1960 VAUXHALL CRESTA | MATHEWSONS CLASSIC CARS | 1ST & 2ND OF OCTOBER 📖 Full Catalogue: www.mathewsons... 📞 Register to Bid by Telephone/Commission: www.mathewsons... 🖥️ Register to Bid Online: www.i-bidder.c...
The most beautiful car Vauxhall have ever produced. Full stop. Nothing else made by them comes close. A slice of 50's 'Americana' perfection. The attention to detail inside and out is exquisite.
I hav a 1961 Velox. Bought mine 12 months ago. Had one when I was in my 20s I.m now in my 80s and had to have another be for time runs out. I love driving this car.
Understand your feelings Rick , I've always loved them too , my best mate's dad had a ' 58 early model with the flat fronted bonnet, massive chrome ' VAUXHALL ' lettering and translucent ' mascot ' , registered VJJ 118 .Just such a stylish elegant saloon that all succeeding models never matched, it was so obvious to see why they were to become so desirable today .
When I was a 12 year old in Fiji , this model used to be used as fleet Taxis . We visited our uncle in Yalalevu , Ba , Fiji where his neighbour used to own about six of them. I love to share videos of these Vauxhalls which remind me of my childhood. Thank you sir !
We got a 1960 Cresta in around October 1959, replacing a 1956 Velox. The full price was just over £1,000, although as Dad was going abroad on government duty, he got it purchase tax free for just over £700, I think I still have the receipt as Dad kept everything. It was battered on the roads of Pakistan. Sometimes we would get out and walk where the hump worn in the middle of the unsurfaced road was too high. He would drive with 2 wheels on the hump and 2 on the road. I'm talking about the main road to the Khyber Pass and Afghanistan here. It had 3 gears on the steering column and was 2 tone black and grey. XGX 353 was the registration number and PA 4468 on Pakistan. Although it was undersealed, rust killed it in the end, despite Dad's best efforts to fill the holes with fibre glass.
Yep they were "rot boxes". The indicators on the Fins were the best versions. They changed them in 1961. I much preferred the 1960 ones. I bought one in 1979 (it was a 1960 model). With electric overdrive on 2nd and 3rd gear. I was used to "looks" as I was driving an "old" car. But on one journey a Merc passed me and the occupants looked at my Cresta with disdain, as if to say "why is this old car on the road?"" My wife noticed this too. This was unusual, usually people admired the car. These two did not. Even though I had my 93 year old wife's Grandmother in the car, both my wife and I looked at each other and thought this Merc driver is a knob. I clicked it out of 3rd gear overdrive and put my foot down on the 2.6 ltr straight 6 engine. Got right behind him and flashed my headlights (at about 80 mph). The driver was visibly shaken and took a double take in is mirror, then put his foot down and left two plumes of black smoke and left me behind. I could not care less. I had made a point. Do not sneer PA Cresta's! External bodywork was pristine. Underneath? You could see a light shinning through the paper thin floor. But damn, I loved this car and still have the steering wheel and number plates in the loft. I sold the rest of of it as parts, plus all the new parts I had bought, plus all the Chrome that I had re-chromed, all before I realised I could not afford to have the whole floor replaced! This was back in about 1983 ish. Including the original 2.6 ltr engine to a guy who turned up to collect it in a Citroen 2CV!!! WTF? Three of managed to get this straight 6 heavy engine (which was in really great shape) into the back a 2CV. Just what was he going to do with it wtf?
No it certainly hasn’t “survived “ as you may be imagining! (These restored beauties are the result of collecting various good parts from tens and sometimes hundreds of discovered parts cars, new old stock parts, and brand new heritage metal panels identical to the originals). It a labour of love that can often takes several years in the planning. Basically a new car. Utterly gorgeous 🙏❤️
These Vauxhalls were notorious for rotting everywhere you can think of which makes me believe this survivor is probably a South African import. They don't come any cleaner than this example. These, together with Mk2 Zephyrs and Zodiacs are loved by the rock and roll fraternity and no doubt will show a lot of interest and command a good price.
According to another RU-vid channel, there were only 29 of these left as at 2019. Quite a stunning car which looks all the better for being unmodified and it would not surprise me if this is in great demand at the auction and fetches more than the suggested price range.
@@yes2truth Quite right... I had one of those in1972, same colour same condition bought it for £45. It had an overdrive on the gearbox which worked and returned 28 mpg around town. Not only has this car got the later engine but the wheel trims are wrong for the 2.2. They used to wallow around corners and quite a few of them had twin radio aerials put on top of the back wings, you always used to see them around fair grounds, the old teddy boys used to like them. So so smooth and quiet, lovely car to own and drive . Yes the 1960 2.2 was the best looking cresta of the lot, and I have had them all in my day even the viscount.
To Bigsquatch. Also, did you notice how precisely the doors and booths shut? Like a NEW car! No dropped hinges! Must really be low mileage. This is surely the best one left in the world!
I bought a 1960 one in 1978/9. Body was pristine and jet back. I drove it for a few years. Then sadly it failed its MOT as the underneath had rusted away. It needed a whole new floor. Damn it. I loved that car. 3 on a tree, 2.3 litre, electric overdrive on 2nd and 3rd from a switch near the curved windscreen. And the "proper" tail fins lights, until they changed them in 1961!
To Green man Perhaps the best looking estate of ALL time! It does have a rival, though. The Vauxhall Insignia! Did You know the Queen has a navy GREEN estate? She has always bought big Vauxhall's!
Yes you are right it was the best looking estate car on British roads. There are only a few Friary estate car conversions left, including our late Queen’s green one.
Looking at that, and hearing that engine, brought back memories from my early childhood. When I was born Ma had owned her 58 Velox for 3 years and had already had to have welding done and a full respray. 5 years later it was off to be spares, because the body had rotted to the point of being dangerous, not to mention rendering it unable to be serviced. If I bought one she would have my guts for garters and my bollocks for earrings. Sure is pretty, though.
The Miss World of automobiles - big, blousy and glamorous. Had one in yellow and brown for a while in the Sixties and thought I was the dog's b******s. Shame about the curse of Vauxhalls though, the dreaded rust.
I wonder I’d Derek or any Vauxhall fans would confirm that they rusted fast because the battery terminals were wired so the earth was the positive. This accelerated the electrolysis and hastened the rusting. That’s why modern cars have negative earths
Great cars but like a lot off cars back then they rotted out in quick time. Now manufacturers are realising there not rotting out quite quick enough so they will have to do something about it. In the last couple off years started to see a lot off thinner metal used and weak design faults.
I don't think we need to worry about them rusting it's all the electronics, censors etc etc, a friend of mine has a 5 year old car with serious wire harness Rot which has been returned to the manufacturer for investigation. All i can say it was made in England.
To Alan Smith. Nowadays, you can't even get things like vinyl upholstery anymore that lasts. My fabulous velvet Turkish setter has smart deep black PVC armrests. Where my elbow DARES to rest on these, the vinyl is disintegrating, after only 3 years! And my kitchen chair has such thin PVC upholstery, that is splitting after only the same amount of time.Do we all NEED to buy Rolls-Royces, in order to get durability?
The late1960 to 1962 PA Cresta didn't have indicators in the rear fins, and instead of the large stop/tail lights, it had the smaller rear light clusters, that incorporated the indicators. The later PA's also had long almost rectangular indicator/side lights instead of the round ones on these earlier cars.
@@RUSTYVELOX I was thinking exactly the same, this should not have those indicators in the fine as the early models which had these had a 3 piece rear window and different bonnet and grille. I started serving my time at a well known Vauxhall dealership in Durham City, replaced many rear quarters and top surround panels way back then, Vauxhall started to fit a flat splash guard behind the reart wheels did1nt do much good.
@@terranceprice7006 In late '59 to August '60 there was the mid series PA, it had the later grille fitted with round side lights and indicators, also late single piece rear screen, but had same round clocks on dash, 2.2 engine, indicators in fins and oval tail lights as early version. There are more early 3 piece rear screen models about, several years ago 9 early models turned up a the VBOA National Rally, but only 3 mid series models!