Vauxhall

Vauxhall progressed from a fine old maker of steamboat engines to build pioneering sporting cars. Then, under General Motors ownership, Vauxhall went on to offer top-selling popular family cars from the 1930s to the present day. Automotive historians often comment that, especially from the 1940s to 1960s, there was a snobbish attitude to Vauxhall cars, which were regarded by the Rover-buying classes as 'vulgar'. The wider public had no such prejudices, however. They loved the American-inspired styling and jolly colours of the latest Wyvern, Velox, Cresta or Victor. The other negative story (fostered by dealers who sold competing car marques) was that Vauxhalls were rust-prone. This was true of the F type Victor, but long after the problem had been solved, the reputation remained in the minds of many buyers. The Viva, Magnum and other small Vauxhalls were highly successful, but from the 1970s onwards, Vauxhalls were mostly clones of German-designed Opels. In the 21st century an extensive range of cars was marketed under the Vauxhall brand, sourced from GM plants around the world.