Author Topic: Solved - NEH 5552: Vignale Vauxhall Viva HA - 1965 (Read 1059 times)

Carnut · « **on:** May 24, 2020, 11:32:57 AM »

What's this, by whom from when - for 1 point?:

Remember - solving puzzles using 'Google Search by Image' is BANNED on AutoPuzzles!

Carnut · « **Reply #1 on:** June 07, 2020, 07:09:42 AM »

Experts..

fromwien · « **Reply #2 on:** June 07, 2020, 09:05:37 AM »

Vauxhall prototype? Viva?

Carnut · « **Reply #3 on:** June 07, 2020, 10:33:08 AM »

Vauxhall Viva is right, but it's not a prototype.
Since that part was fairly obvious I won't lock it yet.

fromwien · « **Reply #4 on:** June 07, 2020, 10:53:02 AM »

Envoy Epic?

Carnut · « **Reply #5 on:** June 07, 2020, 12:31:05 PM »

Not an Envoy.
It wasn't a Vauxhall-made protoype..

D-type · « **Reply #6 on:** June 07, 2020, 01:50:02 PM »

A prototype for a Viva HA / Kadett-A / Holden produced by GM in the USA?

fromwien · « **Reply #7 on:** June 07, 2020, 02:00:04 PM »

Something to do with Opel Kadett? As the rear lights are from a Kadett A...

Carnut · « **Reply #8 on:** June 07, 2020, 02:43:05 PM »

Quote from: D-type on June 07, 2020, 01:50:02 PM

A prototype for a Viva HA / Kadett-A / Holden produced by GM in the USA?

No; not any sort of GM prototype..

Quote from: fromwien on June 07, 2020, 02:00:04 PM

Something to do with Opel Kadett? As the rear lights are from a Kadett A...

Nothing to do with the Opel Kadett.

D-type · « **Reply #9 on:** June 07, 2020, 03:44:02 PM »

If not a GM prototype, is it perhaps a Brabham-Viva?

Carnut · « **Reply #10 on:** June 07, 2020, 05:19:48 PM »

No, not a Brabham Viva (think that only came with the HB model).

D-type · « **Reply #11 on:** June 08, 2020, 03:19:12 PM »

I've just re-read the answers. Answer #3 says it was not a prototype but it was a Vauxhall Viva.

Is it a limited edition?

norberthanke · « **Reply #12 on:** June 08, 2020, 04:47:03 PM »

Italian version

fromwien · « **Reply #13 on:** June 08, 2020, 05:05:15 PM »

1964?

Carnut · « **Reply #14 on:** June 08, 2020, 05:21:59 PM »

Quote from: D-type on June 08, 2020, 03:19:12 PM

I've just re-read the answers. Answer #3 says it was not a prototype but it was a Vauxhall Viva.

Is it a limited edition?

Very limited; there was only one!

Quote from: norberthanke on June 08, 2020, 04:47:03 PM

Italian version

It was done in Italy, yes.

Quote from: fromwien on June 08, 2020, 05:05:15 PM

1964?

Very close..

alltag · « **Reply #15 on:** June 08, 2020, 06:14:08 PM »

Vauxall Viva De Luxe berlina made by Vignale in 1965

Carnut · « **Reply #16 on:** June 09, 2020, 05:47:42 AM »

That's it, yes.
As far as I know it wasn't commissioned by Vauxhall, so I don't know how it came about.
Maybe they just wanted to show the Brits how a small car could look if it was left to the Italians!

Here are the front view and unmodified picture of the rear:

alltag · « **Reply #17 on:** June 09, 2020, 06:52:17 AM »

I've seen the photo before when leafing through a book about an Italian coachbuilder and thought I remembered it was a book about Bertone. It was not. It was Vignale.
I knew that Vignale had designed a very elegant coupe and convertible based on the Opel Kadett in 1965. That was their connection to GM.
The solution was quite obvious, namely here in this forum.

Quote from: als15 on June 28, 2015, 10:55:52 AM

Going ahead with Vignale book... This is a picture from their archive, supposed to be a Vauxhall Viva De Luxe prototype.

Thank you for this puzzle

Carnut · « **Reply #18 on:** June 09, 2020, 07:21:29 AM »

Vauxhall were obviously not influenced by it.
When they replaced the Viva soon after it was with something completely different!

alltag · « **Reply #19 on:** June 09, 2020, 08:19:13 AM »

Seen from the continent all Vauxhall of the 60s and 70s looked like crashed Opel.
From a British point of view, it must have been the other way around.

Carnut · « **Reply #20 on:** June 09, 2020, 02:32:59 PM »

Vauxhall styling was heavily influenced by America, perhaps more so than Opel. They were regarded as 'a bit brash' by the notoriously conservative British buyers, who loved buying the stodgy British offerings at that time, e.g. most BMC cars.
When GM wanted something a bit more up-market in the UK they started to import Opels and sell them as 'premium' cars (at appropriately higher prices); most people in the UK had no idea they were so closely related to Vauxhall of course, but just viewed them as premium German cars..
They seemed to sell quite well and I bought a few Asconas and a City Kadett for my company drivers to use, but the experiment was not specially long-lived and once Vauxhall reckoned their cars were premium in their own right the importation of Opels stopped.
The public never agreed with Vauxhall, however...!

News:

Author Topic: Solved - NEH 5552: Vignale Vauxhall Viva HA - 1965 (Read 1059 times)