The Vauxhall File

The second edition of The Vauxhall File, again giving the most comprehensive car-by-car account of a single marque. It tells the complete story of Vauxhall model by model from 1903, from the great Edwardian sports cars like the 1911 Prince Henry and the 1920s 30-98 up to the 2007 VXR8. There is a separate history of the company, from its beginnings in a tiny workshop in South London to a company that in the UK alone sells more than 400,000 vehicles a year.

When General Motors took over in 1925 it stopped competing with Rolls-Royce and Bentley and went over to popular models pioneering syncromesh, unitary bodies and independent front suspension. Up-market of Morris and Austin cars like the 10-Four, 12-Four and 14-Six were family cars of genteel respectability that were a match for Wolseley and Rover, and with mid-Atlantic styling saw the company through World War 11.

Then came Velox ,Cresta, Victor and Viva and the company returned to motor racing through Dealer Team Vauxhall. Concentrating design in Germany might have spelled the end for Vauxhall but the UK market were reluctant to embrace Opel. But it was the arrival of the Opel-engineered Cavalier in 1975 that saved the Vauxhall name and ensured a future for Luton that lasted until 2002.

However, the General Motors link up with Fiat the previous year meant that the future of the Ellesmere Port Plant was assured with the help of a £200 million investment to produce the new Vectra. Over 170 individual models are fully illustrated, given a 200-word description plus a full technical specification. There is also a complete chronology of the company from 1857 to the present day.

Author:
Eric Dymock has written several books about motoring and motor racing and has been motoring correspondent for the News of the World, the Observer and the Sunday Times.