1 Vauxhall branded
Relationship with other GM products
General Motors began to merge the product lines of Vauxhall and Opel in the early 1970s, largely in favour of Opel products. The 1963 HA Viva was developed under some secrecy and exhibited remarkable similarities with the Opel Kadett released a year previously, while the 1972 FE Victor was essentially the first overt exponent of this strategy, sharing its platform and several body fittings with the Opel Rekord D, although it still retained Vauxhall-designed running gear and had no interchangeable body panels. 1975 saw the release of both the Vauxhall Chevette, (a reworked Opel Kadett featuring 'Droopsnoot' styling and an initially unique hatchback bodystyle option), and the Cavalier, a similarly restyled Ascona. By the end of the 1970s most Vauxhalls were based on Opel designs. The Chevette, Cavalier and Carlton were restyled versions of the Kadett, Ascona and Rekord respectively, all featuring the distinctive sloping 'Droopsnoot' front end first prototyped on the HPF Firenza, with Vauxhall engines preserved in the form of the Viva-sourced 1256 unit fitted to the Chevette and Cavalier, and the much larger 2279cc slant-four for the homologation-special Chevette HS. However the Viceroy and Royale were simply rebadged versions of Opel's Opel Commodore C and Senator, imported from Germany. These were also sold in left hand drive in continental European markets, including the Netherlands,[54] Belgium, the Scandinavian countries, Italy and Portugal, in competition with their Opel counterparts.[55]
With the 1979 demise of the last solely Vauxhall design, the Viva (although the last "true" Vauxhall product can be argued to be the Bedford CF panel van, which ceased production in 1987), GM policy was for future Vauxhall models to be, in effect, rebadged Opels, designed and developed primarily in Rüsselsheim. The original Astra, launched in 1980, set the eventual precedent for all GM Europe vehicles from that point onward – apart from the badging it had no styling or engineering difference from its Opel sister – the Kadett D. Until the early 1980s, GM dealers in the United Kingdom sold highly similar Opel and Vauxhall models alongside each other, Opel having been introduced in 1967.[56] This policy of duplication was phased out when Opel and Vauxhall formally combined their British marketing operations in 1981.[57] The Vauxhall and Opel dealer networks were merged and rebranded as "Vauxhall-Opel".[58] Most of the Opel range was discontinued in the United Kingdom in favour of their Vauxhall badged equivalents. With the 1979 demise of the last solely Vauxhall design, the Viva (although the last "true" Vauxhall product can be argued to be the Bedford CF panel van, which ceased production in 1987), GM policy was for future Vauxhall models to be, in effect, rebadged Opels, designed and developed primarily in Rüsselsheim. The original Astra, launched in 1980, set the eventual precedent for all GM Europe vehicles from that point onward – apart from the badging it had no styling or engineering difference from its Opel sister – the Kadett D. Until the early 1980s, GM dealers in the United Kingdom sold highly similar Opel and Vauxhall models alongside each other, Opel having been introduced in 1967.[56] This policy of duplication was phased out when Opel and Vauxhall formally combined their British marketing operations in 1981.[57] The Vauxhall and Opel dealer networks were merged and rebranded as "Vauxhall-Opel".[58] Most of the Opel range was discontinued in the United Kingdom in favour of their Vauxhall badged equivalents. Opel was instead repositioned as a performance-luxury brand – the Opel Manta coupé remained, whilst the Vauxhall Royale was replaced in the line-up by its Opel equivalent (the Senator/Monza). However, this strategy was gradually abandoned – the Senator reverted to being badged as a Vauxhall for the 1985 model year, and the Opel Monza disappeared at the end of 1987, whilst the Manta was withdrawn in 1988.[59]
Similarly, the Vauxhall brand was dropped by GM in Ireland in favour of the German brand Opel.[60] Other RHD markets such as Malta and Cyprus soon following. In New Zealand, the brand was withdrawn in favour of Holden after the demise of the Chevette. GM Europe then began to standardise model names across both brands in the early 1990s. The Vauxhall Astra and Opel Kadett, for example, were both called Astra from 1991 onwards and the Vauxhall Nova and Opel Corsa were both called Corsa from 1993. The change was completed in 1995 when the Vauxhall Cavalier Mk 3 (Opel Vectra A) was replaced by the Opel Vectra B, called Vauxhall Vectra. Apart from the VX220, sold by Opel as the Speedster, all of Vauxhall's subsequent models have had the same names as those of Opel. However, the 2015 Viva revives earlier practice due to its Opel equivalent, the Karl, intentionally invoking Karl Opel, the second proprietor of the Opel business. Despite this, the Adam, named after his father and the founder of the company, is sold in Britain without a name change, potentially as it appears less overtly German.
From 1994, Vauxhall models differed from Opels in their distinctive grille – featuring a "V", incorporating the Vauxhall badge. This was also used by Holden in New Zealand on both the Astra and Vectra, by Chevrolet in Brazil on the Mk1 Chevrolet Astra (Opel Astra F)[61] and on the Indian version of the Opel Astra.[62] The "V" badging was an echo of the fluted V-shaped bonnets that had been used in some form on all Vauxhall cars since the very first. The "V" grille was not, however, used on the Vectra-replacing Insignia, unveiled in 2008 and the 2009 Vauxhall Astra and the 2010 Vauxhall Meriva. All the above, plus t From 1994, Vauxhall models differed from Opels in their distinctive grille – featuring a "V", incorporating the Vauxhall badge. This was also used by Holden in New Zealand on both the Astra and Vectra, by Chevrolet in Brazil on the Mk1 Chevrolet Astra (Opel Astra F)[61] and on the Indian version of the Opel Astra.[62] The "V" badging was an echo of the fluted V-shaped bonnets that had been used in some form on all Vauxhall cars since the very first. The "V" grille was not, however, used on the Vectra-replacing Insignia, unveiled in 2008 and the 2009 Vauxhall Astra and the 2010 Vauxhall Meriva. All the above, plus the US Saturn brand up to its demise in 2009, used the same grille bar with the "V" almost entirely muted out. These bars all carried identical badge mounts, enabling brand badges to be readily interchangeable. The Opel-badged versions in right-hand drive form still however find their way into the United Kingdom; either as grey imports from Ireland or Malta, or are sold as new from car supermarkets who have sourced Irish specification vehicles in bulk.
A model unique to the Vauxhall range was the high-performance Monaro coupé, which was sourced from and designed by Holden in Australia. Although this model was also produced in left hand drive (LHD) for markets like the US (where it was known as the Pontiac GTO) and for the Middle East (as the Chevrolet Lumina Coupe), the model was not offered by Opel in mainland Europe. Imports of this vehicle were limited to 15,000 to avoid additional safety testing. Other vehicles confirmed by Vauxhall, but not by Opel, were the Holden Commodore SS-V and the HSV GTS. Vauxhall confirmed the importation of the GTS just after the reborn Opel GT roadster was announced as not being imported into the UK ... and the bulk of Holden/HSV cars that were imported post-2006 were badged as the Vauxhall VXR8 saloon.
The bodywork for the Holden Camira estate was used for the Vauxhall Cavalier estate in the UK (though not for the identical Opel Ascona in the rest of Europe) – conversely the rear bodywork of the T-car Vauxhall Chevette estate and Bedford Chevanne van was used for the respective Holden Gemini versions. Vauxhall's compact car, the Viva, formed the basis of the first HB-series Holden Torana in Australia in 1967.
Many cars badged as Opels, even LHD models, are produced by Vauxhall for export. Vauxhall has built some Holdens for export, too, notably Vectra-As to New Zealand and Astra-Bs to both Australia and New Zealand.[citation needed]
Vauxhall is headquartered in Luton, Bedfordshire, and has major manufacturing facilities in Luton (commercial vehicles, owned by sister company IBC Vehicles) and Ellesmere Port, the United Kingdom (passenger cars).
The Luton plant currently employs around 900 staff and has a capacity of approximately 100,000 units.[12][64] The plant site has a total area of 387,000 square metres.[64] The plant currently produces the Vivaro light commercial van.[64]
The Ellesmere Port plant currently employs around 1,880 staff and has a capacity of approximately 187,000 units.[12][64] The plant site has a total area of 1,209,366 square metres.[64] The plant currently produces the Astra and Astra Sports Tourer.[12][64] The plant site has a total area of 387,000 square metres.[64] The plant currently produces the Vivaro light commercial van.[64]
The Ellesmere Port plant currently employs around 1,880 staff and has a capacity of approximately 187,000 units.[12][64] The plant site has a total area of 1,209,366 square metres.[64] The plant currently produces the Astra and Astra Sports Tourer.[64]
From 1942 to 1987 Vauxhall operated a truck and bus vehicle assembly plant in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. Developed and opened by Vauxhall in 1942 under instruction from the Ministry of Production as a shadow factory, it became a production site for Bedford Vehicles in the 1950s.[65]
Vauxhall's original car plant in Luton stood next to the commercial vehicle plant. After production ceased there in 2002, the plant was demolished and, after several proposals for redevelopment, permission was granted for the site to be redeveloped as the Napier Park in January 2014.[66]
Vauxhall Ellesmere Port
Logo
The griffin emblem, which is still in use, is derived from the coat of arms of Falkes de Breauté, a mercenary soldier who was granted the Manor of Luton for services to King John in the thirteenth century. By marriage, he also gained the rights to an area near London, south of the Thames. The house he built, Fulk's Hall, became known in time as Vauxhall. Vauxhall Iron Works adopted this emblem from the coat of arms to emphasise its links to the local area. When Vauxhall Iron Works moved to Luton in 1905, the griffin emblem coincidentally returned to its ancestral home.
The logo as pictured used to be square, but it is now circular, to enable it to fit in the same recess designed for the circular Opel emblem. Since the 1920s, the griffin has been redesigned and released nine times. 2008 saw the release of a revised version of the 200 IBC Vehicles Luton plant
Logo
The griffin emblem, which is still in use, is derived from the coat of arms of Falkes de Breauté, a mercenary soldier who was granted the Manor of Luton for services to King John in the thirteenth century. By ma The griffin emblem, which is still in use, is derived from the coat of arms of Falkes de Breauté, a mercenary soldier who was granted the Manor of Luton for services to King John in the thirteenth century. By marriage, he also gained the rights to an area near London, south of the Thames. The house he built, Fulk's Hall, became known in time as Vauxhall. Vauxhall Iron Works adopted this emblem from the coat of arms to emphasise its links to the local area. When Vauxhall Iron Works moved to Luton in 1905, the griffin emblem coincidentally returned to its ancestral home.
The logo as pictured used to be square, but it is now circular, to enable it to fit in the same recess designed for the circular Opel emblem. Since the 1920s, the griffin has been redesigned and released nine times. 2008 saw the release of a revised version of the 2005 logo. Bill ParfittThe logo as pictured used to be square, but it is now circular, to enable it to fit in the same recess designed for the circular Opel emblem. Since the 1920s, the griffin has been redesigned and released nine times. 2008 saw the release of a revised version of the 2005 logo. Bill Parfitt, Chairman and managing director of GM UK, said, "While the new-look Griffin pays homage to our 100-year-plus manufacturing heritage in the UK, it also encapsulates Vauxhall's fresh design philosophy, first showcased in the current Astra, and set to continue with Insignia."[67]
The Vauxhall Griffin from Vauxhall D-type (1920)
A Vauxhall grillplate from the 1940s showing the Griffin logo
Vauxhall Motors' logo from 2008 to 2020.
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