Buyer’s guide Vauxhall Viva

Vauxhall’s first foray into small mass-market saloons is now a rare classic

The HA Vauxhall Viva looks like a small vehicle today, but it was considered large and spacious for a 1-litre car in 1963, with good economy and performance for the time but a rather poor ride and finish. Light rack-and-pinion steering and an excellent all-synchromesh gearchange helped make it pleasant to drive and it was spacious, with an unusually large boot. An excellent family car, it gave Vauxhall a useful slice of the smallsaloon market – one it hadn’t entered before.

It was therefore a little surprising that the Viva grew significantly in size for both its second and third incarnations: the HB was almost a completely new car, with all-new shell and suspension, 4in extra wheelbase and a 6in longer body. Its ‘Coke bottle’ styling was attractive and complemented by a much-improved interior. Quiet and smooth, it was equipped with a particularly well-located rear axle, which finally turned the Vauxhall into a driver’s car.

The 2-litre, overhead-cam Viva GT wasn’t the boy-racer bolide it was dressed up to be, but was a great touring car that in HB form was the only production Viva to (just) top the ton – 100mph was a mere 1mph out of reach for the HC GT and 2300SL – and it was the only one to better 11 secs to 60mph. Not surprisingly, it’s the most sought-after and valuable production Viva now, though specials such as the Brabham, Crayford convertible and Lawrencetune GT will inevitably command more.

The HC was a mild rehash of the HB: praised at its launch for improved spaciousness and refinement. The extra weight of the 2in wider body with 1.5in longer wheelbase killed the performance and economy of the base model, however, and bigger engines were needed to make it go: the base HC was actually a second slower to 60mph than the base HA, with the same top speed. To be fair, all Vivas were fairly light cars for their size (no doubt part of the reason why many have now rusted away) and for most buyers the combination of an unusually spacious interior and boot with light, easy controls and acceptable performance was just the ticket: Vivas were good value and sold well.

Today, the performance models are coveted but they still barely justify restoration costs, and the union of rust and low values has left just a few hundred survivors from the 1.5 million built. It’s only right that values are at last rising.

To today’s eyes, Vauxhall got the HB just right with its classic ‘Coke bottle’ styling, perfect proportions and a great chassis

A good HB is a joy to drive, thanks to a willing engine, a well-located rear axle, coil springs all round, double-wishbone front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering. Check for taut handling and cool running; flat spots will be carb wear. Don’t expect pace from base models: they had high-ratio diffs for economy

The little overhead-valve engine worked hard in ‘90’ spec (red paint, Stromberg carb), but was economical and long-lived. Overhead-cam engines are tough, too: regular cambelt changes are wise but they are non-interference. Cast-iron units don’t tend to blow gaskets, but look for signs of overheating or coolant leaks

Original trim is hard to find in good order: these are the seats in an HB GT. All items are rare – especially door cards, which changed in style regularly

The strip speedometer was a Viva feature from the HB to most HCS. Check instruments and switchgear are correct and working: all are scarce

One of the key rust spots on the HB/C is the front inner wing – especially at the bonnet hinge mountings, which can eventually fall out altogether

Check for wear in suspension bushes and balljoints, and weak dampers. The front brakes are discs on the 90, and all parts to rebuild them are available