12 GRIFFIN ICONS FROM 12 DECADES OF VAUXHALL

Vauxhall is the UK’s oldest surviving home-grown brand, and their 117-year history is brimming with models that not only left an indelible mark on the face of British motoring, but also raised the bar in so many areas – performance, design, safety and technology. To celebrate that heritage, the company has provided this snapshot of the dozen decades that they have been manufacturing cars and commercials. Not all the vehicles they have chosen are the obvious ones, but taken all together they do show how Vauxhall’s models have changed radically to reflect the ever-changing demands and desires of British car buyers. So, from a tiller-steered, two-geared, chain-driven runabout to a near-600hp behemoth, welcome to Vauxhall’s long and varied product journey.

1: VAUXHALL 5HP LIGHT CAR

Built from 1903 (Vauxhall’s first year of car production) and known as the Light Car, this model featured a slow-revving, single-cylinder engine producing just five horsepower. Perhaps showing Vauxhall’s roots as a producer of marine engines, the Light Car was steered by a tiller, with its speed regulated by a brass hand wheel next to the driver. A two-speed epicyclic gearbox sent drive through a large chain to the rear wheels and, if they were determined, a driver could probably squeeze around 25mph from the little car.

This model – like all others manufactured in 1903 and 1904 – was built in Vauxhall’s original South London factory, where around 84 of this type rolled off the production line. The factory moved to Kimpton Road in Luton the following year, where it has been ever since.

The 5hp four-seater in the photograph (right) is the oldest of its kind in the world. It is part of Vauxhall’s Heritage Collection and is a