaked & frozen 😄💁♀️
This was the first car I ever drove,it was the 4cylinder Wyvern model which was owned by a friend of my family,he used to let me drive it on local farm land because I was only 13,he also had a Bedford S-Type 7ton diesel tipper which I also drove around the sand quarry where we used to load up from,he had no children of his own and I think I was his surrogate son,he was a lovely man and we were always together,he died suddenly and I was devastated for years.
To david ellis. I feel you were lucky to have a connection to these lovely cars, through the friendship with the man who owned it. Someone who owned such a fine thing, would obviously need to to show it to somebody who appreciated it!
I've, on another of these videos, in the comments section, mentioned that my mother had a stylish friend along the road, called Mrs. Price - who owned a fantastic BLACK one. She invited my mother to go into London in it - to the Christmas display of the department store HARRODS. Mrs. Price's daughter Cheryl and I saw Father Christmas, while our mothers enjoyed the store's Christmas display!
Although our families lost touch, I actually saw stylish Mrs. Price again, in the Post Office, in Croydon. She can't have recognised me now I was grown up - but I recognised her 1950's American movie influenced hairstyle only her hair was now WHITE not BLACK.
I thought, chatting to her in the queue, that I would tell her another time in the Post Office who I was , and how much I loved the special trip (in her special car) to London. I thought she might have thought I was being rather gushing to say more the first time we met in years. Sadly that was a stupid idea, because I never did see her ever again. But I HAVE remained hooked on these cars, and was pleased to read your own story.
Knew many of these in various guises from 1952 to 1957. Dad never had one but a string of uncles had them could actually get 4 kids on the back seat.
I worked at the Vauxhall, Ellesmere Port Plant. From 1969 to 1976. I never ever owned a new car. Just made em for other people too drive.
I had an E type Velox 54 years ago, loved it but on a quiet night you could hear it rusting
The front looks like a '53 Plymouth, and the whole car reminds me of a miniature Desoto. They were really quite heavy for a small car, and gas mileage was only about 23 mpg per imperial gallon. They look kind of hokey now, but they were very modern looking compared to all the older cars we see in the highway scenes. The base Velox was cheap enough, and wages increased enough, that many British working men were able to afford a new car for the first time ever.
Since it's Vauxhall...use GM products as reference
Gorgeous cars.
Wyvern /Velox. Rust buckets from Vauxhall. Those were the days though. Aaaahhh.
My Dad bought one new in about 1956. It was very impressive to look at, and I bragged to the other kids that it was an American car. However the rather gorgeous metallic bronze paint must have been unstable because, after a period of time, months not years several of the panels turned different colours. Leave it in the hot sun and, the following day when it had cooled down it was like a patchwork. Vauxhall rejected warranty claims but the local Vauxhall agent (Imperial Garage, Blackpool) blew in some areas, which made it look worse. He never had a metallic car again!
I used a 56 for banger racing in 1968. Incredible to think that, in those days, a twelve year old car was only useful for smashing to bits on a gravel stadium. Can´t see that happening to a 2005 Vectra.
I bought a Victor FD in 1971 I think it was a 1956 model for £40 used it for a couple of years and when it failed the mot for rusted chassis I scrapped it and bought a 1964 Victor 101 which at 10 years old had 75k on the clock and I had to have the engine rebuilt ! Ah those were the days .
this must have been around 1952/53 - these cars looked stunning back then as most cars on the roads were pre-war. They didn't rust any more than other makes - I had a Ford, Triumph and Hillman from the 60s and they all rusted badly.
It looks like a 1952 chev.
A gentler age...
Since seeing one of these in the Elvis Costello "Possession" video, I've been fascinated by those pull-down (as opposed to crank-down) side windows. Did they have springs to balance them? Did they require much maintenance? How did they keep people from pulling them down from the outside with a piece of duct tape an stealing the car? Another interesting feature is the way badge at the hub of the steering wheel stays vertical as the wheel turns ( 9:43); I assume that was to simply the horn wiring.
Yes you can adjust the tappets with the motor running. Very hard but it really does make them ultra quiet, the only trouble is to get a single 13 thou feeler gauge. Smoking on the factory floor? Spraying with no face masks and hardly any masking? Where is Health and safety??
Nice one again Neil.
+VauxhallVictorMan 11:47 How about 3 kids locked in the trunk?
VauxhallVictorMan camshaft driven wipers early cars with long stroke engine. They could rust ok.
I remember adjusting tappets like that on a 3.3l PB Cresta. The guage starts out at 13 thou, but ends up a bit thinner. Also, don't rev the engine, oil goes everywhere.
Ah yes but you first have to slow the tickover to almost stalling point then the job is so much easier. And yes, oil DOES go everywhere.haha.
Room for 6 and today with child seat room for 4
🔥👽👽👽🔥👌👍