Vauxhall Firenza
Encyclopedia
The Firenza is a model of car offered by Vauxhall Motors
from May 1971 till 1975. It was a development of the Viva
, but had a distinctive coupé
body style (fastback) and only two doors.
The initial Firenza was available in a base model 1159 cc overhead valve
and two models with overhead camshaft, in 1598 cc and 1975 cc variants. The latter was the same engine as used in the earlier Viva GT. Some six months after launch, in December 1971, performance was boosted when the engine capacities were enlarged to 1256 cc, 1798 cc and 2279 cc respectively. All models had a front-mounted four-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels. Suspension was double wishbone and coilsprings at the front, and a live
rear axle with trailing arms and coils at the rear. The SL model in each engine size carried the highest level of trim.
The model changes in early 1972 included the introduction of a top-of-the-line 2300 Sport SL model (introduced at the Geneva Motor Show), using the 2279 cc engine. The 2300 Sport SL was the only version to feature the seven dial dash (speedometer
, clock, rev counter, fuel, oil pressure, water temp, & battery charge). The engine was an inclined four-cylinder with single overhead camshaft
and twin Stromberg carburettors, producing 122 bhp. The oversquare straight four engine was renowned for its big torque curve, making the car very flexible and easy to drive. The interior was equipped with bucket seats, front and back, to carry four persons. The centre console with heater controls and warning lights was quite distinctive and luxurious for the time.
The 2300 Sport SL was raced in by the Dealer Team Vauxhall
, following their successes with the Viva GT. In Castrol colours, these cars enjoyed many successes.
, and featured two pairs of Cibié headlamps behind toughened glass
covers. The overall look was somewhat reminiscent of the Renault Alpine A310
, and used the same headlamp units.
At that time, the original flat-fronted Firenza model was rebadged as the Magnum
coupé, and the name Firenza was used exclusively for the HP version. This car was an exciting styling departure for Vauxhall, and certainly created something of a buzz. The engine was the 2.3-litre variant of the OHC Slant Four
engine, uprated to a very torquey 131 bhp using a variety of parts developed by Blydenstein racing. It had twin 175 Stromberg carburettors, high-lift camshaft
and free-flow tubular exhaust manifold
. The car was restyled on the David Jones original by American designer Wayne Cherry
and the result was an exceptionally low drag coefficient
for its time. Suspension was uprated and lowered, brakes uprated, and a 5-speed ZF dog leg gearbox
was installed, a much stronger unit than fitted to the standard model (though rather noisy). Another unusual and unique feature of the car was the alloy Avon Safety Wheel
s, which were designed to retain the tyre safely in the event of a puncture. This was the first car to use these wheels in production. All production cars were painted in the same colour - Silver Starfire, and featured a largely black interior with silver-grey cloth seats. An unusual interior feature of dubious utility was the passenger grab handle on the dash in place of the standard glovebox
.
The car was a design triumph for Vauxhall, but a marketing failure. The car was launched to much publicity in a special one-off race at Thruxton
circuit in Hampshire
, with top drivers of the day taking part including Gerry Marshall
and Barry "Whizzo" Williams, who won the race. However, the fuel crisis of the time meant that suddenly it became very hard to sell gas-guzzling cars like this (even though the aerodynamics
increased fuel economy greatly, reducing the power needed to attain its top speed by some 30 hp), and coupled with some production line difficulties in actually building the car meant that sales and delivery were slow, and eventually just 204 examples were built, far short of the 30,000 projected. This very low volume was obviously a disaster for Vauxhall, but ironically it has led to the car becoming a very collectible classic, thus ensuring its survival—some of the much more common production cars produced alongside it can be now harder to find. Celebrity owners of droopsnoot Firenzas are footballer Luther Blissett
and formerly sports commentator Stuart Hall.
The Firenza was also very successful in saloon car racing in the 1970s, especially in its Old Nail and Baby Bertha versions, piloted to great effect by Gerry Marshall
.
Despite the low production run, the aerodynamic qualities and styling of the "droopsnoot" were incorporated, with improved productionisation
, into most of Vauxhall's remaining 1970s new models: the Chevette
, Cavalier
and Carlton
. The Firenza can be seen as a styling prototype for these models. Its influence can be judged from the fact that Ford
adopted a very similar look for its Mk II RS2000 Escort
and the 1982 Ford Sierra
, which in turn were widely copied throughout the 1980s by others. For this reason, the HPF looks far less dated than many of its contemporaries.
". It is located in a back street, near roadworks. It has a mainly white body, with green and red stripes running along the sides, accompanied by a large red Griffin.
The Droopsnoot Firenza's front end strongly influenced the design of the Arcadipane "Concorde" body kit
marketed for the Ford Falcon XB, famously portrayed by the Pursuit Special
in the Mad Max
films.
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...
from May 1971 till 1975. It was a development of the Viva
Vauxhall Viva
The Viva was a small family car produced by Vauxhall Motors in a succession of three versions between 1963 and 1979. These were known as the HA, the HB and the HC series....
, but had a distinctive coupé
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
body style (fastback) and only two doors.
The initial Firenza was available in a base model 1159 cc overhead valve
Overhead valve
An overhead valve engine, also informally called pushrod engine or I-head engine, is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft within the cylinder block , and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder...
and two models with overhead camshaft, in 1598 cc and 1975 cc variants. The latter was the same engine as used in the earlier Viva GT. Some six months after launch, in December 1971, performance was boosted when the engine capacities were enlarged to 1256 cc, 1798 cc and 2279 cc respectively. All models had a front-mounted four-cylinder engine driving the rear wheels. Suspension was double wishbone and coilsprings at the front, and a live
Live axle
A live axle, sometimes called a solid axle, is a type of beam axle suspension system that uses the driveshafts that transmit power to the wheels to connect the wheels laterally so that they move together as a unit....
rear axle with trailing arms and coils at the rear. The SL model in each engine size carried the highest level of trim.
The model changes in early 1972 included the introduction of a top-of-the-line 2300 Sport SL model (introduced at the Geneva Motor Show), using the 2279 cc engine. The 2300 Sport SL was the only version to feature the seven dial dash (speedometer
Speedometer
A speedometer is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a land vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the 1900s, and as standard equipment from about 1910 onwards. Speedometers for other vehicles have specific names...
, clock, rev counter, fuel, oil pressure, water temp, & battery charge). The engine was an inclined four-cylinder with single overhead camshaft
Overhead camshaft
Overhead cam valvetrain configurations place the engine camshaft within the cylinder heads, above the combustion chambers, and drive the valves or lifters in a more direct manner compared to overhead valves and pushrods...
and twin Stromberg carburettors, producing 122 bhp. The oversquare straight four engine was renowned for its big torque curve, making the car very flexible and easy to drive. The interior was equipped with bucket seats, front and back, to carry four persons. The centre console with heater controls and warning lights was quite distinctive and luxurious for the time.
The 2300 Sport SL was raced in by the Dealer Team Vauxhall
Dealer Team Vauxhall
Dealer Team Vauxhall or DTV was set up in January 1971 and closed in 1981Formed by Vauxhall Dealers to circumvent the General Motors and Vauxhall ban on Motorsport...
, following their successes with the Viva GT. In Castrol colours, these cars enjoyed many successes.
Droopsnoot Firenza
In 1973, Vauxhall acknowledged that their rather dull model range needed a makeover, and developed a radical version of the Firenza, known officially as the High Performance (HP) Firenza, but known colloquially as the "droopsnoot" after its dramatically styled aerodynamic nose. The nose was moulded from GRPGlass-reinforced plastic
Fiberglass , is a fiber reinforced polymer made of a plastic matrix reinforced by fine fibers of glass. It is also known as GFK ....
, and featured two pairs of Cibié headlamps behind toughened glass
Toughened glass
Toughened or tempered glass is a type of safety glass processed by controlled thermal or chemical treatments to increase its strength compared with normal glass. Tempering creates balanced internal stresses which cause the glass, when broken, to crumble into small granular chunks instead of...
covers. The overall look was somewhat reminiscent of the Renault Alpine A310
Alpine A310
The Alpine A310 was a sports car built by French manufacturer Alpine, from 1971 to 1984.Dieppe-based Alpine, once an independent company specialising in faster Renaults, later a Renault subsidiary, established a fine competition history with the Alpine A110 winning the 1973 Monte Carlo Rally and...
, and used the same headlamp units.
At that time, the original flat-fronted Firenza model was rebadged as the Magnum
Vauxhall Magnum
The Magnum was a car manufactured by Vauxhall Motors from 1973 to 1978. First seen at the London Motor Show in October 1973, the Magnum as was an HC Viva with a larger engine, more luxurious interior, vinyl roof, higher trim level and twin headlights...
coupé, and the name Firenza was used exclusively for the HP version. This car was an exciting styling departure for Vauxhall, and certainly created something of a buzz. The engine was the 2.3-litre variant of the OHC Slant Four
Slant Four
The Slant Four is a type of car engine manufactured by Vauxhall Motors and in modified form by Lotus Cars. Unveiled in 1966, it was one of the first production overhead camshaft designs to use a rubber toothed belt to drive the camshaft from the crankshaft , a method developed in 1956 by Bill...
engine, uprated to a very torquey 131 bhp using a variety of parts developed by Blydenstein racing. It had twin 175 Stromberg carburettors, high-lift camshaft
Camshaft
A camshaft is a shaft to which a cam is fastened or of which a cam forms an integral part.-History:An early cam was built into Hellenistic water-driven automata from the 3rd century BC. The camshaft was later described in Iraq by Al-Jazari in 1206. He employed it as part of his automata,...
and free-flow tubular exhaust manifold
Manifold (disambiguation)
A manifold is an abstract mathematical space which, in a close-up view, resembles the spaces described by Euclidean geometry.Manifold may also refer to:-Science and engineering:...
. The car was restyled on the David Jones original by American designer Wayne Cherry
Wayne Cherry
Wayne K Cherry is a noted American car designer is responsible for the conversion of Opel-style lines into the British Vauxhall or American counterparts for General Motors...
and the result was an exceptionally low drag coefficient
Drag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
for its time. Suspension was uprated and lowered, brakes uprated, and a 5-speed ZF dog leg gearbox
Dog leg gearbox
A dog leg gearbox is a manual transmission layout with an up-over-up shift between first and second gear. The layout derives its name from a dog's hind leg, with its sharp angles.-Automobiles:...
was installed, a much stronger unit than fitted to the standard model (though rather noisy). Another unusual and unique feature of the car was the alloy Avon Safety Wheel
Avon Safety Wheel
The Avon Safety Wheel was a new type of wheel for cars, invented by the Avon Tyre Company of Britain in the early 1970s. With the advent of radial tyres, taking over from the older crossply type, it was found that in the event of a puncture or blowout, the tyre would be much more prone to detach...
s, which were designed to retain the tyre safely in the event of a puncture. This was the first car to use these wheels in production. All production cars were painted in the same colour - Silver Starfire, and featured a largely black interior with silver-grey cloth seats. An unusual interior feature of dubious utility was the passenger grab handle on the dash in place of the standard glovebox
Glovebox
A glovebox is a sealed container that is designed to allow one to manipulate objects where a separate atmosphere is desired. Built into the sides of the glovebox are gloves arranged in such a way that the user can place their hands into the gloves and perform tasks inside the box without breaking...
.
The car was a design triumph for Vauxhall, but a marketing failure. The car was launched to much publicity in a special one-off race at Thruxton
Thruxton, Hampshire
Thruxton is just off the A303 road five miles west of Andover. It is a village with a Manor House, thatched cottages and village green...
circuit in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, with top drivers of the day taking part including Gerry Marshall
Gerry Marshall
Gerry Marshall was a British saloon car racing driver, and, according to a 2002 magazine poll, one of the best drivers of all time.- Career :...
and Barry "Whizzo" Williams, who won the race. However, the fuel crisis of the time meant that suddenly it became very hard to sell gas-guzzling cars like this (even though the aerodynamics
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with...
increased fuel economy greatly, reducing the power needed to attain its top speed by some 30 hp), and coupled with some production line difficulties in actually building the car meant that sales and delivery were slow, and eventually just 204 examples were built, far short of the 30,000 projected. This very low volume was obviously a disaster for Vauxhall, but ironically it has led to the car becoming a very collectible classic, thus ensuring its survival—some of the much more common production cars produced alongside it can be now harder to find. Celebrity owners of droopsnoot Firenzas are footballer Luther Blissett
Luther Blissett
Luther Loide Blissett is a former professional footballer and manager, who is currently a first-team coach at Hemel Hempstead Town. Blissett played as a striker, and is best known for his time at Watford, whom he helped win promotion from the Fourth Division to the First Division...
and formerly sports commentator Stuart Hall.
The Firenza was also very successful in saloon car racing in the 1970s, especially in its Old Nail and Baby Bertha versions, piloted to great effect by Gerry Marshall
Gerry Marshall
Gerry Marshall was a British saloon car racing driver, and, according to a 2002 magazine poll, one of the best drivers of all time.- Career :...
.
Despite the low production run, the aerodynamic qualities and styling of the "droopsnoot" were incorporated, with improved productionisation
Productionisation
Productionisation is the process of turning a prototype of a design into a version that can be more easily mass produced. It is almost always a necessary step in the development of any product, since it is rare that the initial design is free from flaws or construction methods which make it...
, into most of Vauxhall's remaining 1970s new models: the Chevette
Vauxhall Chevette
The Chevette was a supermini model of car manufactured by Vauxhall in the UK from 1975 to 1984. It was Vauxhall's version of the family of small "T-Cars" from Vauxhall's parent General Motors ; the family included the Opel Kadett in Germany, the Isuzu Gemini in Japan, the Holden Gemini in...
, Cavalier
Vauxhall Cavalier
The Vauxhall Cavalier is a large family car sold primarily in the UK by Vauxhall Motors, the British division of General Motors , from 1975 to 1995...
and Carlton
Vauxhall Carlton
The Vauxhall Carlton was an executive car that was sold by Vauxhall in the United Kingdom from 1978 to 1994.-Mark I :The first Vauxhall Carlton was introduced in late 1978 as a replacement for the ageing VX1800/VX2000 saloons...
. The Firenza can be seen as a styling prototype for these models. Its influence can be judged from the fact that Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
adopted a very similar look for its Mk II RS2000 Escort
Ford Escort (European)
The Mark I Ford Escort was introduced in the United Kingdom at the end of 1967, making its show debut at Brussels Motor Show in January 1968. It replaced the successful long running Anglia. The car was presented in continental Europe as a product of Ford's European operation...
and the 1982 Ford Sierra
Ford Sierra
The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....
, which in turn were widely copied throughout the 1980s by others. For this reason, the HPF looks far less dated than many of its contemporaries.
Performance
- Top Speed: 120 mi/h
- 0-60 mph: 8 seconds
- Economy: 25 miles per gallon
Other appearances
The Droopsnoot Firenza appeared in the computer game "The Getaway: Black MondayThe Getaway: Black Monday
The Getaway: Black Monday is an open world action video game, developed by SCE London Studio and distributed by Team Soho, it was released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2. It is set in London and take its cues from British gangster movies such as Get Carter, The Long Good Friday and Lock, Stock and...
". It is located in a back street, near roadworks. It has a mainly white body, with green and red stripes running along the sides, accompanied by a large red Griffin.
The Droopsnoot Firenza's front end strongly influenced the design of the Arcadipane "Concorde" body kit
Body kit
A body kit or bodykit is a collection of exterior modifications to a car, typically composed of front and rear bumpers, side skirts, spoilers,paint jobs, and sometimes front and rear side guards and roof scoops. There are many companies that offer alternatives to the original factory appearance of...
marketed for the Ford Falcon XB, famously portrayed by the Pursuit Special
Pursuit Special
The Pursuit Special is the fictional model of car driven by the officers of the fictional MFP in the Mad Max franchise of films.-Mad Max:...
in the Mad Max
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
films.
External links
- The Vauxhall Viva Owner's Club (Owner's Club catering for all Viva models)
- DroopSnoot Group (Owners' Club catering for Vauxhall's 'droopsnoot' model cars, including the Firenza, Magnum and Chevette HS/R)
- VBOA (Vauxhall, Bedford and Opel Association)
- Viva Outlaws (Owners Club catering for modified and racing Vivas, owners of the Viva GT Register)
- Viva Drivers Club (Owners Club catering for all Viva models, for owners who wish to drive their Vivas)