Greetings from across the pond. I haven't seen most of the cars you present, but I've told my British friends at work about your channel. They have stories about "I had one of those.." or "I wrecked one of those..." or "My girlfriend and I...", well, you get the point. Your channel is well produced and presented, without absurd music or effects, which people use to try and substitute for quality. Your channel is worth watching even if one doesn't care about cars.
@@_chipchip Toyota are not GM neither is Renault. So it's not possible for any of the cars shown in the video to be badged as a Renault. Renault did however, develop a panel van in partnership with Nissan and Vauxhall/Opel, although each had their own interiors and slightly different rear lights, front grills. I'd have thought they'd be badged as Holden, Nissan and Renault in Australia much like it's Vauxhall, Nissan and Renault vans that all look the same in the UK.
Watching this video (brilliant, btw) made my heart hurt. It's a virtual replay of what happened to Holden in Australia, except GM US dumped the company completely, killing the factory, killing all car production in Australia and killing a 90 something year old brand in the process. In the last two years Holden went from designing and building the brilliant VF Commodore (Your VXR ) to importing the new Opel Insignia as a Commodore replacement (becoming a "sales only" company) and then retiring the brand for good. Be thankful that Vauxhall still exists as a trade name and brand. Holden didn't get to be so lucky. I actually had my fingers crossed that PSA would buy the brand and start CKD manufacturing here but it wasn't to be. And GM? Well they made it plain they want nothing more to do with RHD. Such a great pity. Holden's engineers, like those at Vauxhall, were brilliant at turning out great ideas on a shoestring budget. I still own my VF Commodore with the HF V6 made here in Melbourne. I will never trade it in. In a couple of years I will put her up on blocks, fill the engine with oil to the brim and cover her with a heavy canvas cover. My kids can then drag her out in twenty years and restore her to her full glory. BTW...I wish you would do a story about Holden in the same way you did about Vauxhall. There's plenty of raw material out there to work with.
Agree would be great to see not only Holden but the Australian owned car industry as a whole. Especially how Holden took the European Opel and made it their way.
I would love to see a "The Opel story" Video to see how much Vauxhall and Opel differed before GM made the two brands kinda into one thing. I realy enjoy your Video and geetings from germany✌️
It's a whole car Justin my FATHER HAD AN OPEL2dr 6cyl 3 spd tranny, LHD in JAMAICA ( RHD COUNTRY )it was JUST BEFORE WW. II, but I RECALL having only slits, for the lights , blackout curtains , petrol shortage, etc, well 1 rear spring broke, BUT the closest match, was for a British FORD , but the rear was lifted, sort of how kids did with their cars in the 70s. Cheers from NJ...USA🇬🇧🇺🇸
I'm in for this, Opel story would be interesting. They were going in a high gear during 60's and 70's, but by the late 80's, they started to lose their momentum. And the biggest mistake they made was giving axe to Omega. They always were excellent with traditional RWD cars, so this was odd move.
From the moment on the cars are the same, the story is either. The same applies before. As long as Opel and Vauxhall could do their thing, they were successful and built good cars. With GM coming up and wanting world cars, it goes down. The Kadett C / Chevette and Rekord / Carlton probably being exceptions. The T-Platform was good at its time - or not so much worse than contemporary competition maybe - and the Rekord / Carlton was designed in Europe for Europe and would only go on one legendary export success Story named Holden Commodore (which was named after the Opel Commodore, a Rekord with some additional glitter. But from 1980 on the cars were saved to death from America. I had a 1988 Opel Kadett (Vauxhall Astra) as my first car. It was assebled twice, once in the Bochum plant and once in my garage. Say a trim part and I will probably confirm it fell off. Once the driver door opener came off and broke. Until the spare part was there I had to act like a British train passenger. Wind down the window and open the door with the outside handle. And the 2010s GM designed cars were the same. Once drove an Insignia A for a Business trip (salesman's car who had left the company) and with the play the automatic gear shifter had you would get from D to N in our regular Ford Mondeo company pool car. Plus all the rattling and squaking trim parts. Just like the Kadett built 25 years earlier
When notified of a new BigCar upload, my 'To Do List' changes to "... Sod everything else for 20 minutes, I'm watching it..." This is Feelgood AutoBlog at its best.... Shakkers 🇬🇧
And the same could be said of Holden in Australia. Everyone is now just waiting for PSA to buy Holden from GM and hopefully they can then turn Holden's fortunes around. Holden sales have collapsed in 2019 and last month marked the lowest ever sales figures for a single month and the first time the Holden brand didn't make the Top 10 selling brands in Australia. It's such a sad period of time for the once iconic Australian automotive brand. GM are just letting it slide into oblivion!
That's quite sad. I hope the firm returns to glory. When, as a foreigner, I think of an Australian car manufacturer I think of Holden. When my uncle and auntie emigrated to Seaford in 1980 their car of choice was Holden.
That's GM in a nutshell.... Opel is now making pofits again since a long time as GM was using them more as a R&D department. Costs on Opel, profits on GM simple as that.
SouthernSkies....Garbage Motors is good at ruining companies who once produced great cars, an example of that is Saab...what GM did to Saab was all kinds of wrong...
Hi from Trinidad and Tobago. Its nico. I remembered when my granddad had a couple of models back in the 70s and 80s. Even before that in the 60s, which was before I was born. All were very reliable, tough and could" take a lickin", I miss him. As a grandad myself now, all we could pass on to our children and grandchildren are, Nissan, Toyota, Subaru etc.. all Japanese cars. We do have European vehicles in my country, but they are all highend. Thanks for your great videos. Looking forward to seeing the next episode. Blessings. Oh.... he used to " Macguiver". Them to keep them on the road. ..
A 20 minute potted masterpiece of automotive history... Big Car serves up yet another tasty autosnack for us to sink our car loving gnashers into. Yum yum...
Great video! I bought my first car, when I was 12 for the princely sum of £5! It was a beautiful HB Viva Then as a 16 year old in 1986, I started work as an apprentice mechanic for, you guessed it, Vauxhall. Owned a fair few, worked on, and drove hundreds of them. 1991, I headed off to try being a Rover mechanic. I lasted 2 months then changed careers 😃. Maybe should of stayed at Vauxhall I hope they keep doing well in the future.
Owned a few Opel`s in South Africa when I lived there, great cars, never had any issues with the one`s I owned...the Kadett 200TS was an absolute hooligan to drive, a true Grin Machine!
Thank you for another excellent video. It’s fascinating, and having always thought of Opel/Vauxhall as a kind of “everywhere yet nowhere” company, I now grasp how it all fits together. Thank you!
If you're interested in Vauxhall history, their historical collection has just gone on display at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire. For me, my dad had two Vectras (he hates Clarkson) followed by three Zafiras in the late '90s and early 2000s. I've got fond memories of the cars. Thanks for the video!
On one hand, the Vauxhall factory in the UK is screwed from 1st January 2021. On the other hand it only employs three people, so no big deal (one to unpack the Opel cars as they arrive, one to remove the Opel badges and one to attach the Vauxhall badges). Good old fashioned British engineering (not for long).
Greetings from Beijing. A really good watch, thanks. For me the Mk3 Cavalier was peak Vauxhall. I'll always remember the day my dad had a 2.5 V6 GLS in purple(ish) delivered as a company car in 1994.
Really impressive research and presentation. Great to learn the reasons behind some of the corporate moves, and being a Vauxhall Vectra owner since 2009 (2007 1.9 diesel, 240,000m, original clutch, exhaust, rocker cover never removed, the big part being the dual mass flywheel) I'm impressed with the 56mpg 'boat' as someone described it!
Another great video. I seem to recall that back in the 70's and 80's you were either a Ford man or a Vauxhall man,such was the rivalry. I had many Vauxhalls (and a few Opels), but have never to this day owned a Ford.
davidy80...all I've ever owned are Fords, own 4 right now from a 1944 Ford GP flat fender Jeep to my high horsepower 1974 Bronco to my 1988 F350 beast to lastly my 312,000 mile 1984 Ranger (my daily driver) cuz I prefer my rigs to start up and run every time I turn the key, Garbage Motors has never been able do that...plus, I'm not a big enough pretentious prick to drive a Garbage Motors piece of s**t....I'll stick with my American made Fords all day every day....
I remember when my dad used to have an 2009 (09-plate) Insignia Sports Tourer CDTi, and because it was the Elite Nav specification, it had all the bells & whistles - dual zone climate control, heated leather seats, powered tailgate, colour sat nav, the lot!
I had a 58 plate Elite Cdti one of the first in the UK it was unfortunately one of most unreliable cars I've owned in nearly 30 years put me off Vauxhall for life !
@@-DC- We bought a 60 plate SRi CDTDi 160 with all the Sat Nav, Leather, Climate Control and gadgets, about 4 years ago. It's a really superb motor, but I'll not deny that we have one patch of about 12 months when expensive stuff kept happening: Several coolant leaks, ABS problems due to leaks, headlamp filled up with rainwater, air con leak, generally lots and lots of leaks! However that was all sorted by a local independent garage and it's settled down to be a great car with just bucket loads of torque for easy driving.
Brilliant content! Its quite clear in the 70,s and 80,s Vauxhall and Ford were at war against each other. I must admit having began with Fords I had several Vauxhalls. Their 8 valve ohc units were bulletproof and easy to change the cam! They didnt last long due to oil starvation! Cheers.
I wasn’t expecting a video on an entire marque, but I already like this. Your to-do list is probably gigantic, but you mind adding AC Cars to it? We all know AC from the Cobra, but a video on the marque itself would be nice.
Big Car I’m a huge Shelby fan. The Cobra book that I recently got includes a general history of the AC marque. I became interested in learning more about AC Cars after that. I saw a book on their six cylinder sports cars for a good price, and it’s tempting.
Yes AC would be cool. My dad used to tell me about an Aceca he had which had the gorgeous V8 from a Daimler Dart (the only bit worth keeping from that awful car)! He reckoned it was a 150mph car, but then dads would say that wouldn't they...
Chris Burn Fun fact: AC commissioned Italian coachbuilder/designer Pietro Frua to make a grand touring/fastback version of the Cobra, It’s called the AC 428, and it’s a lovely looking car. AC also has a racing pedigree. An AC Ace took home a class win at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. That’s the same year Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori took the overall win.
This was brilliantly researched! I'm quite well read when it comes to cars and their histories, but even I found lots of new info in this. Keep up the good work!
A comprehensive description of their history. I did run a Vauxhall Vectra in the late ‘90s, mainly because I used to have a GM credit card, which offered a discount on buying one of their cars (I’d built up a fair number of points on it). Looked like a good deal at the time, but in reality it was pretty much canceled out by quite fast depreciation. The other main difficulty I remember was that the model I had was fitted with one of the early direct injection diesel engines used in cars. It was a good improvement efficiency wise, but when it developed a fault with leaking sealant in the injectors (with a loss of fuel pressure), it was a pig to repair; quite expensive workshop time etc!
I had two Astra SR's, a Cavalier and a 2.0GL Carlton in the 80's. I have fond memories of them all.The Carlton was really well made and ran forever during the years when my kids were growing up. I sold with about a 180k on it and saw it about 5 years later towing a caravan, still going!!!
Since I lived in a colony,,BRITISH cars I knew, there was a man whom lost his LEFT ARE IN A MILL ACCIDENT AS A YOUNGSTER,,my dad said the VAUXHALL VELOX, I guess 4 cylinder, was built specially for him in AUSTRALIA, ALL controls were made to be on the RIGHT SIDE, gear shift, turn signal, park brake ,light switch, etc, This in JAMAICA BWI, LATE 40s I remember those chrome pieces on the bonnet,from the radiator back to the rear of the bonnet. Cheers from NJ..USA🇬🇧🇺🇸
Great informative vid, I’ve only ever owned one Vauxhall and that was a combo, in my opinion Vauxhall’s better years were the 80’s and 90’s with the Nova, Cavalier and Calibra, These days although Vauxhall cars seem to be solidly built they also seem to have this “Image” issue, basically owned and driven by people not interested in cars just transport, but then I suppose you can also say this about other standard car manufacturers.
That was a very satisfying summary. Maybe quick reviews of once 'famous' British marques - like the Frazer Nash, Alvis, Armstrong Siddeleys and a hundred more?
The first cars I can remember would be PA Crestas and Veloxes. They looked like cars in the American programmes and films even though by the early 70s many were rusty. They capture a mood of optimism which soon evaporated. A new Insignia is light years away in many ways but would it evoke any emotion? Unlikely. Thanks for the history of an important part of the British motoring landscape.
My third car was a Vauxhall Magnum (the big engined Viva) and it was great fun. The lowest point was a Vectra hire car with iffy build quality (loads of squeaks & rattles) and terrible lane keeping on the motorway. I only had it for a week but it was so bad I still remember it.
Well researched, good video. I'd have liked to have seen more about the Firenza/HPF (as a former owner) but it's no biggie. Note there's a story behind the griffin logo also, dating back centuries to the crest of Fulk le Breant, the original founder of "Fulk's Hall", or Vauxhall.
The first Vauxhall Velox was the 4-seater open tourer version of their 30-98, which was introduced just before WW1. And, yes, he pronounced it wrong. Maybe he was thinking of Velux Windows.
The earliest memories I have of my father's car in the 1960s, was of a Vauxhall Velox. *His* dad owned a Victor. They were both happy with their cars, and I distinctly remember when dad came home in the new model Victor around 1970. Boy did he complain about that later. "Vauxhall used to make *good* cars!" Eventually, he got an Audi 80, and he stuck with Audi until last year. His dad bought an old VW beetle which I inherited.
How could that be possible? N reg was last. I had many SRi models. I had 8v, 16v eco tec & 16v redtop which only came in k & L reg with fan blade alloys. I miss those days.
@@Mr1Pav I don't know but there it was. I didn't have time to read the whole plate unfortunately. I'm up that way for work every week so I'll keep 'em peeled.
I had a Viva 1300L in Collorado Beige. Rusted very quickly, low power and poor handling. A few years later I had a Nova but that was the last Vauxhall I owned. VW, BMW and Audi since then. Another great video, excellent detail.
I bought my first car in 1983, a mint condition '56 Velox for $50, wish I kept that one. I also inherited my grandad's '62 Cresta, a little rusty so I sold that one too. Ahh memories. Quite a few sold in Australia, a level of equipment above the Holden's of the time. There was a Brabham enhanced HB Torana (Viva) in Australia too. Thanks for the Vauxhall story.
Great vid👍Just like Holden, Vauxhall was name until PSA brought them out. Vectra n Astra were great cars, yes did come with problems but better other GM cars. It funny Holden VB was Opel but later Commodores were Australian n rebadged Vauxhall. Sad state what will happen with Holden? Will be sold like Opel n Vauxhall to PSA. Our medium/large cars are now own buy PSA. Silly GM replacing Opel n Vauxhall with crap Korean cars, I will miss Europeanised cars from Vauxhall n Opel.
Holden was just killed off as it couldn't compete with japanese/ Pacific rim manufacturers. They were going to open a Korean or Malaysian factory after closing Australian ones,but GM just wiped their hands and killed the whole lot down, almost in lockstep with ford australia
The history of Holden, and it's family relationships with Vauxhall and Opel is quite an interesting story. All three companies show how good GM was in screwing up a strong starting point in the 1950s, ending up with not much.
Timothy Auger GM has now lost market share in all three, GM will never gain sales or people respect for company that gave up manufacturing business n life changing cars.
@@jamieshields9521 If you'd ever spoken to mechanics about those "europeanised cars from Vauxhall n Opel" you'll miss, they'll tell you they're terrible and always breaking down. Vauxhall Opel was losing huge money which doesn't tend to happen if they're making great cars people want to buy.
My old Grandfather started at Luton between the wars. By WW2 he had a reserved occupation as he ran the transmission shop that had been moved to the shadow factory at Dunstable. With women trained up to use the machines as his workforce had been called up. The job was Army trucks & Churchill tanks. He was in the home guard too. I guess it's no surprise I have owned 3 Opel's & 3 Vauxhall's including a rare Chevette HSR, also drove many Astra's & Corsa's at work.
Hello I was reading your story about your grandad at Luton I live in Luton and remember the vauxhall car plant the transmission shop that was moved to Dunstable on boscombe road has now gone to I remember the military trucks parked outside the front of the building this site was later called Bedford trucks where vauxhall made trucks for the military later it was called AWD when I first went to work on the Woodside industrial estate on boscombe road some of the factories were still there around 1994 it was all demolished in the early 2000s the land has been redevelop for warehouses the only vauxhall site left in Luton is now owned by stellantis where the van is being built it is such a shame that it is the only site left in Luton. My neighbour worked there for much of his life And told me that vauxhall used to employ 36000 now the van production plant is the only site left and employs around 1000
@@chrissmith4365 As you have shown interest, I can say. My Grandfather was in the 1st team for the startup at Ellesmere Port, until his retirement. He was very much old school, wore a collar n tie under the boiler suit. With age he had to give up playing football & cricket. He found a new game, snooker and became Vauxhall motors social champion for many years. He played visiting early pro's like Fred & Joe Davis and often beat them at exibition events.
The Netherlands in the 60s, 70s and 80s really was the country of Opel lovers. Everybody around the 70s knew somebody or owned a Opel Kadett themselves at the time. Everybody wanted one, a bit like the golf 7 today.
The name 'Bedford' (Truck Manufacturer) also entered the Arabic Language in what was then The Trucial States (Now United Arab Emirates). 'Bidfad' became the Local Arabic for 'Truck,' due to the name 'Bedford' being carried in large letters on the bonnet.
I have had a number of Vauxhalls and many more Fords. If you're young and buying an old car, Fords go wrong more often, but it's usually minor and you can still drive the car and often fix it yourself. Vauxhalls rarely malfunction, but when they do you'll likely require a tow truck and more money than the car is worth to put it right. In terms of the newer ones, Vauxhalls generally look better, but Fords have the better chassis for slinging into the twisty bits.
I agree totally.Cannot stand them or their programmes.Could have helped promote the UK industry instead of putting the boot in.Plus if its not an expensive supercar to them its rubbish.Worst car snobs ever.
Rover were forced to recycle older models that were no good and used the same k series for years even though it was utter rubbish .That’s why rover didn’t succeed in the later years
@@bmwman1981 The K series was a great engine. Hence finding its way into Caterhams, Lotuses and all sorts. Back in the day almost all the track schools had cars with K series in them. I know there was the head gasket thing, but mostly that was owners neglecting their coolant and the media blamed Rover of course, and Rover handled it very poorly of course. This was Rover's insurmountable problem. Not engines, not cars or even money. Remember BMW financed the 75's development a decent car, but panned to shit by James May who knows fuck all about anything
@@paullacey2999 Crikey, well said mate I thought I was the only person who'd noticed how they were the enemies of British industry. I never saw them turn their sights on Renault, Peugeot, Citroen, or Fiat. They were instead always slagging down Rover. Although if Rover had tried to work with Top Gear's goons I wonder if that would have helped? They instead tried to ignore it. I expect if Rover had engaged with them. they' have just taken the piss anyway
@@hydorah Probably right on that score,Sir.They also didnt really have time for Vauxhall either when I think about it....I remember them slating Reliant cars too.Almost as if poorer car buyers were to be ridiculed.....whilst the latest rich playthings get no criticism....
The new Vauxhall Victor design was a rust bucket in Canada anywhere that road salt was used to keep traffic moving safely during the winter months. According to some accounts, this feature was well known prior to its mass production and could have been adequately dealt with for less than a pound each in cost while the cars were being assembled. The company then made the choice to keep the money and ruin their reputation. A relative bought a new Cresta 6 cyl really cheap as they were folding tent in Canada some years later. Best trouble free car he ever owned.
Vauxhall was once a luxury car maker? who would've though. The vauxhall viva shared a platform with the opel kadett, the mk2 viva was sold in australia as a holden Torana. Vauxhall today would be considered more of a marketing company today just as holden in australia has become
Very riveting video, I wish I had come across your channel sooner. Best part is, this is a lot of information that I wouldn't have been able to find elsewhere :) looking forward to watching more of your videos
I'm a fan. I've owned a Corsa B and now on my second Combo B which is heavily customised with lots of Corsa and a few Calibra and Astra parts fitted to it.
Wannabe's? You do realise that chucking a C20XE or C20LET engine into a Nova makes a BMW M3 cry a little bit don't you? Theres nothing "wannabe" about them with the right setup and engine.
Very well put together. The Vauxhall Wyvern and Cresta gave a touch of glamour, that's for sure. With prices and SUV nonsense I stick with a four door Honda to keep my sanity!!
Had one of those as a lease when they first appeared. Awful car. Nice styling...Awful realiabilty and engine refinement was up there with old McDonald.
Never had any issues with my Insignia Grand sport massive improvement over the first generation Insignias. I did 120k in 2 years no problems whatsoever.
@@interceptor-ss8kb Have to the current generation are really smart looking cars, was tempted. Due to the issues from the older generation I opted for something Germanic.
@@lisachrister9990 Technically the Insignia is German designed and built but I know what you mean. Honestly the new current shape Insignia is a massive improvement over the first generation. Everything is better and more importantly the engines are miles better. I now have a new 3 series its really nice but doesn't offer the space the Insignia had which I miss.
Another great documentary. I think as soon as the shared platform and simply sticking a different grill was the end of Vauxhall. Next generation won't have an affiliation to a Vauxhall brand. They did have some great experiments in the 2000s though. Thanks again for a great doc
It did. 1 star EURONCAP rating, and the injuries caused to various parts of the body as a result were horrendous. The car was originally an American minivan that was merely tarted up and re-engineered for European roads and tastes and given Opel diesel and petrol engines, badged as an Opel in Eire and Europe and as a Vauxhall in the UK
The PSA acquisition turned out to be a good thing. I was a mechanic apprentice at an Opel dealership right around the time of the acquisition and many, me included, were sceptical about the new French owners of the brand and from what I've heard some of the things PSA does are a little wonky compared to the GM cars (timing belts running through oil? Who tf came up with that? ). But PSA has not only managed to make Opel profitable again for the first time in over 15 years, they've also made some really good looking cars recently. The new Corsa has to be one of the best looking small cars on the market and the new Astra is looking really good as well and has tons of features you'd expect on more expensive cars. I'm really hyped about what they will come up with to replace the Insignia.
in the late 1970's Opel sent a Opel Senator to Australia for testing , the car was going to be re badged as a Holden , but while testing in Australia's rough outback roads the car broke in half ,
The Opel R-platform did serve as the underpinnings for every Commodore until the VE of 2006. So they eventually got it right though it was claimed that making the Commodore work by fixing the Opel source vehicles for our conditions cost as much as a clean-sheet design would have. Plus we got saddled with a crude cost-cutting in Commodores with live axles and, later, a half-arsed version of the IRS until 2003.
@@commodore665 Had three myself, but there were always compromises against the source vehicles in terms of engineering until the VY when the toe link was finally included in the IRS. That said, the Commodore did have superior steering and front suspension when lined up against the Senator, the donor car forward of the A-pillar.
@@shebbs1 I always thought the Commodore had a better ride than the Ford Falcon competitor , it took Ford longer to introduce IRS on the Falcon , and from the VT on the Commodore was a better looking car
This video was rather sad. Another reminder that you can't count on anyone or anything. I really wish I wasn't a human, and didn't have to think anymore.
It is a little sad, and I wanted a more upbeat ending. But every company has a beginning, middle and end, and there will always be new companies that will take their place making excellent vehicles.
I had the VX2300 for a while, an Opel Kadette estate and a (1600 ??) chevette, but I really hakered after a Chevette HS2300....My mate had one, fast , but expensive.......the car ,that is, not my mate......oh happy motoring days, long ago......excellent upload, H6.........Merry Xmas............
It amazes me that trading standards allow Vauxhall to keep saying: "Vauxhall - A British Brand Since 1903". I hear it all the time in their (in my view, misleading) radio advertisements. The weasel word here is "brand" .
I once owned an HC Viva fitted with a 2.3 litre engine, As soon as the car was accelerated to 70 mph the baffles in the silencer blew. Mind you it took a long time to reach 70 and I never coaxed the crap heap to attain more the 75 mph. It appeared tpo me that the exhaust system was identical to the one fitted to 1.1 litre Vivas. This certainly was not a sports model. When the baffles blew I returned the car to the main dealers and they fitted a new silencer. They did this three times before refusing to correct the problem. I wrote to Vauxhall and said that I wanted them to supply either another car or to fix the problem by fitting a Burgess straight through exhaust system. After a month no reply had been recieved so I said that I would have the problem fixed and send them the bill stating that unless the account was settled promptly I should be only too happy to traipse off to the County Court. I am pleased to say that Vauxhall realised their liability and reimbursed me. I sold the car to a know nothing boy racer at the earliest opportunity, I have never bought or driven a UK manufactured car since.
My mum got her first car in 1986, a vauxhall Astra. Since the she has had many cars but every single one has been a vauxhall and when offered an absolutely mad deal on a new 1 series a few years ago she turned it down cause she loves her 2012 Astra GTC Turbo that she bought new way too much. Despite the GTC only having a 1.4T with 140ps and weighing over 1900kg it can still give way more powerful cars a headache. Love it!
Excellent video! The best car they made in my opinion was the Cavalier mk3. The worst is the Corsa b convertible, that when Vauxhall really lost the plot.
Less there are GM based cars on the road the better is to my sanity... I work as a car mechanic and i despise working on over complicated GM garbage, it seems all money they spend goes to figuring out how to make my life a nightmare
![Would You Fall for It? [ST08]](/img/n.gif)
Vauxhall Astra
Opel Astra
Holden Astra
Saturn Astra
4 different badges, same car
Nikolai aka CasSpell Holden astra don’t think so mate
@@Gutless-diesel Google Holden Astra H. Exterior looks identical :)
And Chevrolet
Yea but it’s still not called a Holden astra
Add much cost cutting and you have the Chevrolet Cobalt/Pontiac G5.
Lol, if you're British it's a Vauxhall, if you're Irish or European it's an Opel, and if you're American it's a GM
Still mediocre crap under whatever name!
...and if your an idiot you buy one😝😝😝
Is because of luton
And if you are Australian it is a Holden.
@@barryphillips7327 spot on!
Greetings from across the pond. I haven't seen most of the cars you present, but I've told my British friends at work about your channel. They have stories about "I had one of those.." or "I wrecked one of those..." or "My girlfriend and I...", well, you get the point.
Your channel is well produced and presented, without absurd music or effects, which people use to try and substitute for quality. Your channel is worth watching even if one doesn't care about cars.
Here in Australia I could identify ALL BUT TWO of the cars, and a couple we have here as Renaults, the rest as holden.
Link Knight A lot of Vauxhall products sold under the Holden badge. They were cool until GM started rebadging Daewoos.
@@OffGridInvestor which ones were Renault?
Are you sure?
Why Notagain yeah that's a new one.. Amy gm products, Toyota. And daewoo
. Any others?
@@_chipchip Toyota are not GM neither is Renault.
So it's not possible for any of the cars shown in the video to be badged as a Renault.
Renault did however, develop a panel van in partnership with Nissan and Vauxhall/Opel, although each had their own interiors and slightly different rear lights, front grills. I'd have thought they'd be badged as Holden, Nissan and Renault in Australia much like it's Vauxhall, Nissan and Renault vans that all look the same in the UK.
Watching this video (brilliant, btw) made my heart hurt. It's a virtual replay of what happened to Holden in Australia, except GM US dumped the company completely, killing the factory, killing all car production in Australia and killing a 90 something year old brand in the process. In the last two years Holden went from designing and building the brilliant VF Commodore (Your VXR ) to importing the new Opel Insignia as a Commodore replacement (becoming a "sales only" company) and then retiring the brand for good. Be thankful that Vauxhall still exists as a trade name and brand. Holden didn't get to be so lucky. I actually had my fingers crossed that PSA would buy the brand and start CKD manufacturing here but it wasn't to be. And GM? Well they made it plain they want nothing more to do with RHD. Such a great pity. Holden's engineers, like those at Vauxhall, were brilliant at turning out great ideas on a shoestring budget. I still own my VF Commodore with the HF V6 made here in Melbourne. I will never trade it in. In a couple of years I will put her up on blocks, fill the engine with oil to the brim and cover her with a heavy canvas cover. My kids can then drag her out in twenty years and restore her to her full glory.
BTW...I wish you would do a story about Holden in the same way you did about Vauxhall. There's plenty of raw material out there to work with.
Agree would be great to see not only Holden but the Australian owned car industry as a whole. Especially how Holden took the European Opel and made it their way.
I would love to see a "The Opel story" Video to see how much Vauxhall and Opel differed before GM made the two brands kinda into one thing. I realy enjoy your Video and geetings from germany✌️
It's a whole car Justin my FATHER HAD AN OPEL2dr 6cyl 3 spd tranny, LHD in JAMAICA ( RHD COUNTRY )it was JUST BEFORE WW. II, but I RECALL having only slits, for the lights , blackout curtains , petrol shortage, etc, well 1 rear spring broke, BUT the closest match, was for a British FORD , but the rear was lifted, sort of how kids did with their cars in the 70s. Cheers from NJ...USA🇬🇧🇺🇸
Servus 🖖🏻
Bin auch deutscher 😅😜
I'm in for this, Opel story would be interesting. They were going in a high gear during 60's and 70's, but by the late 80's, they started to lose their momentum. And the biggest mistake they made was giving axe to Omega. They always were excellent with traditional RWD cars, so this was odd move.
in the UK in the 80s vauxhall were all rebadged opels except if you wanted a manta in the UK it was an opel
From the moment on the cars are the same, the story is either. The same applies before. As long as Opel and Vauxhall could do their thing, they were successful and built good cars. With GM coming up and wanting world cars, it goes down. The Kadett C / Chevette and Rekord / Carlton probably being exceptions. The T-Platform was good at its time - or not so much worse than contemporary competition maybe - and the Rekord / Carlton was designed in Europe for Europe and would only go on one legendary export success Story named Holden Commodore (which was named after the Opel Commodore, a Rekord with some additional glitter.
But from 1980 on the cars were saved to death from America. I had a 1988 Opel Kadett (Vauxhall Astra) as my first car. It was assebled twice, once in the Bochum plant and once in my garage. Say a trim part and I will probably confirm it fell off. Once the driver door opener came off and broke. Until the spare part was there I had to act like a British train passenger. Wind down the window and open the door with the outside handle.
And the 2010s GM designed cars were the same. Once drove an Insignia A for a Business trip (salesman's car who had left the company) and with the play the automatic gear shifter had you would get from D to N in our regular Ford Mondeo company pool car. Plus all the rattling and squaking trim parts. Just like the Kadett built 25 years earlier
One of your best yet. You’ve got a real skill in being able to cover everything - in detail - in the calmest and most coherent manner. Great stuff!
Always loved Vauxhalls! I've owned many over the years. Mk2 Astra GTE and Mk3 Astra GSi will always be the cars of my childhood!
When notified of a new BigCar upload, my 'To Do List' changes to "... Sod everything else for 20 minutes, I'm watching it..."
This is Feelgood AutoBlog at its best.... Shakkers 🇬🇧
And the same could be said of Holden in Australia. Everyone is now just waiting for PSA to buy Holden from GM and hopefully they can then turn Holden's fortunes around.
Holden sales have collapsed in 2019 and last month marked the lowest ever sales figures for a single month and the first time the Holden brand didn't make the Top 10 selling brands in Australia. It's such a sad period of time for the once iconic Australian automotive brand. GM are just letting it slide into oblivion!
That's quite sad. I hope the firm returns to glory. When, as a foreigner, I think of an Australian car manufacturer I think of Holden.
When my uncle and auntie emigrated to Seaford in 1980 their car of choice was Holden.
Arne Hurnik If PSA would do that, my respect for the company would increase million fold. But I just don't think thats gonna happen.
That's GM in a nutshell....
Opel is now making pofits again since a long time as GM was using them more as a R&D department.
Costs on Opel, profits on GM simple as that.
SouthernSkies....Garbage Motors is good at ruining companies who once produced great cars, an example of that is Saab...what GM did to Saab was all kinds of wrong...
GM itself is falling apart, its not like Chevies, GMCs, Buicks or Cadillacs are doing well in America either
Hi from Trinidad and Tobago. Its nico. I remembered when my granddad had a couple of models back in the 70s and 80s. Even before that in the 60s, which was before I was born. All were very reliable, tough and could" take a lickin",
I miss him. As a grandad myself now, all we could pass on to our children and grandchildren are, Nissan, Toyota, Subaru etc.. all Japanese cars. We do have European vehicles in my country, but they are all highend. Thanks for your great videos. Looking forward to seeing the next episode. Blessings.
Oh.... he used to " Macguiver". Them to keep them on the road. ..
A 20 minute potted masterpiece of automotive history... Big Car serves up yet another tasty autosnack for us to sink our car loving gnashers into. Yum yum...
There is a lot of autosnacks like this
I remember my Cavalier SRi. Brilliant car!
Totally agree, I had a 130 SRi in 1995. As good and better looking than any 'German premium brand' back then.
Great video!
I bought my first car, when I was 12 for the princely sum of £5! It was a beautiful HB Viva
Then as a 16 year old in 1986, I started work as an apprentice mechanic for, you guessed it, Vauxhall.
Owned a fair few, worked on, and drove hundreds of them.
1991, I headed off to try being a Rover mechanic. I lasted 2 months then changed careers 😃. Maybe should of stayed at Vauxhall
I hope they keep doing well in the future.
In my 20s I had a cavalier SRI .... Loved that car. Real wolf in sheep's clothing.
John Munro What year was the Cavalier John ?
Dr Breen 😂No, I asked Mr Munro.
Owned a few Opel`s in South Africa when I lived there, great cars, never had any issues with the one`s I owned...the Kadett 200TS was an absolute hooligan to drive, a true Grin Machine!
My Grandfather had a Vauxhall in the late 50's (in Canada), he loved it.
Another awesome video! Given all the problems that Vauxhall has encountered over the years, it's incredible that they're still producing cars.
Thank you for another excellent video.
It’s fascinating, and having always thought of Opel/Vauxhall as a kind of “everywhere yet nowhere” company, I now grasp how it all fits together. Thank you!
If you're interested in Vauxhall history, their historical collection has just gone on display at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire.
For me, my dad had two Vectras (he hates Clarkson) followed by three Zafiras in the late '90s and early 2000s. I've got fond memories of the cars. Thanks for the video!
I'm hoping to go soon. I'll have to check it out!
@@BigCar2 it's just down the road from me and I go there to research my builds all the time.
On one hand, the Vauxhall factory in the UK is screwed from 1st January 2021.
On the other hand it only employs three people, so no big deal (one to unpack the Opel cars as they arrive, one to remove the Opel badges and one to attach the Vauxhall badges).
Good old fashioned British engineering (not for long).
Greetings from Beijing. A really good watch, thanks.
For me the Mk3 Cavalier was peak Vauxhall. I'll always remember the day my dad had a 2.5 V6 GLS in purple(ish) delivered as a company car in 1994.
Dave?
Really impressive research and presentation. Great to learn the reasons behind some of the corporate moves, and being a Vauxhall Vectra owner since 2009 (2007 1.9 diesel, 240,000m, original clutch, exhaust, rocker cover never removed, the big part being the dual mass flywheel) I'm impressed with the 56mpg 'boat' as someone described it!
This is yet another excellent video to add to your collection! Please continue examining car companies as well as individual models :)
Another great video. I seem to recall that back in the 70's and 80's you were either a Ford man or a Vauxhall man,such was the rivalry. I had many Vauxhalls (and a few Opels), but have never to this day owned a Ford.
davidy80...all I've ever owned are Fords, own 4 right now from a 1944 Ford GP flat fender Jeep to my high horsepower 1974 Bronco to my 1988 F350 beast to lastly my 312,000 mile 1984 Ranger (my daily driver) cuz I prefer my rigs to start up and run every time I turn the key, Garbage Motors has never been able do that...plus, I'm not a big enough pretentious prick to drive a Garbage Motors piece of s**t....I'll stick with my American made Fords all day every day....
I remember when my dad used to have an 2009 (09-plate) Insignia Sports Tourer CDTi, and because it was the Elite Nav specification, it had all the bells & whistles - dual zone climate control, heated leather seats, powered tailgate, colour sat nav, the lot!
Lovely cars, though the heated seats fail if a fat person slumps into them. It rips the internal contacts apart around the base.
I had a 58 plate Elite Cdti one of the first in the UK it was unfortunately one of most unreliable cars I've owned in nearly 30 years put me off Vauxhall for life !
@@-DC- We bought a 60 plate SRi CDTDi 160 with all the Sat Nav, Leather, Climate Control and gadgets, about 4 years ago. It's a really superb motor, but I'll not deny that we have one patch of about 12 months when expensive stuff kept happening: Several coolant leaks, ABS problems due to leaks, headlamp filled up with rainwater, air con leak, generally lots and lots of leaks! However that was all sorted by a local independent garage and it's settled down to be a great car with just bucket loads of torque for easy driving.
Brilliant content! Its quite clear in the 70,s and 80,s Vauxhall and Ford were at war against each other. I must admit having began with Fords I had several Vauxhalls. Their 8 valve ohc units were bulletproof and easy to change the cam! They didnt last long due to oil starvation! Cheers.
I wasn’t expecting a video on an entire marque, but I already like this.
Your to-do list is probably gigantic, but you mind adding AC Cars to it? We all know AC from the Cobra, but a video on the marque itself would be nice.
Yes, it is gigantic! I’ll probably stick with British marquee for more, but it would definitely be a good one to do.
Big Car I’m a huge Shelby fan. The Cobra book that I recently got includes a general history of the AC marque. I became interested in learning more about AC Cars after that. I saw a book on their six cylinder sports cars for a good price, and it’s tempting.
Yes AC would be cool. My dad used to tell me about an Aceca he had which had the gorgeous V8 from a Daimler Dart (the only bit worth keeping from that awful car)! He reckoned it was a 150mph car, but then dads would say that wouldn't they...
Chris Burn Fun fact: AC commissioned Italian coachbuilder/designer Pietro Frua to make a grand touring/fastback version of the Cobra, It’s called the AC 428, and it’s a lovely looking car.
AC also has a racing pedigree. An AC Ace took home a class win at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans. That’s the same year Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori took the overall win.
Another fun fact: AC lives! They just haven’t produced a car in a long time. But as a corporate entity, they are still alive.
This was brilliantly researched! I'm quite well read when it comes to cars and their histories, but even I found lots of new info in this.
Keep up the good work!
Excellent as always - many thanks for a very informative video.
A comprehensive description of their history. I did run a Vauxhall Vectra in the late ‘90s, mainly because I used to have a GM credit card, which offered a discount on buying one of their cars (I’d built up a fair number of points on it). Looked like a good deal at the time, but in reality it was pretty much canceled out by quite fast depreciation.
The other main difficulty I remember was that the model I had was fitted with one of the early direct injection diesel engines used in cars. It was a good improvement efficiency wise, but when it developed a fault with leaking sealant in the injectors (with a loss of fuel pressure), it was a pig to repair; quite expensive workshop time etc!
16:18 that in Australia is one of the bodyshells that are renamed captiva which comes from chevy which came from daewoo........
Otherwise known in Australia as Craptiva.
@@brismike56 correct
I had two Astra SR's, a Cavalier and a 2.0GL Carlton in the 80's. I have fond memories of them all.The Carlton was really well made and ran forever during the years when my kids were growing up. I sold with about a 180k on it and saw it about 5 years later towing a caravan, still going!!!
Loved it
Make more like these
Like Renault/Dacia, Fiat and even vans like Iveco
Since I lived in a colony,,BRITISH cars I knew, there was a man whom lost his LEFT ARE IN A MILL ACCIDENT AS A YOUNGSTER,,my dad said the VAUXHALL VELOX, I guess 4 cylinder, was built specially for him in AUSTRALIA, ALL controls were made to be on the RIGHT SIDE, gear shift, turn signal, park brake ,light switch, etc, This in JAMAICA BWI, LATE 40s I remember those chrome pieces on the bonnet,from the radiator back to the rear of the bonnet. Cheers from NJ..USA🇬🇧🇺🇸
Great informative vid, I’ve only ever owned one Vauxhall and that was a combo, in my opinion Vauxhall’s better years were the 80’s and 90’s with the Nova, Cavalier and Calibra,
These days although Vauxhall cars seem to be solidly built they also seem to have this “Image” issue, basically owned and driven by people not interested in cars just transport, but then I suppose you can also say this about other standard car manufacturers.
That was a very satisfying summary. Maybe quick reviews of once 'famous' British marques - like the Frazer Nash, Alvis, Armstrong Siddeleys and a hundred more?
Maybe so. I'll see how this one goes.
The first cars I can remember would be PA Crestas and Veloxes. They looked like cars in the American programmes and films even though by the early 70s many were rusty. They capture a mood of optimism which soon evaporated. A new Insignia is light years away in many ways but would it evoke any emotion? Unlikely. Thanks for the history of an important part of the British motoring landscape.
Jack Iron - Watch The Specials’ ‘Ghost Town’ video.
Fascinating history! I love these videos so much, thank you Mr Big Car
Another excellent and interesting video. Thank you.
My parents had a couple of Viva's an HB and an HC. I've had a couple of HC's and still have my NZ-built 1977 Magnum 1800 repowered with a 2300.
when your company runs for 162 years YOUR DOING SOMETHING RIGHT
How many times has it changed owners though ? The current range is boring/bland too with some models having truly daft names.
@@pasoundman
Twice. Which isn't bad going. Only once in the last century which is almost exceptional.
Yep, like putting a new badge on cars designed by other brands
Dr Breen in fact its the other way round :D
Except when the company ends up being a rebranding operation.
My third car was a Vauxhall Magnum (the big engined Viva) and it was great fun. The lowest point was a Vectra hire car with iffy build quality (loads of squeaks & rattles) and terrible lane keeping on the motorway. I only had it for a week but it was so bad I still remember it.
Well researched, good video. I'd have liked to have seen more about the Firenza/HPF (as a former owner) but it's no biggie. Note there's a story behind the griffin logo also, dating back centuries to the crest of Fulk le Breant, the original founder of "Fulk's Hall", or Vauxhall.
Always happy when you tube pops up and gives me one of your videos
The Zafira is my childhood
Same
Edit: it's a 2001 model , and it has a 1.8 Liter engine . Sadly in 2016 it went to the scrap yard in return for a Mk5 golf.
I still drive the zafira 🥴🥴
My mum used to have a 2008 Zafira B 1.8 Design when I was younger.
I hope PSA will bring out a new zafira
Skellieonabench have fun with your barbecue with 7 seats 💺💺💺💺💺💺💺
Yet another well researched, written and fascinating video. You should write a book!
Vauxhall's ups and downs are actually like my grades.
Lovely program and the way he explains all the details about any model or car manufacturer
Vaylox? I've always known it as Vel ox . Anyway that's how we say it in New Zealand.
The first Vauxhall Velox was the 4-seater open tourer version of their 30-98, which was introduced just before WW1.
And, yes, he pronounced it wrong. Maybe he was thinking of Velux Windows.
I've always said it as the Veelocks (Velox)
@shaun king pronounced boll-ocks, of course!
Learned to drive in a Vauxhall viva & passed my test in it first time! It was a great car to drive.
Am surprised the two Tigra models never got a mention
The earliest memories I have of my father's car in the 1960s, was of a Vauxhall Velox. *His* dad owned a Victor. They were both happy with their cars, and I distinctly remember when dad came home in the new model Victor around 1970.
Boy did he complain about that later. "Vauxhall used to make *good* cars!" Eventually, he got an Audi 80, and he stuck with Audi until last year. His dad bought an old VW beetle which I inherited.
I saw a mk3 Cavalier on "P" reg today, never seen one that late before.
How could that be possible? N reg was last. I had many SRi models. I had 8v, 16v eco tec & 16v redtop which only came in k & L reg with fan blade alloys. I miss those days.
@@Mr1Pav I don't know but there it was. I didn't have time to read the whole plate unfortunately. I'm up that way for work every week so I'll keep 'em peeled.
Another great video. My first car was a Vauxhall Viva HC in bronze. I wish I still had it.
I've often wondered how long PSA will continue to run 3 separate dealer networks in the UK
As long as the dealer network remains viable and don't cannibalise sales from each other.
If VAG can do it with 4 mainstream car brands. Then so can PSA
Well they don't because Peugeot, Citroen and DS are combined dealers anyway. I have started to see Vauxhall being added in and vice versa
I had a Viva 1300L in Collorado Beige. Rusted very quickly, low power and poor handling. A few years later I had a Nova but that was the last Vauxhall I owned. VW, BMW and Audi since then. Another great video, excellent detail.
that was really cool. very enjoyable 👍👍👍
I bought my first car in 1983, a mint condition '56 Velox for $50, wish I kept that one. I also inherited my grandad's '62 Cresta, a little rusty so I sold that one too. Ahh memories. Quite a few sold in Australia, a level of equipment above the Holden's of the time. There was a Brabham enhanced HB Torana (Viva) in Australia too. Thanks for the Vauxhall story.
Great vid👍Just like Holden, Vauxhall was name until PSA brought them out. Vectra n Astra were great cars, yes did come with problems but better other GM cars. It funny Holden VB was Opel but later Commodores were Australian n rebadged Vauxhall. Sad state what will happen with Holden? Will be sold like Opel n Vauxhall to PSA. Our medium/large cars are now own buy PSA. Silly GM replacing Opel n Vauxhall with crap Korean cars, I will miss Europeanised cars from Vauxhall n Opel.
Holden was just killed off as it couldn't compete with japanese/ Pacific rim manufacturers. They were going to open a Korean or Malaysian factory after closing Australian ones,but GM just wiped their hands and killed the whole lot down, almost in lockstep with ford australia
The history of Holden, and it's family relationships with Vauxhall and Opel is quite an interesting story. All three companies show how good GM was in screwing up a strong starting point in the 1950s, ending up with not much.
Timothy Auger GM has now lost market share in all three, GM will never gain sales or people respect for company that gave up manufacturing business n life changing cars.
@@jamieshields9521 If you'd ever spoken to mechanics about those "europeanised cars from Vauxhall n Opel" you'll miss, they'll tell you they're terrible and always breaking down. Vauxhall Opel was losing huge money which doesn't tend to happen if they're making great cars people want to buy.
Another great video. Just finished restoring a '62 Victor. From what I could see, a well made car at the time.
My old Grandfather started at Luton between the wars. By WW2 he had a reserved occupation as he ran the transmission shop that had been moved to the shadow factory at Dunstable. With women trained up to use the machines as his workforce had been called up. The job was Army trucks & Churchill tanks. He was in the home guard too.
I guess it's no surprise I have owned 3 Opel's & 3 Vauxhall's including a rare Chevette HSR, also drove many Astra's & Corsa's at work.
Hello I was reading your story about your grandad at Luton I live in Luton and remember the vauxhall car plant the transmission shop that was moved to Dunstable on boscombe road has now gone to I remember the military trucks parked outside the front of the building this site was later called Bedford trucks where vauxhall made trucks for the military later it was called AWD when I first went to work on the Woodside industrial estate on boscombe road some of the factories were still there around 1994 it was all demolished in the early 2000s the land has been redevelop for warehouses the only vauxhall site left in Luton is now owned by stellantis where the van is being built it is such a shame that it is the only site left in Luton. My neighbour worked there for much of his life And told me that vauxhall used to employ 36000 now the van production plant is the only site left and employs around 1000
@@chrissmith4365 As you have shown interest, I can say. My Grandfather was in the 1st team for the startup at Ellesmere Port, until his retirement. He was very much old school, wore a collar n tie under the boiler suit. With age he had to give up playing football & cricket. He found a new game, snooker and became Vauxhall motors social champion for many years. He played visiting early pro's like Fred & Joe Davis and often beat them at exibition events.
I appreciate how you changed the logo as time went on. They sure had a lot of variations!
Thanks! I'm going to try to do that for other car marque videos as well. I also did it for the Saab video.
My grandfather had a 50s Cresta, it’s a shame it was left to rust in the back yard
The Netherlands in the 60s, 70s and 80s really was the country of Opel lovers. Everybody around the 70s knew somebody or owned a Opel Kadett themselves at the time. Everybody wanted one, a bit like the golf 7 today.
The name 'Bedford' (Truck Manufacturer) also entered the Arabic Language in what was then The Trucial States (Now United Arab Emirates). 'Bidfad' became the Local Arabic for 'Truck,' due to the name 'Bedford' being carried in large letters on the bonnet.
🙂 This really explains why in Britain it is known as Vauxhal and in other countries it is known as Opel.
Thankyou very much Sir. 👍🙂
At 12:28 my dad is in that photo!
Lol mine is too at the yellow car
Rene I was at the orange car
I have had a number of Vauxhalls and many more Fords. If you're young and buying an old car, Fords go wrong more often, but it's usually minor and you can still drive the car and often fix it yourself. Vauxhalls rarely malfunction, but when they do you'll likely require a tow truck and more money than the car is worth to put it right.
In terms of the newer ones, Vauxhalls generally look better, but Fords have the better chassis for slinging into the twisty bits.
Good call on the impact of Top Gear and scathing reviews in the UK. Clarkson and May ran a sustained campaign against Rover
I agree totally.Cannot stand them or their programmes.Could have helped promote the UK industry instead of putting the boot in.Plus if its not an expensive supercar to them its rubbish.Worst car snobs ever.
Rover were forced to recycle older models that were no good and used the same k series for years even though it was utter rubbish .That’s why rover didn’t succeed in the later years
@@bmwman1981 The K series was a great engine. Hence finding its way into Caterhams, Lotuses and all sorts. Back in the day almost all the track schools had cars with K series in them. I know there was the head gasket thing, but mostly that was owners neglecting their coolant and the media blamed Rover of course, and Rover handled it very poorly of course. This was Rover's insurmountable problem. Not engines, not cars or even money. Remember BMW financed the 75's development a decent car, but panned to shit by James May who knows fuck all about anything
@@paullacey2999 Crikey, well said mate I thought I was the only person who'd noticed how they were the enemies of British industry. I never saw them turn their sights on Renault, Peugeot, Citroen, or Fiat. They were instead always slagging down Rover. Although if Rover had tried to work with Top Gear's goons I wonder if that would have helped? They instead tried to ignore it. I expect if Rover had engaged with them. they' have just taken the piss anyway
@@hydorah Probably right on that score,Sir.They also didnt really have time for Vauxhall either when I think about it....I remember them slating Reliant cars too.Almost as if poorer car buyers were to be ridiculed.....whilst the latest rich playthings get no criticism....
The new Vauxhall Victor design was a rust bucket in Canada anywhere that road salt was used to keep traffic moving safely during the winter months. According to some accounts, this feature was well known prior to its mass production and could have been adequately dealt with for less than a pound each in cost while the cars were being assembled. The company then made the choice to keep the money and ruin their reputation. A relative bought a new Cresta 6 cyl really cheap as they were folding tent in Canada some years later. Best trouble free car he ever owned.
Vauxhall was once a luxury car maker? who would've though.
The vauxhall viva shared a platform with the opel kadett, the mk2 viva was sold in australia as a holden Torana.
Vauxhall today would be considered more of a marketing company today just as holden in australia has become
Toranas were Australian made version the Viva, with adaptations for local conditions
No, because Vauxhall still manufacture cars and vans.
Very riveting video, I wish I had come across your channel sooner. Best part is, this is a lot of information that I wouldn't have been able to find elsewhere :) looking forward to watching more of your videos
There are lots more in the archive to watch!
@@BigCar2 and where can I find your archive?
@@compostboomtron9001 th-cam.com/users/bigcar2, or click on my channel name.
All those carse in my vountry are known as opels
Thanks for the interesting video. I’ve owned a 1978 Cavalier, 1986 Nova, 1993 Corsa and 2008 Corsa. Cheap and cheerful motoring!!
Chris Waistle , do you recall the CAVALIER, CADDILAC, ? It was called the CIMMARON , was only caddy in name . Cheers from NJ. 🇺🇸
Leighton Samms no, we didn’t have that in the UK
Chris Waistle thanks, for reply, but with that name I thought you were in USA, Not a -problem,, Cheers From NJ USA🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🇮🇪🇺🇸
Ah yes, the Nova/Corsa B
The weapon of choice of 2000's Fast & Furious wannabes
I'm a fan. I've owned a Corsa B and now on my second Combo B which is heavily customised with lots of Corsa and a few Calibra and Astra parts fitted to it.
Wannabe's? You do realise that chucking a C20XE or C20LET engine into a Nova makes a BMW M3 cry a little bit don't you?
Theres nothing "wannabe" about them with the right setup and engine.
@@Galahadfairlight I love mad engine swaps in hot hatches, but it still looks like a Corsa, not a Supra.
Alex Willis thats kind of the point ;)
@@Galahadfairlight If you tune the heck out of that M3 that Nova will cry even harder then before.
Very well put together. The Vauxhall Wyvern and Cresta gave a touch of glamour, that's for sure. With prices and SUV nonsense I stick with a four door Honda to keep my sanity!!
Long live the mighty Griffin I love my insignia however so does my local mechanic he seems to have a nice holiday every year 😲😩😦😧👍
Had one of those as a lease when they first appeared. Awful car. Nice styling...Awful realiabilty and engine refinement was up there with old McDonald.
Never had any issues with my Insignia Grand sport massive improvement over the first generation Insignias. I did 120k in 2 years no problems whatsoever.
@@interceptor-ss8kb Have to the current generation are really smart looking cars, was tempted. Due to the issues from the older generation I opted for something Germanic.
@@interceptor-ss8kb yes to be fair mine is 58 plate with a few miles on the clock
@@lisachrister9990 Technically the Insignia is German designed and built but I know what you mean. Honestly the new current shape Insignia is a massive improvement over the first generation. Everything is better and more importantly the engines are miles better. I now have a new 3 series its really nice but doesn't offer the space the Insignia had which I miss.
Another great documentary. I think as soon as the shared platform and simply sticking a different grill was the end of Vauxhall. Next generation won't have an affiliation to a Vauxhall brand.
They did have some great experiments in the 2000s though.
Thanks again for a great doc
This is very well written. "GM's plans for European domination would be interrupted by... someone else's plans for European domination." Delicious.
We went from a 200 brake Saab 900 Turbo to a 2.2 Vectra. Those were good days(!)
Excellent upload, mate! Keep it up!
I think the Sintra had a really poor crash safety rating, as well.
It did. 1 star EURONCAP rating, and the injuries caused to various parts of the body as a result were horrendous. The car was originally an American minivan that was merely tarted up and re-engineered for European roads and tastes and given Opel diesel and petrol engines, badged as an Opel in Eire and Europe and as a Vauxhall in the UK
That was thoroughly excellent. I really enjoyed that insight at the end regarding the nationality of car makers these days. On the nose!
The PSA acquisition turned out to be a good thing. I was a mechanic apprentice at an Opel dealership right around the time of the acquisition and many, me included, were sceptical about the new French owners of the brand and from what I've heard some of the things PSA does are a little wonky compared to the GM cars (timing belts running through oil? Who tf came up with that? ). But PSA has not only managed to make Opel profitable again for the first time in over 15 years, they've also made some really good looking cars recently. The new Corsa has to be one of the best looking small cars on the market and the new Astra is looking really good as well and has tons of features you'd expect on more expensive cars. I'm really hyped about what they will come up with to replace the Insignia.
Astra was designed in Germany tou
Astra was designed in Germany tou
in the late 1970's Opel sent a Opel Senator to Australia for testing , the car was going to be re badged as a Holden , but while testing in Australia's rough outback roads the car broke in half ,
Well our streets here in Germany are pretty good, so why make it heavier than you need to? ;)
The Opel R-platform did serve as the underpinnings for every Commodore until the VE of 2006. So they eventually got it right though it was claimed that making the Commodore work by fixing the Opel source vehicles for our conditions cost as much as a clean-sheet design would have. Plus we got saddled with a crude cost-cutting in Commodores with live axles and, later, a half-arsed version of the IRS until 2003.
Owain Shebbeare they did. get it right , I’ve had three of them
@@commodore665 Had three myself, but there were always compromises against the source vehicles in terms of engineering until the VY when the toe link was finally included in the IRS. That said, the Commodore did have superior steering and front suspension when lined up against the Senator, the donor car forward of the A-pillar.
@@shebbs1 I always thought the Commodore had a better ride than the Ford Falcon competitor , it took Ford longer to introduce IRS on the Falcon , and from the VT on the Commodore was a better looking car
This video was rather sad. Another reminder that you can't count on anyone or anything. I really wish I wasn't a human, and didn't have to think anymore.
It is a little sad, and I wanted a more upbeat ending. But every company has a beginning, middle and end, and there will always be new companies that will take their place making excellent vehicles.
I had the VX2300 for a while, an Opel Kadette estate and a (1600 ??) chevette, but I really hakered after a Chevette HS2300....My mate had one, fast , but expensive.......the car ,that is, not my mate......oh happy motoring days, long ago......excellent upload, H6.........Merry Xmas............
It amazes me that trading standards allow Vauxhall to keep saying: "Vauxhall - A British Brand Since 1903". I hear it all the time in their (in my view, misleading) radio advertisements. The weasel word here is "brand"
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Like the sixties Vauxhall's . I have owned a FC Victor 101, FD Victor estate , FE Victor 2.3 and (my favourite) a PC Cresta deluxe .
I love your videos, I've watched them all.
Stumbled upon this channel chasing Volvo and subscribed. Love the research and depth.
I once owned an HC Viva fitted with a 2.3 litre engine, As soon as the car was accelerated to 70 mph the baffles in the silencer blew. Mind you it took a long time to reach 70 and I never coaxed the crap heap to attain more the 75 mph. It appeared tpo me that the exhaust system was identical to the one fitted to 1.1 litre Vivas. This certainly was not a sports model.
When the baffles blew I returned the car to the main dealers and they fitted a new silencer. They did this three times before refusing to correct the problem. I wrote to Vauxhall and said that I wanted them to supply either another car or to fix the problem by fitting a Burgess straight through exhaust system. After a month no reply had been recieved so I said that I would have the problem fixed and send them the bill stating that unless the account was settled promptly I should be only too happy to traipse off to the County Court. I am pleased to say that Vauxhall realised their liability and reimbursed me.
I sold the car to a know nothing boy racer at the earliest opportunity, I have never bought or driven a UK manufactured car since.
Your 2300 should have had a large bore exhaust, I had a 2300 Firenza & a Viva 1800 both had a large bore exhaust & beefier silencers.
My mum got her first car in 1986, a vauxhall Astra. Since the she has had many cars but every single one has been a vauxhall and when offered an absolutely mad deal on a new 1 series a few years ago she turned it down cause she loves her 2012 Astra GTC Turbo that she bought new way too much. Despite the GTC only having a 1.4T with 140ps and weighing over 1900kg it can still give way more powerful cars a headache. Love it!
I like cars, but Vauxhall has been inexistent in my life.
Ok?
As an American auto enthusiast, I love your videos. Please keep up the great work!
I'm teaching Americans about British cars, one person at a time!
Vous voulez apprendre à parler anglais ? regardez ses videos ,c'est une pure merveille de diction ,merci beaucoup !
I really like this fellows channel. So good and informative.
They only make one car worth buying at the moment the Insignia which is really underrated. The rest of the range is garbage.
My 2006 Astra H runs like a champ tho.
@@CasSpell but it's still an Arsetra
@@interceptor-ss8kb Well that makes no point 🤔 But i'm not gonna go into any sort of arguments. Your opportunity.
@interceptor-ss8kb the golf that doesn't rust away infront of your eyes
Excellent video! The best car they made in my opinion was the Cavalier mk3. The worst is the Corsa b convertible, that when Vauxhall really lost the plot.
Less there are GM based cars on the road the better is to my sanity...
I work as a car mechanic and i despise working on over complicated GM garbage, it seems all money they spend goes to figuring out how to make my life a nightmare
- How do you pronounce Vauxhall in german?
- Opel