That's how my old nan used to drive her Vauxhall Chevette. I remember sliding from one side of the back of the car to the other (no seat belts in those days) when she took a turn at speed. She personified the phrase: "Drive it like you've just stolen it," 🤣
My uncle had a daytona yellow Firenza with a strip down the side and a black vynel roof ( PCM 888J ). I honestly thought technology would end with that car It looked sensational - I simply could not imagine anyone ever being able to design a more modern car !!
I bought a used Vauxhall Firenza back in 1979. It was a solid, dependable, and fun car. Plus, Vauxhalls are extremely rare where I live, and I had the only Firenza in my state. It certainly was a car that prompted questions from strangers.
@@gutworm686 Why a heap of scrap? The droopsnoot came out in 1973, more than two years before the slower RS2000 (Jan 1976). I fitted some BMW fishnet Recaro's to mine, amongst other things. I don't think the RS got Recaros until 78.
The 70’s , in its day that was your equivalent of today’s type r or vxr etc etc , not many cars were 16valve or turbocharged, tyres weren’t as well engineered either. I love both old and new cars they all show just how far motor car technology has advanced
Once I drove a mk1 Golf gti 1.8. Completely restored and fitted with modern sport tires. Fun to drive ! Probably much better handling due to the modern rubber instead of 70is Pirelli p6. I wanna see this Firenza with new shocks and new tires. Probably better road feel.
I think some people have forgotten this was 1974...44 years ago 0-60 in 7.6s was fantastic and that handling was superb. Modern cars are rubbish, total rubbish. And look at the faces of the people driving even the top of the range BMW...a mixture of smug arrogance and abject misery. Give me an old car any day!
Yes there is a lot of modern snobbery here. People who do not understand the joy of" driving " a car. You can get a lot of excitement from a lowly MG Midget if you can be arsed ... but these people want little to do with driving and everything to do with brand image
Excellent points "both Steve and Steve". The more automated modern cars become, the more complacent the driver and less involved they are in the experience. And of course the type of drivers that you mention are the first to cut off a classic in traffic, or perform some other unnecessary act of aggressive driving. I have to laugh sometimes at these people who buy a car based solely on nameplate reputation among the "in crowd"....how are they any good at all driving if it is the car and modern features that compensate for their poor motoring skills?
God no. I had a 1987 fiat uno and it was a crock of crap. For the same money I can buy a decent modern car thats about 15 billion times better in every possible way. Old cars are cute but I'll take me a brand new 2022 model any day,
Great car,,I had a Magnum version 1.8 in Metallic blue,,, great engine slanted 4 with double valve springs designed from half a V8,, a friend has a SA version with a V8 but that's without droop snoop,,,, Fond memories,,Thanx for a great vid and have a fab Sunday,,
Philip Koen ,,,, Yes great cars,,, due to climate and make do and mend there are still many similar cars in SA,,, MK2 Ford Escort sports £3000 pay tax,shipping still good value,,,the biggest prob is the interiors suffer due to the hot sun and the colour options over there are a bit loud,,,more SA cars are appearing here in UK as over here the tin work and salt has killed many a car,,,,
Irfan Khan Some other SA specials are the Capri Perana V8, the Sierra XR8 (also a V8), Alfa GTV6 3.0, BMW 333i (3.2 L M30 six cylinder engine) and the Renault Alconis.
I admit when i was younger i had the 2.3 magnum pretty much a 4 door viva with a big engine and i fitted the that nose to it myself , the thing would eat just about anything of the lights and just keep going and going, that 2.3 was a very strong engine and i think for its time one of the best vauxhall ever made.
Vauxhall were on a big marketing muddle for much of the 70s and the Viva/Magnum/Firenza conundrum was a significant part of the chaos. This was a fast car for the era but had almost no cachet. From most angles it was a 1200cc Viva shopping car. It was thirsty at a time of cost awareness and the market was opening up to imports. This is an interesting snapshot of the UK motoring industry at the time... But there is a reason why sales totalled to the square root of sod all.
130bhp isn't bad even by today's standards. Those ZF gearboxes took a bit of getting used to with reverse being where first would ordinarily be. These are virtually all gone now. Of the examples that are left most are show cars. You don't even see Chevettes anymore.
Now I know where the Oldsmobile J-Car variant from the '80s got its' name... It even had mostly the same front stance sans the glass covers (amazed GM used that over plastic like nowadays) over each set of beams.
Top of range Vauxhall Viva. The basic Vivas had the 1250, and the more upmarket had 1800 engines. There was even at 2300 V6. The coupes were called Firenza with all engines. And there was the Magnum that was better than the lesser Vivas.
Dad had a base model 1250 HC Viva in the 1970s, The Firenza was the coupe model, not sure if it had both the small engine and the 1800 engine. I think there was also a 2.3 litre. The Magnum was the posh Viva with the bigger engine.
I’d have a few of These Vauxhall Viva’s / Vauxhall Frenza’s to own as well as the Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2 Hatchback & Saloon GL / GLS / CD / CDI. Astra Mk1 / Astra Mk2 / Opel Kadett’s / Mk2 Diesel / Mk3 Opel Kadett Astra Petrol & Diesel. Opel Rekord / Opel Commodore / Opel Ascona / Vauxhall Opel Vectra’s. Vauxhall Vectra / Opel Vectra.
The front end was very ahead of it's time and no doubt influenced similar snoots on late 70s and 80s GM products here in the US. On the Vauxhall it looks a little odd as the front looks more modern than the car it is attached to. Also did it really make it sigificantly more aerodynamic given the rest of the car's overall shape? Like many cars of the 70s, the would be more aerodynamic going in reverse.
I’m not 100% sure but I seem to remember a chevette with a 2.3 ltre engine and a brace of dials just forward of the gear stick. I ordered a taxi one morning (late for work) and that’s what turned up (think they had a problem with their regular cars), anyway I made the train lol
I had a couple of Sprints. They were quick, comfortable and handled well. Maybe Doyle thought an RS2000 was a bit more of a boy racer which suited him well (or the Sprint kept breaking down!)
matnrach The Dolomite was the first production car to have 16 valve as well. It was quick for it's time. Not sure how it matched up against the RS2000 though. I'd of assumed the RS2000 was quicker but I wouldn't bet on it. The RS was clearly the better seller though.
Ettore Bugatti developed a single overhead camshaft 4-cylinder 1368cc engine with 4-valves per cylinder way back in 1910. The first double overhead cam 16 valve engine was designed by Peugeot and fitted to their L76 Grand Prix car in 1912. The first mass-produced car using four valves per cylinder was the British Jensen Healey in 1972 which used a Lotus 907 belt-driven DOHC 16-valve 2-litre straight-4 producing 140 bhp. The 1973 Triumph Dolomite Sprint used an in-house developed SOHC 16-valve 1,998 cc straight-4 that produced approx. 127 bhp
Those look like pretty standard '70s GM four-lug rally wheels, they were really common on Chevy Monzas and it almost looks like those still have bowtie logos on the center caps.
The wheels were specially made for the HP Firenza. They had a steel band inside the wheel so the tyre could not come off in a blowout. The band had to be unbolted before the tyre could be removed. They were manufactured by Avon. ( Avon safety wheel)
Proper ITV Top Gear program ALL about new cars, not watching 3 idiots smashing up towed caravans or riding motorcycles between and Hanoi, that’s when BBC lost all control of the real intent of motoring programs to the viewing public. ITV, and latterly C5 has always shown the way on motoring programs....
Am I the only one that wishes modern cars would lean in corners again and actually soak up bumps? Every car I've been in since about 1995 has had a 'sporty' feel. ie bouncy. I don't want sporty, I want to not feel speedhumps :( Should I just buy a Citroen C6?
Just buy a car from the 70s/80s. I did and never looked back. It is true they ride far superior compared to the modern vehicle. Another added bonus is that so much can be maintained by the home mechanic, instead of a trip to the garage for every little thing. Go for something Jap if you want the reliability or Ford if you want the street cred.
Just buy a car from the 70s/80s. I did and never looked back. It is true they ride far superior compared to the modern vehicle. Another added bonus is that so much can be maintained by the home mechanic, instead of a trip to the garage for every little thing. Go for something Jap if you want the reliability or Ford if you want the street cred.
Odd ball for the time. As in, if you had any thing other than a ford or a mini you were considered a bit "different " That droop snoot 2.3 was considered to be a bit special at the time and 1/3 again the price of the 2.0Ltr capri. Infact it was about the same as the 3.0Ltr if i remember correctly. It was quite some time ago☠
I’d love to see a Clarkson driven piece on that car. It was not handling well at all. 30 seconds to 100mph? What was it doing with all that horsepower?
He has the same voice as that computer guy in Willie Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. I am now telling the computer I would be willing to share the grand prize.
