RE: PH Blog: Vauxhall - new versus old

[Madmatt74]

JREwing said:

A load of great cars there, and I'm very interested to see how the Insignia bi-turbo is. I'm thinking about having my mother get one to replace her 320d.

Dont do it.

Stick with the BM!!!

[Sivraj]

Like dog people and cat people, I think you can split the majority of people down the Ford Vauxhall divide,
I'm defiantly a Vauxhall person and love the MK I Astra
I also have a soft spot for the MKII Cavalier SRI that both of my uncles owned (while we had an 1.8l Sapphire) and were both stolen on numerous occasions!!!
I'm sure that the vast Vauxhall back catalogue had allot more highlights than a V6 Calibra and Astra GTE though!!!...

[Cotty]

Love that Chevette HS. Reminds me a little of my first car Chevette but saloon and a lot slower.

[SleeperCell]

3 pictures is the best you could manage for that article? You can barely even see the Maloo.

[Gregor Marshall]

LuS1fer said:

Well the original and short-lived 2000SL had 112 but the 2300SL had 122. The Ford 2.0 had 108 in the Capri and 110 in the RS2000 without any tuning but the fact was that Ford offered a 3.0 V6 in the Capri whereas the 2300SL was the top offering from Vauxhall.

The droop snoot was a very effective riposte to Ford's bigger 3.0 but only 204 were ever made.

The Droop Snoot had over 130bhp as standard (132 IIRC) but with better carbs and off-the shelf Sportsparts bits you could get up to 185bhp very cheaply and there were different stages of tune for economy or speed between.

[LuS1fer]

Gregor Marshall said:

LuS1fer said:

Well the original and short-lived 2000SL had 112 but the 2300SL had 122. The Ford 2.0 had 108 in the Capri and 110 in the RS2000 without any tuning but the fact was that Ford offered a 3.0 V6 in the Capri whereas the 2300SL was the top offering from Vauxhall.

The droop snoot was a very effective riposte to Ford's bigger 3.0 but only 204 were ever made.

The Droop Snoot had over 130bhp as standard (132 IIRC) but with better carbs and off-the shelf Sportsparts bits you could get up to 185bhp very cheaply and there were different stages of tune for economy or speed between.

You have an unfair advantage being the spawn of a DTV god.

[Cotty]

Krikkit said:

I'd sell a kidney for a Maloo. What a gloriously mad machine.

Just stumbled upon an old PH story http://www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=47&i=3514

[DJRC]

LuS1fer said:

Gregor Marshall said:

LuS1fer said:

Well the original and short-lived 2000SL had 112 but the 2300SL had 122. The Ford 2.0 had 108 in the Capri and 110 in the RS2000 without any tuning but the fact was that Ford offered a 3.0 V6 in the Capri whereas the 2300SL was the top offering from Vauxhall.

The droop snoot was a very effective riposte to Ford's bigger 3.0 but only 204 were ever made.

The Droop Snoot had over 130bhp as standard (132 IIRC) but with better carbs and off-the shelf Sportsparts bits you could get up to 185bhp very cheaply and there were different stages of tune for economy or speed between.

You have an unfair advantage being the spawn of a god.

Edited

My fav memories of your old man Gregor, were in his autumn days. Mobility type scooter in the Paddock, shuffle into a motor and then proceed to still spank everyone into the weeds. Made me crack up every time. Up there with Moss old boy, up there with Moss.

[GBB]

Garlick said:

Krikkit said:

I'd sell a kidney for a Maloo. What a gloriously mad machine.

When we were at Vauxhall HQ recently we were told that UK customers could order a Maloo and they would assist with the import too.

We hope to have this car in for test soon, so watch this space for more info.

What Vauxhall and Ford need right now are some cars to build image, something for 7yr olds (and 27yr olds) to drool over, the way we did with Capri's and HS Chevettes in the 70's and Sierra Cossies and Lotus Carltons in the 80's, otherwise a whole generation growing up now will think of them in the same way as they do of Hyundai.

Of course they will only sell and handful of these image cars but who cares, at least we might all go to the showroom to have a look, even if we walk out having bought a Mondeo.

(Actually my pet idea is a hot Mondeo with sufficient spec to thrash a 5 series in magazine tests and exciting enough to get Clarkson raving about it, a real range headliner that would give sufficient Kudos to the rest of the range to get sales, of what is a pretty decent car, up)

[LuS1fer]

GBB said:

(Actually my pet idea is a hot Mondeo with sufficient spec to thrash a 5 series in magazine tests and exciting enough to get Clarkson raving about it, a real range headliner that would give sufficient Kudos to the rest of the range to get sales, of what is a pretty decent car, up)

Needs to be a monster Fiesta to appeal to kids (like the Chevette in spirit). People aren't interested in a barge like the Mondeo - and yes, I do have one and it's too big for kids to care much about.

[urquattro]

Lots of Vauxhall models benefitted from Bill Blydenstein ? (name check) he made many models go a lot better and quicker, seem to remember he had a company affiliated to Vauxhall, was it Dealer Team Vauxhall as a guess.

[GBB]

LuS1fer said:

GBB said:

(Actually my pet idea is a hot Mondeo with sufficient spec to thrash a 5 series in magazine tests and exciting enough to get Clarkson raving about it, a real range headliner that would give sufficient Kudos to the rest of the range to get sales, of what is a pretty decent car, up)

Needs to be a monster Fiesta to appeal to kids (like the Chevette in spirit). People aren't interested in a barge like the Mondeo - and yes, I do have one and it's too big for kids to care much about.

By kids, I mean kids, not 17yr olds. Can't say I was that interested in Fiesta's as a kid, but a friends dad's HS Chevette in fully rally trim remains a clear memory, as does a lot of big engined, fast stuff from that era.

My kids are into anything Top Geary, so basically big engined, fast and lairy, e.g. more likely to fancy the Jag XF than the Focus ST in the forthcoming Sweeney film. A normal Mondeo would be of zero interest, but one capable of taking on an M5 or M3 would be pretty special.

Arguably a bit of product placement a la The Avengers, The Professionals, etc. would be pretty useful too. Ford US have got it spot on with the new Knight Rider.

[urquattro]

Just checked my E Type to see that after 13 years ownership has it a Vauxhall engine in it? but no it is an XK, so how come a Jaguar E Type fhc creeps into a Vauxhall demo !!
or was Riggers out to steal the limelight.

[jamespink]

Dave Hedgehog said:

i don't want any vauxhall old or new

I father had old Vauxhalls (Victors) new Vauxhalls from the HA Viva through all the models up to late Victors and Ventora, I spent ages in the car trade buying and selling Vauxhalls and I can honestly say they are the most forgettable cars I have ever traveled in. Not one excites me, not one. Ghastly!

[BILL PAYER]

DoctorX said:

Had to be polar white though for the colour co-ordination. Other colours looked plain in comparison. Nice car.

Had a silver Manta GTE coupe at the time was also a head turner back in 1984.

[LayZ]

Went very downhill after the Vectra B imo. Cavaliers were good in their day, Omegas proper affordable RWD luxobarge, Carltons before that even better. Mighty 24v Senators loved by plod etc.

Now they still manage to sell loads of them but compared to the market generally their products seem distinctly sub-par.

[Riggers]

SleeperCell said:

3 pictures is the best you could manage for that article? You can barely even see the Maloo.

Full drive story on the Maloo coming soon, as well as a couple of other treats (I hope!) complete with many pictures.

Here's one to get you started

[Garlick]

I remember Dads Cavalier SRI 130 from a time when 130bhp was worthy of a large sticker on the door.

Good times.

[Dave Hedgehog]

Riggers said:

SleeperCell said:

3 pictures is the best you could manage for that article? You can barely even see the Maloo.

Full drive story on the Maloo coming soon, as well as a couple of other treats (I hope!) complete with many pictures.

Here's one to get you started

do people really think of these auzzie made cars as vauxhalls?

i certainly don't

[idiotboy]

Even though I'm a Honda fanboy, a part of me wants that Mk1 GTE and the Chevette...a filthy nasty part of me.

I'd bet that the Mk1 Astra GTE is far smaller and lighter than today's Corsas. That's why it's harder to park nowadays - cars are too lardy.

That pickup looks very practical.