Traded a Renault 17 in for a 2300 (straight swap) in the early 80's when I was about 22 years old. Remember looking out over the huge bonnet. Spilled milk on the back seat and the smell never went away despite intense cleaning. Happy memories....
Thank you for this video. In New Zealand we called this the Holden Sunbird. Back in the late 1990s there were still a few about - they were very popular in New Zealand hot rod culture back then - and you could still get a driver licence at the age of 15. A friend looked at one for his first car. The entire bottom of the boot had rusted away...
Greetings, Mr Lloyd. I remember the first FE Victors arriving at the Vauxhall dealers I worked at. Having loved the FD model I could not get used to the deep grill and a comeback of flutes in the bonnet which early Vauxhalls had. Having said that, I remember this limited edition model being a refreshing looking car which had some great goodies fitted as standard. We found little wrong with these cars, such a shame so many have gone. Any models, I see now are a delight to see. Many thanks for bringing back some great memories.
Yes, the last Vauxhall with bonnet flutes. The FD Victor is probably more handsome, but the FE does look a bit more modern. I couldn't really work out what the extra features were over the normal 2300!
@@lloydvehicleconsulting Going roughly by memory, the car was based on a standard Victor 2300 but had the addition of optional extras, and goodies off the higher spec models. What does stand out to me is the black vinyl roof, cloth covered seating, side stripes, and I'll take a wild guess on the wheel arch trims, wheel rim embellishers, rear panel trim, and bog standard radio. It's fitted with a Vauxhall aerial which was specially made to fit on the top side of the wing on these models.
Great review, thanks for coming down! The 2300S is a fun old bus to play cops and robbers in - I have to plead guilty as charged to having odd taste in cars though.
Sir! You’re really spoiling us! The FE Victor / VX series are 2 of my favourite 70s cars. We had a number in our family - my dad had an FE estate, then 2 VX estates. My uncle had a Ventora, then a 2300S - almost identical to this. It was quite a thing in the mid 70s - not many cars had cloth trim and a tape deck. I still love the looks - especially the VX series. The interiors were nice too - although the VX series were much better. That gear whine brings back memories………
My 1st car was a FD Victor, it was the 1600cc version (like mine) that had 3 speed column change and bench seat….I was a toolmaker so I had to get on the lathe and make new bushes to sort floppy gear change 😊 The 1.6 was 3 on the tree, 2.0 4 on the floor. LOL… (both half a V8 like the 1.8 n 2.3)
@@Comfortzone99 never heard of him but there are millions of folk who are tool makers and so a bit random dude…. Guess you didn’t get out much or sumink , all the best… 😐
I love the styling of these FE series Vauxhalls. I believe from Vauxpedia the purpose of the VX series cars was to bring in some quality improvements. My dad avoided these I think because they had a reputation for rusting and instead went through a Ford phase. He owned a PA Cresta previously and I think he also had a Wyvern that likely suffered from rust problems!
Yes, they did seem quite well made, I suppose. Oh yes, the rust on the 1960s and 1970s Vauxhalls seems to have been legendary at the time. Not many Victors left of any type now!
Some Rekords also had the old column shift gear handle on the wheel. I love a big four, although the German 1.9 may have offered better handling with its lower centre of gravity! Would so replace that 2.3's head cover though.
Another car my father had, albeit the vx2300 model in 76, I remember it being a lairy ride, with light blue vinyl seats. The engine seemed pretty muscular and lively and could hit a ton no problem.
Hello I never had any luck with Vauxhall cars not to say many people loved them I think if you get the chance to drive the Viscount that would be interesting a friend had one and it was great thanks for this testing of the Victor best regards Andy Allen.
They disappeared in the 1950s and then reappeared with the FE, only to be dropped again in 1978 when it was discontinued. The Carlton (and associated models) never had them.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting Look very carefully at the bonnet of the Mk1 Carlton - they're there, very subtle, but there. A friend of mine had one and it was one of the features he always pointed out.
We had an FE Victor 2300SL as a family car in the mid seventies, which I took over in 1982, back then they were regarded as quite lively cars, my memory of them was that they were also good motorway cars as reported in Car magazine in 1977, I do wonder if the correct tyre size is fitted, as standard profile tyres are specified not ‘70 or ‘60 series as some people fit.
Yes, I don't actually know what tyres are on this particular example. It seems fast enough for the time. Thank you very much indeed for watching and commenting!
I remember another reviewer pointing out that the Victor FE didn't really move the game on much from earlier models, especially the Victor FD, which my dad had, and was a much nicer looking car in my opinion, with design similarities to the smaller, but rather pretty Viva HB - my first car with a 1600cc overhead cam slant 4 engine.
Yes, probably Ian Seabrook back in 2014. It isn't really much different to many other cars in its class from the period. The FD probably had a bit more character.
It just reminds me ever so much of programmes like The Professionals, when these were a dime a dozen and used in a variety of slightly inappropriate action sequences!
@@lloydvehicleconsulting Legend has it that Ford said they could have their cars as long as they were driven by positive role models - hence the bad guys usually had Vauxhalls LOL
The styling and trim on this particular car is very similar to a Granada/Consul or less well-known Chrysler 180/Centura of the same period! Do you know these Vauxhalls were made in India well into the 1990s? A local company there called them Contessa Classics.
I was in Bombay (now Mumbai) back in the 1980s. By pure chance, I witnessed the 'unveiling' of a new car at the Gateway of India. The white sheet was pulled off, revealing... a Vauxhall Victor FE! Or rather, a Hindustan Contessa.
Rules are rules, and it's been that way since the channel started six years ago. There's lots of other channels out there if you are into that sort of thing.
I had one back in the day with the 1800 engine, in general they were ok for the time but the big letdown was the slant 4 engine it was terrible unrefined unreliable. On the previous models with 3 speed gearbox where column change with bench seats
Traded a Renault 17 in for a 2300 (straight swap) in the early 80's when I was about 22 years old. Remember looking out over the huge bonnet. Spilled milk on the back seat and the smell never went away despite intense cleaning. Happy memories....
That is a very unusual swap! Thank you very much indeed for watching and commenting.
Good Morning Joseph!! It is amazing how such robust looking cars were already rusting away after such short periods of time.
Yes, it was quite common at the time for rust to kill cars after a short time, sadly. Thank you for your membership!
Thank you for this video. In New Zealand we called this the Holden Sunbird. Back in the late 1990s there were still a few about - they were very popular in New Zealand hot rod culture back then - and you could still get a driver licence at the age of 15. A friend looked at one for his first car. The entire bottom of the boot had rusted away...
You wouldn't have seen many of these around in Britain at the time, that is for sure!
Greetings, Mr Lloyd. I remember the first FE Victors arriving at the Vauxhall dealers I worked at. Having loved the FD model I could not get used to the deep grill and a comeback of flutes in the bonnet which early Vauxhalls had. Having said that, I remember this limited edition model being a refreshing looking car which had some great goodies fitted as standard. We found little wrong with these cars, such a shame so many have gone. Any models, I see now are a delight to see. Many thanks for bringing back some great memories.
Yes, the last Vauxhall with bonnet flutes. The FD Victor is probably more handsome, but the FE does look a bit more modern. I couldn't really work out what the extra features were over the normal 2300!
[Cough] The mk1 Carlton/Royale has bonnet flutes too [cough]
So I see, sir.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting Going roughly by memory, the car was based on a standard Victor 2300 but had the addition of optional extras, and goodies off the higher spec models. What does stand out to me is the black vinyl roof, cloth covered seating, side stripes, and I'll take a wild guess on the wheel arch trims, wheel rim embellishers, rear panel trim, and bog standard radio. It's fitted with a Vauxhall aerial which was specially made to fit on the top side of the wing on these models.
That sounds about right to me!
Great review, thanks for coming down! The 2300S is a fun old bus to play cops and robbers in - I have to plead guilty as charged to having odd taste in cars though.
Sir, we seem to enjoy many of the same cars, don't we? Thanks again!
They disappeared in the 1950s and then were used on this FE and no more.
Sir! You’re really spoiling us! The FE Victor / VX series are 2 of my favourite 70s cars. We had a number in our family - my dad had an FE estate, then 2 VX estates. My uncle had a Ventora, then a 2300S - almost identical to this. It was quite a thing in the mid 70s - not many cars had cloth trim and a tape deck. I still love the looks - especially the VX series. The interiors were nice too - although the VX series were much better. That gear whine brings back memories………
Yes sir, not the most refined car I have ever driven, but I still very much enjoyed it. These must have been everywhere for a time.
My 1st car was a FD Victor, it was the 1600cc version (like mine) that had 3 speed column change and bench seat….I was a toolmaker so I had to get on the lathe and make new bushes to sort floppy gear change 😊
The 1.6 was 3 on the tree, 2.0 4 on the floor. LOL… (both half a V8 like the 1.8 n 2.3)
Your surname isn't Starmer is it ???????
@@robertallen3441 not me … ?
@@patrickh7368 Only Keir Starmer's father was a toolmaker.
@@Comfortzone99 never heard of him but there are millions of folk who are tool makers and so a bit random dude…. Guess you didn’t get out much or sumink , all the best… 😐
A very left of field discussion, I must say.
Such beautiful cars! Then an NOW!
It's a typical shape of the era, isn't it?
I remember my dad getting a Victor 101 in 1967 , by the mid 70’s it had rusted away .
The rust on the 1960s and 1970s Vauxhalls was legendary, but I am not quite sure if they were any worse than most others at the time.
I love the styling of these FE series Vauxhalls. I believe from Vauxpedia the purpose of the VX series cars was to bring in some quality improvements. My dad avoided these I think because they had a reputation for rusting and instead went through a Ford phase. He owned a PA Cresta previously and I think he also had a Wyvern that likely suffered from rust problems!
Yes, they did seem quite well made, I suppose. Oh yes, the rust on the 1960s and 1970s Vauxhalls seems to have been legendary at the time. Not many Victors left of any type now!
Sadly the front wings tended to bubble - usually after about 18months…….nice cars otherwise.
Another highly enjoyable video Joseph. About a car I knew very little about. Keep up the good work.😊
I was very happy to have been offered this, and had been waiting to drive it for about two years...
Had a R reg Bedford CF van with the 2300 slant four, used to go like stink.
I think that was the last vehicle to use that type of engine...
Some Rekords also had the old column shift gear handle on the wheel. I love a big four, although the German 1.9 may have offered better handling with its lower centre of gravity! Would so replace that 2.3's head cover though.
They may have had a column shift on the Rekord D, I am not sure....
Another car my father had, albeit the vx2300 model in 76, I remember it being a lairy ride, with light blue vinyl seats. The engine seemed pretty muscular and lively and could hit a ton no problem.
I am sure that it would do 100 mph, it would have been pretty noisy doing it, though! Thank you very much indeed for watching and commenting.
Hello I never had any luck with Vauxhall cars not to say many people loved them I think if you get the chance to drive the Viscount that would be interesting a friend had one and it was great thanks for this testing of the Victor best regards Andy Allen.
Thanks, Andy! That would be nice, but they are even rarer than these FE Victors...
These and the Ventora were very popular police traffic cars.
I imagine that they bought them in quite large numbers.
Don't forget to mention the traditional Vauxhall bonnet flutes! These vanished with the replacement to the Carlton, I think.
They disappeared in the 1950s and then reappeared with the FE, only to be dropped again in 1978 when it was discontinued. The Carlton (and associated models) never had them.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting Look very carefully at the bonnet of the Mk1 Carlton - they're there, very subtle, but there. A friend of mine had one and it was one of the features he always pointed out.
Mr Charles has just sent me a picture of the bonnet flutes on his V registration Royale Coupé. They aren't that obvious.
We had an FE Victor 2300SL as a family car in the mid seventies, which I took over in 1982, back then they were regarded as quite lively cars, my memory of them was that they were also good motorway cars as reported in Car magazine in 1977, I do wonder if the correct tyre size is fitted, as standard profile tyres are specified not ‘70 or ‘60 series as some people fit.
Yes, I don't actually know what tyres are on this particular example. It seems fast enough for the time. Thank you very much indeed for watching and commenting!
The VX/490 seemed very impressive when I was a boy, quite a bit better than the smaller Cortina MK 3.
Yes, I think that the FE Vauxhalls were a bit bigger than the Mark III/IV/V Cortinas, although the lower end FEs were directly targeted at them.
Hello Sir, I really do like the look of these cars .
They are ever so typical of the era, aren't they?
@@lloydvehicleconsulting they really are 👍.
They seem to invoke quite a lot of nostalgia.
The "CLIFF FACE " style dashboard sloping " inwards, would be , I assume, to reduce of the sun on the instruments!
Possibly, sir. Thank you for watching!
I remember another reviewer pointing out that the Victor FE didn't really move the game on much from earlier models, especially the Victor FD, which my dad had, and was a much nicer looking car in my opinion, with design similarities to the smaller, but rather pretty Viva HB - my first car with a 1600cc overhead cam slant 4 engine.
Yes, probably Ian Seabrook back in 2014. It isn't really much different to many other cars in its class from the period. The FD probably had a bit more character.
Well sir, this is certainly a survivor!
It just reminds me ever so much of programmes like The Professionals, when these were a dime a dozen and used in a variety of slightly inappropriate action sequences!
@@lloydvehicleconsulting Legend has it that Ford said they could have their cars as long as they were driven by positive role models - hence the bad guys usually had Vauxhalls LOL
The styling and trim on this particular car is very similar to a Granada/Consul or less well-known Chrysler 180/Centura of the same period! Do you know these Vauxhalls were made in India well into the 1990s? A local company there called them Contessa Classics.
I was in Bombay (now Mumbai) back in the 1980s. By pure chance, I witnessed the 'unveiling' of a new car at the Gateway of India.
The white sheet was pulled off, revealing... a Vauxhall Victor FE!
Or rather, a Hindustan Contessa.
Yes, Hindustan Contessa, normally marketed with an Isuzu engine.
Such a pity that the unmentionable engines have no part in your interesting reviews. Rudolf Diesel was a brilliant engineer.
Rules are rules, and it's been that way since the channel started six years ago. There's lots of other channels out there if you are into that sort of thing.
has same headlining as the cortina some what.
Yes, same as many cars of the era, I think.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting not every car of that era had same headlining as one another.
You seem to forget 4 speed pwith over drive.
The overdrive was available with some FEs, but not in this model year.
Opel Record .
It's actually not the same, but the floorpan and various other parts are the same.
I had one back in the day with the 1800 engine, in general they were ok for the time but the big letdown was the slant 4 engine it was terrible unrefined unreliable. On the previous models with 3 speed gearbox where column change with bench seats
I think Mr Charles said that they nicknamed the slant four "The Hay Baler".
The only person who has crap, and weird taste in cars, is Ian Seabrook😂
I am afraid that he isn't the only one. Mr Charles and I both do as well.