Vauxhall Cresta ... My favourite vintage car

Vauxhall Cresta

My favourite vintage car.

 

 

Vauxhall Cresta

Manufacturer	Vauxhall
Production	1954-1972
Assembly	England Australia [1]
Predecessor	None (New Model)
Successor	Vauxhall Victor FE
Related	Vauxhall Velox Vauxhall Wyvern

The Vauxhall Cresta is a British car first introduced in 1954 by Vauxhall Motors as an upmarket version of the Vauxhall Velox (itself a six cylinder version of the Vauxhall Wyvern). When the Wyvern was replaced in 1957 the new larger car took the Cresta name. This car, code named the PA version one, was one of the more elegant British cars of the late 1950s even though it was not sufficiently upmarket for it to be driven by those who considered themselves the elite of British society. Rock stars could drive them; barristers and doctors would not. This was ironic, because Queen Elizabeth II for many years used a bespoke Estate version as personal transport.
The Cresta models were the E (1954-1957), PA (1957-1962), PB (1962-1965) and PC (1965-1972). The Viscount (1966-1972) was an upmarket Cresta PC.

Vauxhall Cresta E

Production	1954-1957 166,504 produced.[2]
Body style	4-door saloon
Engine	2.3 L straight-6 ohv
Transmission	3 speed manual
Wheelbase	103 in (2,600 mm)[3]
Length	172 in (4,400 mm)[4]
Width	66.5 in (1,690 mm)[4]
Height	61.5 in (1,560 mm)[4]

The Vauxhall Velox had been introduced in 1948, with a new version in 1951 that looked very much like a Chevrolet of the era. The Cresta E version, launched in 1954, had the same 2262 cc six cylinder engine in the same state of tune but scored over the Velox in having a choice of leather or fabric upholstery, optional two tone paintwork, a heater as standard, a small electric fascia mounted clock, a cigar lighter, a lamp automatically illuminating the boot/trunk when opened and a vanity mirror on the inside of the front passenger's sun visor along with a special ornamental badge above the V (for Vauxhall) badge on the nose of the car. A radio was optional.
A Cresta tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1956 had a top speed of 82.2 mph (132.3 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 20.2 seconds. A fuel consumption of 23.5 miles per imperial gallon (12.0 L/100 km; 19.6 mpg_-US) was recorded. The test car cost £931 including taxes.^[4]

Vauxhall Cresta PA

Production	1957-1962 81,841 made[2][5]
Body style	4-door saloon 4-door estate car
Engine	2.2 L straight-6 ohv 1958-1960, 2.6L straight-6 from 1961-1962
Transmission	3 speed manual, Overdrive optional, Hydramatic Automatic available from 1961
Wheelbase	105 in (2,700 mm) [3]
Length	177 in (4,500 mm) Saloon
Width	68 in (1,700 mm)[6]
Height	59 in (1,500 mm)[6]

The PA Cresta is probably the most well-known version. It mimicked the American fashion for giant tailfins, wrap-around windows and whitewall tyres but in an understated way compared to the Cadillacs and Buicks of the time. It bears a strong resemblance to a 1955 Packard Caribbean. All factory-built PAs were 4-door saloons: the estate cars were converted by Friary of Basingstoke, Hampshire, and are rare cars today.
The PA Cresta had independent front suspension using coil springs and an anti-roll bar with a rigid axle and semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear. The Lockheed brakes used 9 in (230 mm) drums all round. The 2262 cc six-cylinder engine had pushrod-operated overhead valves and a compression ratio of 7.8:1 (a low compression 6.8:1 version was available); it produced 82.5 bhp (61.5 kW) at 4400 rpm.^[6] A single Zenith carburettor was used. The transmission had three forward speeds.
Of the various changes made during the PA Cresta's production life, the most significant was the replacement of its 2262 cc engine with a 2651 cc unit.^[5] The new engine retained the straight-six format of the old one but claimed maximum power output increased very substantially from 72 ps at 4400 rpm to 104 ps at 4800 rpm.^[5]
It was well equipped with leather and nylon upholstery for its bench front and rear seats and woven pile carpet. A heater was fitted as standard. The radio remained an option on the home market. Other options included fog lamps, reversing light, locking filler cap and external mirrors. In order to keep the front floor clear to seat six people the handbrake lever was mounted under the dashboard and the gearchange lever was column mounted. The car could be ordered painted in either single or two tone colours.
A PA tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1958 had a top speed of 89.8 mph (144.5 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 16.8 seconds. A fuel consumption of 25.2 miles per imperial gallon (11.2 L/100 km; 21.0 mpg_-US) was recorded. The test car cost £1073 including taxes of £358.^[6] They tested the 2.6 Litre version with overdrive in 1960 and found the top speed had increased to 94.7 mph (152.4 km/h), acceleration from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) to 15.2 seconds and fuel consumption improved to 26.8 miles per imperial gallon (10.5 L/100 km; 22.3 mpg_-US). The test car cost £1077 including taxes of £317. The car without overdrive cost £1014.^[7]
During the 1970s many PA Crestas were modified and customised. The model was very popular with fifties revivalists; many were driven by teddy boys and were very much seen as part of the rock 'n' roll image. A 1960 PA Cresta features in the 1981 video for Ghost Town by The Specials, in which the band are wearing '50s-style clothing.
Today the PA Cresta is a recognised classic, with the other variants perhaps less appreciated but gaining recognition. One famous PA owner in the late 1950s was Don Lang.