Time to give Luton a bit of love?

Strange how the market has never embraced classic Vauxhalls. We love our elderly Fords, VWS, Hondas, Triumphs, Rovers, Nissans and Fiats, but try to explain to an enthusiast that they should covet a Viva, Cresta, Victor or VX4/90 and you’ll feel like you’re explaining your hobbies to a lamp post.

But previously unloved, uncelebrated and, critically, un-hyped classics wearing the Griffin badge are beginning to warm up. Southern Fork Classics in Norfolk has a time-warp ’66 Viva 90 SL in Cypress Green with 11,000 warranted miles for £10,995 while a private seller in Benfleet has a black 1960 Cresta PA with 29,000 miles, bench seats and column shift for £14,500. Given such tiny mileages, perfect originality and concours-winning possibilities, these don’t sound very expensive at all. And the interesting thing here is that we have no reliable price benchmark for classic Vauxhalls because so few have gone through the major auctions over the last decade and that means some cars will be undervalued. Like the one-owner and totally original ’80 Chevette with just 25k miles privately advertised in Birmingham for £3000, or the ’78 Victor 1800 FE in Bournemouth with 52k miles for £3750. I’d take a long hard look at the coke-bottle FD Ventoras and VX4/90S, Seventies Viscounts, Sixties Crestas and Vivas and the 24v Senators and Carlton 3000 Gsis of the Nineties. These are all behind the market right now and are starting to look increasingly distinctive, rare and special. Aim for mint, unmolested, guaranteed-mileage survivors and you’ll be buying at the bottom of the market.