1930s Vauxhall 12-Four (12-4) - the best 12hp pre-war car?!
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- čas přidán 16. 03. 2024
- The Vauxhall 12-Four
The Vauxhall 12-Four was made from September 1938 until May 1940 and was produced in Luton, England. You might see other countries claim to have built these, but these were CKD kits not manufactured from scratch.
The car, whilst not in production until 38, was part of a Vauxhall grand plan to overhaul the entire range and be market leaders. The 10-Four which launched in 37 at the London Motor Show heralded what Vauxhall thought was going to be their new era: the 10-4 gave the buying public a car which was completely unmatched in its class and the second phase of this ambitious move forward was the 12-4 as we’re testing today expanded upon that.
Sadly, a lot of this hard work and excellency was suddenly squashed with the commencement of the Second World War.
The new 12-Four represented an exciting new offering in the 12hp class - it was underpinned by the learnings from the 10-4 and the goal was simple: undercut the competition in tech, performance and value for money.
Unlike many manufacturers who started taking big risks, Vauxhall leaned on what they knew and they lifted the gearbox from the 10-4, a three speed design with synchro on second and third and paired it up with a 1442cc engine. This engine was an enlarged version of the 1203cc overhead valve engine which was fitted to earlier Vauxhalls. It is worth noting of course as we speak of the synchro gearbox that Vauxhall pioneered this way back in 1931 and their Vauxhall synchromesh was said to offer a perfect, silent change no matter how fast or slow you did it.
For those wondering about performance, it achieved around 65mph and buyers were assured of getting 35 miles per gallon when driven in normal conditions - which was positively thrilling for the time. Remember of course, this is more than two decades before anyone is venturing onto a motorway, anything above 60 miles hour on tiny country roads must’ve been unimaginable to many.
And if you’re wondering, the brochures state the car can go from zero to 50 miles per hour in a mere 21.5 seconds.
The car featured torsion independent front suspension, special engine mountings to dull potential vibration and an integral body and chassis construction. Rear suspension, a 1940s brochure boasts, has Harris rubber bushes to the spring eyes and shackles which is said to give improved lateral control. The doors also opened wide for maximum comfort when getting in and out of the vehicle. It wasn’t just the ride and performance which was considered, maintenance was also thought about and the grease nipples were limited to 13 and well-placed for less faff for the home mechanic.
It’s also worth noting that originally this would’ve been on 6 volt electrics, but has now been upgraded to 12 volt.
I talk about the drum brakes when we go out for a drive - but here’s the thing - the biggest problem with older brakes is on some older cars even into the 60s you’re on a single circuit braking system which means if one cylinder goes pop and you lose all your fluid, you’re stuffed. You have no brakes. Vauxhall fitted dual circuit to these - which may be unseen to the passing observer, but for a buyer, would’ve been an enormous safety plus point.
Now you might be thinking all of this came at a premium price, but here’s the thing, Vauxhall priced this car so keenly it was said to be cheapest in its class and came in at £189 for the standard saloon and £198 for deluxe. It’s worth noting in 1940, this price was reduced to £185, which I can only assume was down to the reduced appetite for the purchase of new vehicles in wartime Britain, not the car losing favour with buying public on its own merit alone.
A car like this deserved more and I am certain if the war hadn’t broken out, we’d see the 12/4 remembered in the same way we see many bread and butter classics remembered. It is pleasing on the eye, well designed and as you’ll see in not too long, a pleasurable drive to boot. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Oh , you can’t imagine how many time I like to see this video . I’m French ( Parisian ) , and I want to thank you for this really wonderful work . And I want specially to thank you for to speak with so clear words that I can listen with my poor French English language level . That’s a happiness for me to learn about this car and to see you driving it with so much specifications . Really thank you . I want to share this video around me as much as possible because it’s really very, very interesting.
Your English grammar is very much better than many English ...for sure ! :-))
Hi! try watching Jay Emm's car reviews, his speech is very clear and precise,!
Good luck mon ami😊.
Am glad you are able to understand her speech I myself suffer the same problems learning French
@@michaelnaisbitt7926 really ? ✨✨✨😁
That interior is stunning! I adore the colour of the upholstery ❤ what a great renovation 🥰
I'm 77 and I remember my father had a Vauxhall 12 I can't remember much but I do remember
however sitting on my mum's lap in the front whilst going to visit a relative when the door flew
open and being a suicide door folded right back with a bang and I stood on a grass verge with
mum while dad tried to shut the door.
I don't think it could shut properly because I recall the piece of string that went from the door
handle to the steering column to keep it closed. Motoring by the seat of your pants in those
days.
Hahaha I love the piece of string. My morris minor doors used to pop open and I had a bungee cord. WTH was I thinking 😂
@idriveaclassic @07:31 Did it gain a few Horses 🐎 you say it has 40 BHP I thought it was supposed to be 12HP 🥰😇😉😊. Excellent video and very well presented tho. 👍👍👍.
@@stephenjones9153 The '12' horsepower rating is a nominal figure based on the RAC formula which was introduced for taxation purposes.
Chocks away! What a delightful car and a great survivor.
What a glorious old survivor. Thank you so much for bringing her to us.
The interior looks so comfortable. Nicer than I expected for the 1930s.
Love the transmission whine and (not unpleasant) smell of cars of this era. reminds me of my childhood.
Lovely car, thanks for taking us out in it.
Another great video Steph. Don’t be afraid of the wipers they work well. I still have cam driven wipers in my 1953 Vauxhall Velox. The beauty of them over, the more common, vacuum wipers is that they speed up with engine speed. Vacuum wipers slow to stop as you accelerate.
As I previously stated I learned to drive in a Vauxhall 12 and are familiar with the wipers,my first car was a 58 mk two Zephyr which had vacuum wipes which as said we're useless when accelerating.
What a beautiful car its up there with the standard,got to be one of the best
"(Y)ou're stuffed!" No beating around the bush there- I like it!
what a truely wonderful prewar classic car that put's other's to shame with very good driveability and I really love the interior colour so cheery .
This Vauxhaul is over 80 years old how many modern cars will be around in 80 years time
I doubt the plastics and electrical components of todays car will be functional 80 years from now.
1:31 the Australian ones were actually made using Holden bodies, but Vauxhall did supply the dies for them.
Hello and greetings from Karthik, India.. I am so so happy to finally see a detailed video and review of this great yet simple car. Unfortunately there is not much videos a 1930s 1940s Vauxhall 12/4. I am very fortunate to appreciate this car as we also own the same car (Blue colour) bought by my great grandfather and we still own it and use it. Eagerly looking forward to seeing more such videos from you.
Wow that's really opened my eyes to how good these pre war Vauxhals are. Thanks for reviewing it.
I love the fact that you love all these old things, you're such a good sport!
Lovely video. A very nice car. I always enjoy the older cars you feature.
Thanks for letting us see such a charming car. The interior has been refurbished beautifully.
A lovely old car and I think it sounds like a Vauxhall though that may just be my old ears! She looks very well preserved and the interior has been well done. Thanks Steph for showing us this beautiful old car. 👍👍
What a great little car. I go to a lot of shows and Vauxhalls from this period are so rare. I really like your pre-war car reviews.
Hello Steph; I really like the fact that you're very thorough with your research when you review a car. It makes a refreshing change.
Thankyou for a very interesting report from a time when 12 HP was enough for public transport.And this Vauxhall is really amazing sample from the thirties.Great video!!🙂🙃😉
It’s NOT 12hp…the title is confusing you. Enjoy 😉
It’s not confusing, it’s the British class it sat within. It’s factually correct.
@@idriveaclassic the commenter thinks the engine is 12hp…so he’s confused
Yay, matching outfit.
My dad's first car was the Vauxhall 10 version, perpetually breaking down, always the starter at fault apparently. I learnt an entire vocabulary of swear words thanks to that car JCD 337 was its number, never to be forgotten....
'Lucas' the prince of darkness was usually the cause of most electrical problems in British vehicles.
I was allowed to walk right up to an Austin 7 in a museum. I was horrified, couldn't imagine getting into the tiny thing, much less going even 20 mph. Seeing the Vauxhall 12-4 showed that prewar cars could be surprisingly modern. I could tell by the way the driver moved the shifter that the gearchange worked like a modern one, and synchromesh was a surprise. My mentor who taught me how to drive a manual insisted I must learn to double clutch because "someday you might own something with a crash gearbox." This was in 1970. When the lady remarks on how cold it was that day, I thought she was reflecting on the limitations of the battery, but no heater! Well, it would be hard to imagine retrofitting a heater.
Looks like the engine on our international harvester cub tractor, starts hot/cold perfectly rain/ shine 24/7/365. This is what the world needs now. Cheap to run, work on and repair.
👍Thanks for video. An impressive prewar car. I like some of the styling that is subtle but sets it apart - like the the scallops behind the grille and the little chrome lines in the side of the bonnet. The interior design and layout was also a pleasant surprise for a prewar car . OHV engine and synchromesh on higher gears also very nice.
The flutes (normally chrome, but this is a militay vehicle) on each side of the bonnet were a Vauxhall feature. They were on all Vauxhalls right up to the 1970s, possibly later. I think the Cavalier may have been the first without them, but may be miles out! I remember Wyverns and Veloxes had them. Wasn't Vauxhall owned by GM since 1934?
Thanks for another great video. Beautiful respectful review of a great car 👍. These cars never really interested me in the past but I think with your videos and the individual styling and control quirks they have, they are starting to spark interest again, particularly when compared to the cars of today....and who needs syncromesh on first...it appears to pull away cleanly in second with little effort anyway.
I love the wardrobes you wear, professional overview, and fabulous video coverage. Thanks for your time and effort on all the videos you make of these old girls. 🥰
Another fantastic review, Steph. What a gorgeous, useable car. 19:13 It even managed to pull away in 2nd gear! Agree you could use that on modern roads (fast A roads and motorways excepted). Interesting to see this presented as a WW2 vehicle. It's not widely known, but even with petrol rationing and also with so many cars being laid up 'for the duration' and therefore with relatively few cars on the road there were more road deaths (cars and pedestrians) during the war than in any year before or since the war. That is an astounding statistic and caused entirely by the blackout - no streetlights and minimal lighting on cars.
Another great video as always 👍 Thanks very much, keep them coming 😊
really lovely very usable for your daily driver quite ahead of its time, stylish dashboard
nice one steph
My oldest brother, born 1943, had a number of pre-war Vauxhalls. He re-painted them with every panel a different colour.
Great content on the channel as always 👍👍
Another great review/test Steph, thank you.
Another great video Steph. the interior of that Vauxhall is amazing I think.
Great video 👍
Great video as usual!
WOW what a treat today show.........put in your top 10 shows...many THANKS
I believe B/5 means Bomber Command 5 Group. It was based mainly at aerodromes in Lincolnshire which is where this video appears to be filmed.
It does indeed
Great to see you again Steph yesterday thanks for chat as always
Another great video Steph. I've always had a soft spot for Vauxhalls. They always seemed to have a lot of forward thinking. I like the flutes down the bonnet and into a the radiator grille. That was a style feature that Vauxhall kept, right up to modern cars in a homage to the early cars.
A great choice of car. I’m Loving the colour of this one - and the blackout headlight covers.
Another wonderful video ! Thank you and Love from Diamondhead Mississippi, USA, northern Gulf of Mexico.
Nice one, unexpected report on an old Vauxhall, more modern than I thought. Bob
The magic of simplicity ‼️
I remember them in New Zealand in the 50's and 60's. Dual circuit brakes and overhead valves is superior to the old Ford 10's that we knocked around in. This one looks lovely.
A great review and car.
Very interesting video and car. Thanks!
What a fantastic car! Such a beauty. She has a gorgeous interior that looks so comfortable and cosy. What a gorgeous old girl. And so fantastic in her wartime livery, too.
It would have been interesting to see the way the headlights work at night (not on the road, mind, but to see the spread pattern), but I can understand that being a bit difficult. Still, something to consider the next time you review a wartime vehicle.
As always, Steph, I enjoy the enthusiasm you share for these lovely old girls. Keep up the great work!
What a great review, Steph, Suits you 😊
Very interesting thank you
Superb car a great survivor.
The first car that I remember riding in as a child, in summer the seats used to burn my legs.
Oh this takes me back to my early childhood as my grandad even though it was 30 years old at the time drove a Vauxhall 12-Four up to his passing in the mid-60s. I can still remember sitting on those wide seats pretending to drive and him sitting beside me laughing away! Seeing that lovely blue interior with those beautiful dials just takes me back to those happy and carefree days! Lovely video Steph!
Beautiful pre war car Steph, thanks for sharing. They're so underrated. 😊👍
Thankyou lovely lady 😊
Nice one Steph, really enjoyed this video, it's great to see you covering cars like this. Prewar vehicles need more detailed exposure in general!
As a lot of younger people didn't grow up with them, they may think they are museum pieces, or are weary of stodginess or thoughts of being horrendous to drive. But with an open mind, they can find that the cars have a tons of charm, often carry some interesting mechanical ingenuity - And in reality a lot of models are just as user friendly as the 1950s cars. For example, a Morris 8 (tourer/2 seater) which has the same engine as the early Morris Minor is actually quicker and lighter! Some cars (like the Morris) already had hydraulic brakes and others with well maintained cable/rods and with light bodies still stop safely. Obviously you should still choose your routes.
The sad thing is though - as the older generations are dying off, these cars (and knowledge) are going with them. This has been reflected in the how cheap prewar cars have become to buy (compared to later cars), especially the saloon models.
The flip side is though, that now is the perfect time to get into them - they can be cheaper, simpler to work on and many clubs still have good spares availability - they can be a great introduction to classic car ownership and a time period almost forgotten.
Merci! Je suis trés reconnaissant pour votre compliment. Bisous!
@emmanuel52945 Ce répondre est pour vous :-)
@@idriveaclassic That is just a little condescending.
@@roygardiner2229 I often joke about being a little old lady on social media. Sorry if it’s offended you. I’ve deleted it in case it causes further upset. Although I take all comments about ‘the youth of today’ in the spirit I receive them from older folk so I had hoped it might go both ways. It appears not, so I’ve deleted it and I’ll just keep accepting the jokes and won’t make mine again. Hope this helps!
@@idriveaclassic That is fair enough.
To explain, I am nearly eighty. I think in the UK I am seeing routine social acceptance to "joke" about, a.k.a be irreverent about, a stereotype of older citizens.
I do enjoy your reviews very much.
One of the few people I'd trust driving my car 🙂
You and this car are a great match you choose like me to wear older clothes hopefully ones that still look great and this car does the same it looks great for it's age and it's simplicity is almost a mirror image of yourself, I like you and the car's personality. Thank you. 🌹
Very handsome car!
Learnt to drive on a mark 1 Viva with sync on first gear a great gearbox.
I,m 88 and I remember these being on the road very well .
Old looking on the outside, new technology and styling on the inside.
Love the dashboard design and colour scheme with the paint & upholstery.
I don’t think I would be brave enough to drive one everyday. Only 3 gears, dog leg 1st and no syncro on 1st is daunting. Even figuring out and adapting to different gear ratios sounds hard. For example, 1st gear must have to go to a higher speed than expected as must 2nd gear….meaning where we are used to using 2nd on modern manual car at low speed, on the Vauxhall that speed would still be 1st gear……this has implications going up hills too, less power.
Hello Gorgeous!❤ You look straight out of a WW2 film!!! You would be the hero of course!
Holden built a version on this chassis with local bodywork...but sales were a fraction of Chevrolet, Pontiac and Olds - the roads were _brutal_ here, and the big Yanks were the only cars that could really stand up to the punishment.
This is so wonderful to see. It looks similar to the one used by James Herriot on TV. I love this old car. To think it has twin circuit brakes, this took other makers another 40 years to utilise. The first car I remember with this was the wedge shape Princess in 1975. Please keep making these old car videos.
They put the “Key number” on the lock barrel, good ol days 😂
My 1st car was a 3 speed Vauxhall… 😊
Very advanced for the day in a relatively affordable family type auto.
Thanks for showing us this car Steph. If your video had gone straight to the interior, I would have guessed at a car from the late 50's or early 60's!
Another Great British brand that's now lost it's way.
A cracking overview Steph, a car ahead of it's time (OHV and Synchro on 2nd and 3rd gears) but as you mention WW2 happened. I love that this car is still on the road in the RAF livery. Those headlight blankets really do make you realise how hard it would have been to drive at any speed at night as full beam would have been verboten. Add this to 6 volt electrics and glow worm headlight filaments just adds to the scare. Many thanks for sharing.
It's my car,and actually not so bad to drive with them on at night!
@@simonfixter5071 That is a great relief to hear. I've ridden motor bikes with 6V electrics without the shrouds and it was a very worrying experience for me back in the 80's. You have a wonderful car that I must say I'm more than a little envious. Take care and many thanks for the reply.
Like that interior, apart from the wiper switch!
Our Steph does find the unusual ones, I can give her that?! :-)
JI is a County Tyrone registration
Vauxhall is generally seen these days as Opel's lapdog not one of the world's oldest carmakers.
Steph, you didn't bang on about the suspension nearly enough! The torsion bar front suspension on these pre-war Vauxhalls is a rather unique setup. Each side has a rear-hinged longitudinal arm, which pivots left and right to steer the car. Then, at the free end of each of those arms, a second longitudinal arm points rearwards, and is the sprung off the steering arm. I believe the design had input from the engineer Maurice Olley, who cut his teeth, so to speak, at Cadillac in the US which, of course, was another brand under the General Motors umbrella, just as Vauxhall was at that time. GM really led the way with mass-market adoption of independent front suspension, based on Olley's experiments at Cadillac in the 1920s and '30s and, in my opinion, deserves greater recognition.
Ahh apologies. It’s so hard trying to fit absolutely everything in.
In the mid-60's, my father-in-law owned a Vauxhall Cresta with the same blue leather seats. Quire astonished to find back the similar interior. By the way, what is the name of the moldings (?) on the bonnet that are a Vauxhall trade mark. I used to know it, but have forgotten!
That's really interesting. The first car I owned was a 1938 Austin 12. Compared with this Vauxhall, the interior was a bit more fancy, but a lot less modern (especially the dash). It had 12v electrics, in the form of two 6v batteries, one under each front seat. Four speed gearbox; cable brakes. A bit fancier than this Vauxhall, but in practical terms very similar: pleasant to cruise in at about 45mph. My then girlfriend drove it at 60, and I was terrified (and she ultimately killed the car--but that's a whole different story). The cars of this era were actually pretty good, for the road conditions of the time, and up to the first motorways.
1938 Austin 12 would have had Girling (rods in tension) brake equipment surely? The only cable would be the prominently visible one under the bonnet from the fascia mounted handbrake pull to the relay lever right by the steering box, if your car was late 1938.
@@RB-qq1ky You are quite right, it was rod operated brakes. But on mine the handbrake lever was floor mounted, with a handle grip thingy to release the catch, like old fashioned signal-box levers (as you have already detected, I'm not very technical). I still remember that car, though there are others I have forgotten, or try to forget. Oh, it's big weakness was going up hills, because oil was leaking from the crankcase onto the clutch. I wish I had had the money (and the sense) to get it fixed up properly, but you don't know these things when you're young.
@@michaelwright2986
Haha, don’t we all wish we had the money/skills when we were young.
My first car was a two owner Vauxhall 14 (slightly older than the 12 in this clip) which I ignorantly thrashed into the ground. I somewhat made amends later by starting a 45 year career as a motor mechanic. We currently own your Twelve’s big brother, a late 1938 (umbrella handle parking brake) 14/6 like my thumbnail.
@@RB-qq1ky Just remembered more about the handbrake: the guy who sold it to me (for GBP 25.00) demonstrated how good the brakes were by pulling on the handbrake. I later discovered it worked on all four wheels.
@@michaelwright2986
Yep, nothing wrong with the Girling system. If it’s in reasonable nick it’s as good as, if not better than the contemporary hydraulic systems.
The four wheel park brake is a feature of a lot of mechanical systems. It’s easy to rig a linkage to the central cross shaft (or equivalent) and act on all 4 rather than try to accommodate some sort of rear wheels only set up. Although Model A Fords managed to do it by effectively duplicating the rear brake shoes and having stepped drums
Great video Steph loved that!
You should maybe do a drive past with a camera on a tripod if you are with someone who can look after the camera 🎥 would look great seeing them driving past.
Have you got the merch sorted yet ???
Atb phil
Yes drive by views would add to the experience. 🚙
Both you and the Vauxhall are very photogenic! Nice video :-) As Land Rovers were also aiming for a 70% export ratio to be eligible for post-war rationed steel, they were also set up symmetrically for both RHD and LHD. In fact, I'm about to use the blanked steering column hole on my '53 Series 1 80" to install an oil pressure/water temperature gauge.
I love this car firing is excellent.
Looks rock solid like a Volkswagen.
I had 1958 through Vauxhalls. Loved those cars. Great to drive but rusted badly. I still have one thats worth restoring. Odd that they didnt have duel circuit braked like this 38.
Without boring you with a big essay, by 1958 most car manufacturers were convinced that single circuit brakes were safe enough, particularly in view of the legal requirements for a separate non-hydraulic parking (or ‘emergency’) brake system to give an element of redundancy
Dual circuit systems started to reappear with the advent of disc brake systems (particularly power-assisted systems).
Vauxhall was actually a very early adopter of hydraulic brakes, but because of the shortcomings of the very early technology soon reverted to a mechanically operated Huck articulated shoe system (no doubt with assistance from Detroit) until hydraulic brake technology matured world wide in the late 1930s.
😀👍
Wow, looks a lot like a 37 Chevy!
Go figure Vauxhall was General motors British arm
Vauxhall was a General Motors company so there was some American looks to the cars. My dad had the later Cresta with a straight six engine and Power glide transmission.
Like a lot🤵🏼
Were they allied with General Motors at the time? Car's styling (headlights, line on the hood) resembles the Chevrolet (character line on the flank). (Ans: Yes - Vauxhall/GM linkup since 1925)
Wow! What a fabulous example! I would love to own something like this. It's in such good condition too. Glorious!
I'm really enjoying catching up with videos, old and new here. Thank you for making them.
Watching you drive this it somehow put me in mind of a series Land Rover. Probably a good deal more comfortable though.
I was so sad to have missed Rustival, a long way for me and unfortunately family commitments meant it was impossible to consider this time, I really do hope there will be another opportunity
That is gorgeous!
Did you notice the plastic interior window surrounds?
Don’t know if you’d like to but I just bought a mk1 Sprite. Fancy taking it for a spin?
And the engine has enough torque to take off in 2nd gear at the final intersection. We had something like this on our farm in Australia.
More a result of the 4.71:1 final drive ratio I think. And a _flat_ torque curve.
Cars of this era were designed with top gear performance (as in pulling away from low speeds without changing down) in mind.
Even Vauxhall, who probably had the best popular car synchro gearbox of its day still advertised the cars ability to pull away in top gear from very low speeds without changing down.
Did this Vauxhall model have a six cylinder option?
Hello Steph - what a wonderful car, I felt like I was driving it! Wonderful interior! A few "qwerky" controls like the handbrake and windscreen wipers! How advanced was this car for it's time. Best wishes from Lincolnshire.
I think you need to go further back in time when these Marques, especially Vauxhall and Lagonda were more interesting. You will need to find the flapper gear of the time.
😍🤠
Were I given the choice of "budget" cars from pre-war up to the early 60s, I'd pick a Vauxhall every time. They always seemed to be a cut above Ford and Austin/Morris. The fresh air flap looks almost identical to the one on my father's 1962 FB Victor: dual circuit brakes on this car is very impressive, considering some cars in the 1970s didn't have them! Lovely review, Steph.