Vauxhall Wyvern
Encyclopedia
The Vauxhall Wyvern is a medium sized family car introduced by Vauxhall
in 1948 as a successor to the Vauxhall 12. The name comes from the mythical beast the Wyvern
and may be due to a mis-identity of the heraldic Griffin
on the Vauxhall badge.
The Wyvern's body was of integral (chassisless) construction
, as pioneered by Vauxhall with their prewar Vauxhall 10
design. Independent torsion bar suspension was fitted at the front with a traditional semi-elliptic set-up for the rear axle.
The bonnet / hood could not be opened from outside without first being released from inside the car by means of a knob operated cable release. Other features included the chromium plated 'finger-pull' at the top edge of each window permitting each window to be opened to precisely the required level.
Contemporary sales material highlighted optional extras which included a heater from which warm air was evenly distributed between the front and back areas of the passenger cabin and which could be set to de-ice the windscreen in winter or to provide cool air ventilation in summer. Also available at extra charge was an AM radio integrated into the facia.
The Wyvern shared its body with the six cylinder Vauxhall Velox
. Prominently chromed flutes along each top side of the hood / bonnet recalled famous Vauxhalls of the pre-war era.
A car tested by the British magazine The Motor
in 1950 had a top speed of 62.6 mph (100.7 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-50 mph (80.5 km/h) in 28.3 seconds. A fuel consumption of 30.9 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £479 including taxes.
, three-box
shape in a monocoque
body. A modest increase in power to 35 bhp permitted a claimed top speed above 62 mi/h despite the car's increased size. As before, a more powerful Vauxhall Velox was available with the new body.
5313 were made.
A year after the launch of the rebodied Wyvern the car received a new 1507 cc engine available with two different power outputs of 40 or 48 bhp. Maximum speed rose to 72 mi/h. More performance was available from the six cylinder Vauxhall Velox and (from 1954) Cresta versions. The Wyvern sold well on the UK market until its replacement with the more radically styled Vauxhall Victor FA
in 1957.
A car with the 40 bhp engine tested by the British magazine The Motor
in 1952 had a top speed of 71.6 mph (115.2 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 37.2 seconds. A fuel consumption of 30.4 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £771 including taxes.
105,275 were made.
from 1938 to 1957.
, Tourer and "Caleche" body styles, the latter being a two door roadster with a folding windscreen. The Wyvern had a 94 inch wheelbase and used a 10 hp engine. Production ceased in 1941 but was resumed in 1946, using pre-war tooling.
. 1957 was the last year for the Coupe Utility and the Vagabond was not included in the facelifted E Series range released in April 1955.
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...
in 1948 as a successor to the Vauxhall 12. The name comes from the mythical beast the Wyvern
Wyvern
A wyvern or wivern is a legendary winged reptilian creature with a dragon's head, two legs , and a barbed tail. The wyvern is found in heraldry. There exists a purely sea-dwelling variant, termed the Sea-Wyvern which has a fish tail in place of a barbed dragon's tail...
and may be due to a mis-identity of the heraldic Griffin
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
on the Vauxhall badge.
Wyvern LIX (1948 - 1951)
The conventional four door saloon featured a four cylinder motor of 1442 cc delivering an advertised 33 bhp was capable of a maximum speed of approximately 60 mi/h. The column mounted gear change was linked to a three speed manual gear box, and incorporated synchromesh on the top two ratios. 9.125 in (232 mm) drum brakes, hydraulically operated, were fitted.The Wyvern's body was of integral (chassisless) construction
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
, as pioneered by Vauxhall with their prewar Vauxhall 10
Vauxhall 10-4
The Vauxhall 10 is a small British built four door saloon first shown in public in October 1937. A striking structural innovation, following the pattern set in 1935 by GM's German subsidiary, was the Ten's integral construction which suggests that it was designed by Vauxhall to enjoy a long life...
design. Independent torsion bar suspension was fitted at the front with a traditional semi-elliptic set-up for the rear axle.
The bonnet / hood could not be opened from outside without first being released from inside the car by means of a knob operated cable release. Other features included the chromium plated 'finger-pull' at the top edge of each window permitting each window to be opened to precisely the required level.
Contemporary sales material highlighted optional extras which included a heater from which warm air was evenly distributed between the front and back areas of the passenger cabin and which could be set to de-ice the windscreen in winter or to provide cool air ventilation in summer. Also available at extra charge was an AM radio integrated into the facia.
The Wyvern shared its body with the six cylinder Vauxhall Velox
Vauxhall Velox
The classic four-door saloon boasted a newly developed straight-six-cylinder engine of 2275 cc, with overhead valves. The power output provided for a claimed top speed of...
. Prominently chromed flutes along each top side of the hood / bonnet recalled famous Vauxhalls of the pre-war era.
A car tested by the British magazine The Motor
The Motor (magazine)
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
in 1950 had a top speed of 62.6 mph (100.7 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-50 mph (80.5 km/h) in 28.3 seconds. A fuel consumption of 30.9 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £479 including taxes.
Wyvern EIX (1951 - 1957)
In 1951 a completely new Wyvern was launched, featuring a modern PontonPonton (automobile)
Ponton or Pontoon styling refers to a 1930s-1960s design genre — ultimately the precursor of modern automotive styling. The trend emerged as distinct running boards and fully articulated fenders became less common and bodywork began to enclose the full width and uninterrupted length of a car...
, three-box
Three-box styling
Three-box design is a broad automotive styling term describing a coupé, sedan, notchback or hatchback where — when viewed in profile — principal volumes are articulated into three separate compartments or boxes: engine, passenger and cargo....
shape in a monocoque
Monocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
body. A modest increase in power to 35 bhp permitted a claimed top speed above 62 mi/h despite the car's increased size. As before, a more powerful Vauxhall Velox was available with the new body.
5313 were made.
A year after the launch of the rebodied Wyvern the car received a new 1507 cc engine available with two different power outputs of 40 or 48 bhp. Maximum speed rose to 72 mi/h. More performance was available from the six cylinder Vauxhall Velox and (from 1954) Cresta versions. The Wyvern sold well on the UK market until its replacement with the more radically styled Vauxhall Victor FA
Vauxhall Victor
The original Victor, launched on 28 February 1957, was dubbed the F series and saw a production run totalling over 390,000 units. The car was of unitary construction and featured a large glass area with heavily curved windscreen and rear window. Following then current American styling trends, the...
in 1957.
A car with the 40 bhp engine tested by the British magazine The Motor
The Motor (magazine)
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
in 1952 had a top speed of 71.6 mph (115.2 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (96.6 km/h) in 37.2 seconds. A fuel consumption of 30.4 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £771 including taxes.
105,275 were made.
Australian production
General Motors-Holden's produced a Vauxhall Wyvern model in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from 1938 to 1957.
H Series
GMH introduced a locally built Vauxhall Wyvern model to the Australian market in 1938, ten years prior to the use of the Wyvern name in England. Based on the British Vauxhall H Series, it was produced in Sedan, RoadsterRoadster
A roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant...
, Tourer and "Caleche" body styles, the latter being a two door roadster with a folding windscreen. The Wyvern had a 94 inch wheelbase and used a 10 hp engine. Production ceased in 1941 but was resumed in 1946, using pre-war tooling.
L Series
The L Series Wyvern was produced from 1949 to 1952. It was offered with an Australian developed Sedan body, an Australian "Caleche" Tourer body or with the English Sedan body. The Australian Sedan differed from its English counterpart in having a more rounded boot and an additional side window behind the rear doors.E Series
The E Series Wyvern was produced from 1952 to 1957. In addition to building a 4 door sedan, GMH developed a Vagabond 2 door convertible and a Coupe UtilityCoupé utility
The coupé utility automobile body style, also known colloquially as the ute in Australia and New Zealand, combines a two-door "coupé" cabin with an integral cargo bed behind the cabin—using a light-duty passenger vehicle-derived platform....
. 1957 was the last year for the Coupe Utility and the Vagabond was not included in the facelifted E Series range released in April 1955.
Further reading
- Culshaw, David & Horrobin, Peter: The Complete Catalogue of British Cars 1895-1975, Veloce Publishing plc., Dorchester (1997), ISBN 1874105936