Vauxhall is preparing for its largest ever presence at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show, with no fewer than 10 classics from its heritage fleet going on display at the 11-13 November show.
The Luton firm will be celebrating two important anniversaries: 50 years of the Viva HB and 85 years of the Bedford. The Heritage Centre’s stunning 1970 1 1/2 GT will serve as the centrepiece of the display, and will be making its post-restoration debut following a ground-up rebuild by Vauxhall’s Andy Boddy and Terry Forder.
Finished in Monza Red, the 2.0-litre Viva GT is thought to have been registered by Vauxhall Motors when new.
The GT will be joined on stand by the firm’s 1966 Viva SL and a replica of Gerry Marshall’s DTV GT racer that competed in the 1971 Osram Saloon Car Championship.
From its earliest years, Vauxhall was a prolific exporter of cars, and to celebrate that history three export models will also be taking to the stand. They include: a 1949 Portuguese Wyvern L-tpye, a North American Velox E-type and – to be confirmed – an F-type Envoy from New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the 85th anniversary of Bedford will be marked by two of the most recognisable Luton-built models: a Series 1 2.3-litre Bedford CF panel van, now fully restored, and a Viva HA van.
