A round-up of the latest classic news, including cars sold from Vauxhall’s Heritage Collection and the Citroën Ami 6 on its 60th birthday.
Eight cars from the famous Vauxhall Heritage Collection covering 85 years of the Luton company’s history were auctioned off by Manor Park Classics on 27th April. The vehicles, all of which were sold at no reserve, had been consigned for sale in order to rightsize the Collection for its future move to a new purpose-built and public-facing venue, details of which are yet to be announced.
The oldest of these vehicles offered in the Manor Park sale was a 1929 R-type 20/60, which was the first car to be manufactured after Vauxhall had been bought by General Motors. The R-type became the staple of the Vauxhall range until 1930 and marked a departure from many of Luton’s engineering norms, with the adoption of a central gearshift, single-plate clutch and 12-volt electrics. KSK 247 had been owned by Vauxhall for many years, and while complete and in good condition, it was said to be in need of some light recommissioning. It sold for £15,000, plus commission of 15%.
Joining the R-type from the pre-war years was Vauxhall’s magnificent and imposing Big Six BXL limousine from 1937, which was a well-used Collection car. With accommodation for seven and body by
Grosvenor, this model would have been VIP transport for municipalities and companies around Britain, its inline six-cylinder engine providing a level of refinement matching more expensive models from Rolls-Royce or Daimler, but at a fraction of their prices. This one sold for a very modest £6000 plus commission.
Two gems from the 1950s and 1960s were also offered – a 1953 E-type Wyvern ( Vauxhall’s first all-new post-war design) with gleaming black coachwork and chrome adornments revealing its Chevrolet influence, and a car bound to elicit many ‘my-dadhad-one-of-those’ memories in the form of a pristine Viva HB Deluxe from 1966, the first year of its production. An underrated model for many years and now quite rare – especially in this condition – the market is starting to warm to what is arguably the best of the Viva series with its Coke-bottle styling, independent front suspension, front disc brakes and rack and pinion steering. The Wyvern sold for £6200 and the Viva reached £7800 at the fall of the hammer.
Finishing off the twentieth-century offerings were two cars from opposite ends of Vauxhall’s ranges. At the budget end was a highly usable, immaculate and original Nova 1.2 in Merit specification from 1990, which has been associated with Vauxhall Motors from new and showed a genuine sub-10,000 mileage. That made £4600 plus commission, which ironically was more than the car from the top of the model range – a late first-series Omega V6 in top Elite trim, once again in excellent and original condition but this time the bidding finished at £3600.
Another increasingly rare sight on British roads is the first-generation Tigra, and Vauxhall’s 2000 car was a lovely example with just over 20,000 miles recorded, and one owner (a retired Vauxhall employee) prior to going on display in the Collection. It was bid up to £3600. Completing the Vauxhall Heritage offering was a slightly more utilitarian vehicle – a Frontera B in superb condition with the 2.2 DTH diesel engine and a five-speed gearbox which had been used extensively as the Collection’s support and tow vehicle for many press events over the years. The hammer fell on that at £6100.
Among other highlights was a Triumph 2500PI previously owned and tuned by Triumph's high speed development driver, Gordon Birtwistle. The all-in price of £24,725 must have been a record for the model.