[ Owning a Vauxhall Cresta]

Graham Hindle As one of the technical reps of the Vauxhall Cresta Club (vauxhallcrestaclub.co.uk), Graham Hindle knows his way around these cars – he bought his first PA in 1984. Says Graham, ‘I still own that car and over the past 35 years I’ve owned another 65 examples. I’ve now got four PAS, all of which I’ve completely restored.

‘Even now they stand out in a field full of classics, but PAS aren’t just good to look at; the driving experience is good too. Over the years I’ve modified a few; one of mine now has a Chevrolet V8. I’ve also fitted upgrades such as overdrive and disc brakes; they’re straightforward cars to work on.

‘Any well-maintained Cresta will be eminently reliable; I use all of mine and I’m happy to take them anywhere in the country. Many owners do at least some of their own maintenance and most restorations are carried out on a DIY basis, although full rebuilds are now difficult because of poor panel availability. But overall running costs are very low; I’d struggle to spend more than £200 per year over a long period.

‘Some parts are very scarce but the club sources what it can and sells at keen prices. These parts are available only to members, so at £25 per year it’s worth joining.’

Roy Gaskill

The Cresta pictured is one of two concours-winning PAS owned by Roy Gaskill. He comments, ‘Since I bought my first PA Cresta in 1999 I’ve owned three of them; now I own this one along with another in green and black. The pink car was bought new in 1959 by a lady who drove it for 10 years then put it into her garage. A friend of mine bought it In 1995 when it came onto the market with just 16,000 miles on the clock; I bought it from him in 2004. When the first owner died in 2015 I was asked by the family to drive it behind her hearse, which was very moving.

‘The green-and-black car was completely restored over a 13-year period, using all-new outer panels. You couldn’t do that now because the parts just aren’t available or they’re very expensive; two years ago a new bonnet mascot sold for £1200.

‘They’ll easily keep up with traffic, and are very comfortable and spacious too – a truly family-friendly classic. For me the key appeal is the trans-atlantic styling; this was the closest we got in the UK to a car that looked American, but these Vauxhalls are small enough to fit in a typical UK garage.’

John Ankerman

Just 23 Friary PA estates are known of worldwide, and John Ankerman owns two of them. Says John, ’I bought my first Cresta in the late Seventies, restored it and used it as my everyday transport. Over the years I’ve owned eight PAS; while it’s the Cresta that gets all of the attention, both of my estates are Veloxes. One is the only genuine flat-bonnet [pre-1959 facelift] estate in existence; it’s reckoned just a dozen were made. Bought 30 years ago, this car would be beyond saving to most people, but it’s a piece of history which is why I’m intent on getting it back on the road.

‘There are no records of how many cars Friary converted, but it’s thought to be about 200, 19 of which are known of in the UK. Of these, 14 are Crestas with just five being Veloxes.

‘The estates are very well made although surprisingly little was changed. Most of the outer panels were carried over; only the roof, rear windows and tailgate were new. Two fuel tanks wrap around the spare wheel and the boot floor was reshaped, but apart from a folding rear seat and some unique chrome trim, much of the estate is shared with the saloon.