The VAUXHALL VICTOR F-Type, FB, FC 101, FD & FE (inc VX4/90) | UK market cars
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- čas přidán 18. 09. 2023
- The 1950s Vauxhall Victor F-Type through to the FE Victor of the 1970s, including the tuned-up VX4/90 variants, are the subject for this image compilation.
Photos from the 1950s through to the current day all feature, most of which were taken here in the UK (hence the majority of cars featured are UK-spec cars) with a couple taken years ago further afield.
The Vauxhall Victor F-Type of the 1950s drew inspiration in its styling from American cars of the era, with its lashings of chrome, tail fins, and wraparound screens fore and aft. As time went on, the styling became slightly more restrained, echoing Ford's development of their rival Cortina range as the Mk1 made way for the Mk2 etc etc. The F-Type Victor underwent a number of revisions during its lifetime before being replaced by the more understated, quite handsome, FB series. This later gave way to the FC (or 101 as it was usually referred to), then the FD, and finally the FE - designed with the 1970s motorist in mind. The VX4/90 offered increased power and performance to the press-on motorist with unique-to-the-model styling tweaks to differentiate these more sprightly versions from their Victor cousins. The upmarket Ventora also makes an appearance in this compilation, as do estate versions. Late examples of the FE were re-badged as the VX and a number of these classic cars from the 1970s will also be found.
Export markets had their own versions of the Vauxhall Victor range, such as the Envoy, but this upload concentrates on the home market cars.
I hope this compilation of classic Victors proves to be of interest, if you're a fan - perhaps as a former owner of a Vauxhall Victor - please pop a note in the comments and tell us more.
Victors turn up from time to time at the classic car shows that we visit but they don't seem as commonplace as rivals from BMC and Ford.
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I owned a FB Victor when our 2 girls were young.It was a superb family car.I have also owned 2 Cavaliers towed a caravan on the continet with them.Never had any trouble. Changing the clutch on these was a piece of cake.love your videos.I worked in a garage 1956 to 1964.Have full experience of how they used to rust
Another great video Richard, Fantastic photos as usual. I once owned a 1964 FB (531WDE) and currently own a 1965 (1966 model) FC VX4/90 featured in this video. Keep up the great work compiling these videos.
When Vauxhalls had style. In the mid 1970's I was in the TA with a friend of mine and he bought a FE Ventora I remember it a clear as day. It was a fabulous emerald green with a black interior and I was so envious. We drove it from Hebburn to a weekend camp across the A66 and I did most of the driving, A classy machine in every way and quite large. A great collection of photos RJ many of which are very interesting in their own right.
Thank you again a drive down memory lane .
What a glorious collection of Vauxhalls, thank you so much
I remember the first time I saw an F type, I was 9 or 10 (1959 - ish) and on my way to school, when I saw this shiny, cream coloured, vision pass me. And so much chrome too. I'm not a great fan of more recent Vauxhalls but, back in the days when they were good to look at, the F type was definitely my favourite. Shame about the rust.
The first F type Victor and the PA Cresta were two great Vauxhall cars from 'back in the day' 😅
My late father had a Victor 101 deLuxe DHN 79C in cream and red. I was a very small child at the time and still remember that car well. Thank you for the memories here.
Thanks for watching!
a couple of corrections, the blue car EGH 343T is a VX series VX490, which had twin carbs and a 5 speed getrag gearbox (as used in the HS chevette). and the grey FD at the nec is a victor, (VX4/90's had a cruciform on the radiator grille & rostyle wheels). ( i'm a geek, sorry :-) )
years ago my brother had a tibetan yellow FD VX4/90 which was a fantastic car & i was gutted when he sold it!
i have a 72 FD VX4/90 which needs a bit of work to put back on the road and a 71 FD victor 2000 SL estate, an original unrestored car which i use as much as possible (time & weather permitting).
great to see the often overlooked vauxhall victors getting some attention!
The only new car we've ever purchased was a 1975 Opel Ascona 1900 SportWagon, sold through Buick dealers in the U.S. Since the late 50s, Opel and Vauxhall have been very similar, both falling under the General Motors ownership. It was comfortable and handled well for a wagon, but provided the cargo capacity our growing family required.
I love these videos, long may continue Mr OCC ! 👍
Glad you like them!
Beautiful Vauxhalls. Thank you for showing these photo's. Afraid after the 6th rendition of The Blue Danube had to mute the video.
The first photo with the cars on the ferry is the ferry between Bodinnick and Fowey with the docks for the China clay boats in the background.
Thanks for Info .. nice to know where are this picture had been taken. 🖖
Interesting video Rick. My Dad was a Ford Zodiac fan. Having had a Mk1, then a Mk2. he then decided to go for a Vauxhall Victor 101 - JLP 249D Powerglide (Automatic). It was certainly a very comfy car, but he was never really happy with it. I think the lack of power and poorer construction, he didn't keep it long, and reverted back to Ford - this time a Mk3 Zodiac Abbot Farnam Estate. A lovely selection in your video - thanks for sharing. Take care 🙂
My father was always a Ford/Austin fan and had many cars over the years including a few non Ford and Austin including a Vauxhall E series Cresta a Triumph Mayflower a Rover 2000 and a Singer Gazelle estate. He had over the years though many ford's including a Pilot a couple of Prefects, a Ford Zephyr mk ll a later Zephyr 4 he even had a Lotus Cortina mk ll for a while. His favourite car out of them all was a 1965 Ford Zodiac mk lll auto ( BUN 808 C ) He loved that car and had it many years which wasn't like him at all. Strangely though the car he owned when he died in 1990 was a Mazda Montrose. 😮
Hello Richard. I'm not really a Vauxhall man but you can definitely see the American GM connection . You're correct about those Jaguar wheels and at 17.50 there's another "Coke Bottle " in green with wheels that look suspiously similar to MGB wheels. Cheeres Richard
The series 1 F is my favourite and recall in the late 60s persuading a friend not to buy one as it was falling apart with rust everywhere, but recently seeing an Isle 0f Wight registered example in original unrestored state , according to the owner was due to importing poor quality steel to meet demand as on other models until the FB.I think the FE Great British Car Journey example is a recent addition with a staggering 82 miles from new !.
I remember a common failing on the FB was heavy corrosion on the forward rear leaf spring mounts of the bodyshell. Back in the late '60's it wasn't all uncommon to see a FB with it's rear suspension collapsed where the spring mount had given way with 'tin worm'
A very nice presentation, Richard. To me those Venturas have a heavy Pontiac influence in front and yet very AMC Hornet in back. No surprise about Pontiac influence since GM owned Vauxhall and sold the FB through Pontiac/ Buick dealers here in the US for about 5 years. Buick sold Opels back in the late 60's and into '70's. I seem to recall seeing Vauxhalls when I got to college in the late '60's. They were rare then, but was cheap for a student that couldn't afford a Beetle. I suspect any Vauxhalls that were here in the US have now converted back to iron oxide (rust).
As usual another great vid. I think the best looking Victor was the FD with, as you mentioned, the Coke bottle styling which gave it a great look. I remember them being very popular with the customisers of the 70’s, Wolfies and sidepipes a plenty !
I seem to remember the FE being known as a "Transcontinental".. (Phil)
In 1959 [ 1 year only], the little Victor was imported to the U.S.A., sold at Pontiac dealers. They didn’t sell very well, and the Chevy Corvair came out the next year. I really like the style of those little cars. Lots of chrome.
But I like the body style,too.
📻🙂
Hehe these were reasonably large cars by our standards here in the UK, but yes quite small compared to what was being built over there :-)
I worked in a dismantling yard in south Wales in the mid-70s and I still have a pair of FB rear lights from that period, mounted on my trailer board. Like the rear lights on many of the Rootes group vehicles of that period, they could be mounted onto a flat panel with just a hole for the bulb-holder rather than having to shape a panel to fit the more 'curvaceous' designs of other manufacturers.
Big fan of the coke bottle styling era so the FD is my favorite! Remember Randall and Hopkirk [deceased] ? The estate version looks great!
super collection
Thank you
I had a FC Victor 2300 estate in the mid 80s. Cheap as chips because no one wanted what they sneeringly called "Grandad motors" but it was a brilliant load carrier for a young self employed chap like myself. Lasted several years and I went everywhere in it. Bags more comfortable than an Escort van...
A great collection of Vauxhall Victor's. I prefer the wrap around windows which give it more of an American look. I am not as keen on the later 70's cars though I do like the Ventora. Thanks Rick for the post. 👍👍
Many thanks for this eclectic presentation of what could arguably called Britain's most innovative and stunning cars ever produced.
And rotted faster than a Lancia Beta....................
The first F type Victor was always my favourite, the following models always seeming more ordinary to me.
I think Richmond, Yorkshire is a strong candidate based on a Google reverse search, but the appearance of what was then the Cooperative is very different now, but the former Bank to its right looks very similar.
I agree, it's definitely Richmond n York's.
My dad had 2 Vauxhall victors
A pale yellow FD 2.3 estate which we drove to the south of France in
FE metallic green as you’ve shown in a couple of views GNK108N 2.3
I learnt to drive in this one
The last I heard of it , it was in Wales
This car I
Thanks for watching!
We got all these in NZ except the FE model. I drove a 101 once, not too impressed with it particularly with a 3 speed manual box. I did like the FD though, I remember being taken for a "quick" ride in 3.3L six once, big engine from the PC Cresta in a light body.
I remember 'back in the day' the old boys preferred the 'three on the tree' tranny because it encouraged more sedate, therefore more economical driving, also, over a period of time Vauxhalls got progressively lighter which also aided fuel economy.....
@@jonathangriffin1120 And their ability to rot more quickly........
@@richardsealey3626 That's what I meant when I said 'progressively lighter'....
Wonderful collection of great cars. The Victor was very popular and affordable in Australia.
The FB especially in estate form is such a great car. Like the two tone paint work as well, shame you dont see that option on cars these days. Paint colours are so boring mainly black, greys and white.
The vauxhall victor 101 was actually produced from 1964 = B to 1967 =F = after August 1st 67.
Dad had a 1958 Victor F Type in the late 60s. It had a great registration 1066NO and it had been resprayed in a blue colour and I remember helping change the rear exhaust box. At the same time my uncle had a face lifted series 2 F Type estate in two tone grey. We had many camping holidays together in these cars.
I remember seeing an advert for rust treatment in my dads old 1970s car magazines which had diagrams of various models of car with black dots showing where they were likely to rust. The diagram of the F-type Victor was almost entirely black suggesting they enjoyed rusting absolutely everywhere.
Very interesting indeed. I owned an F A Victor many years ago. I loved it at the the time with it's bench front seat and column gear change. I also then, liked the very American styling, but I now think it was rather hideous. Tastes change ! As a matter of fact, it's the only red car I've ever owned.
The FB estate is one of a few cars which looks better in estate rather than saloon form. (The same is true of Phase III Vanguards.) I haven't seen an F-type estate, and might form the same opinion of these, though unfortunately your photo collection, though impressive, didn't include a rear shot of one. I have owned an FB VX-4/90, a later one with the 1.6 engine. It was a most attractive car, particularly inside, and I thought it almost a really good car, which given a 1.8 engine and overdrive gearbox would have been an MGB killer and much more prized today.
Hi, I agree re the FB. I feature an F-Type estate in the recent Malvern video and have a feeling that I show it from the back corner, talking about the curved rear side windows etc. Thanks for watching!
Unfortunately, the steep angle of the rear hatch reduced its effective load capacity quite seriously.
I owned a 1963 FB Deluxe that I bought as an up and coming classic car in 1986. I owned in for over 10 years and did more than 100,000 miles in it. For most of that time it was my sole transport and used for everything. When my kids came along and I didn’t have the time for maintenance, I sold it back to the guy I bought it from! Great car! Happy Days!
I recall my mother having a black Vauxhall station wagon in the U.S. in the 1950s or very early 1960s. It had a red interior. I've been trying to figure out what it was, and I think it was more like a Victor than any of the other models I've seen. Anyway, any insight on what this model might have been?
I'm sure it would have been a Victor, or a variant of (sometimes they were called different things in different markets, eg some were marketed as the Envoy in Canada for instance).
Great video. When did Vauxhall stop using the 2 chrome flutes on the bonnet?
Thanks, possibly on the F-Type?
@@oldclassiccarUK thanks. I liked the flutes.
About 1959............
@@stefantrnacek1394 Same here. My first recollection of cars as a tiny kid was the Vauxhall, it was the flutes (EIP) that identified them to me....probably another reason why I like Ariel motorbikes.
Love the old Vauxhall's, I owned a few examples in the FD and FE range and then others like Viva and Cavalier models. The oddball must be the 101, surely one of the most boring cars ever..haha.
I didn't think the 101 FC was too bad, not that different to the FB. Another Vauxhall that changed dramatically was the Cresta with the stylish PA and then the PB, now that one was boring! 😢
The very first car I ever “drove” was a pale blue FE Victor estate like the one at 11:22. I was about six years old sat on my grand fathers knee while he operated the pedals for me. I remember it seemed huge.
Richard, just to point out the FB Victor was not in competition with the Mk2 Ford Cortina, has the FB was finished two years before the Mk2 Cortina. Did Ford copy Vauxhalls design?
Memories for me. The day I passed my test in November 1962 I was sent to Measham Car Auctions to collect an F Model, so that was the first car I legally drove solo. On my first day at work I was told to replace the exhaust on an F Model. After 4 hours I finally removed the old exhaust. It was then I realised that I would never make a good mechanic, so was transferred to the parts department. 1871678 is the part number for a set of points for a Victor. I enjoy your videos...Perhaps I should send you my large collection of photo's of rally cars in the 1950's.
Glad it was of interest, yes it'd be interesting to see that collection of old photos definitely!! If you could drop me an email that'd be great - rj@oldclassiccar.co.uk thanks
@@oldclassiccarUK I just tried your email address again but it didn't work.
Very interesting. The Great British Car Journey FE is very interesting - it had been stored from new and has under 100 miles on the clock or thereabouts when it was discovered
I prefer the 1957-1958 style the best. Yes, a bit overdone, but there’s just something I like about it. The later 1960s design was way too bland. Like it was missing some parts.
📻🙂
My father had 3 Victors a green FA where I can remember an emergency stop with his arm flung out instantly to stop me flying forward. Then he had a red FB which I think was 615 KOE and finally a 101 KOE 545E. I was too young to notice how well they performed. I think he had a Viva HC estate next before moving on to a mark 3 cortina
Vauxhall Victor FD, Opel Rekord C, Opel Commodore A, Opel Fiera, Opel Olimpico, Opel Ranger and Chevrolet Opala, how many lives a single generation can have?! 😂
I always thought the FD types were very attractive and they still do.
My dad had a 1957 F Series 1 and later I had a 1967 FC. They had one thing in common: you could almost hear them rust away. Both scrapped at only eight years old. Worst car I ever owned.