THE FINAL FLOURISH
Some cars have the good fortune to be launched at precisely the right time and with the benefit of proper promotion, while others suffer from the opposite fate and never really seem to make an impression even though they may possess many virtues. The VX 490 Five Speed is a case in point. It seemed to materialise in Vauxhall’s 1977 brochures to little fanfare, and relatively few enthusiasts will be able to identify it correctly today, but to see Tim Clark’s Coppertone Starfire example is to appreciate one of the most intriguing British sports saloons of its era. As its proud owner observes: 'It really is wonderful. It can easily be used daily in any environment and just isn’t like an old car to drive.’
Luton introduced the first VX 4/90 in 1961 as a sporting version of the new FB-series Victor – the name derived from a VauXhall with a four-cylinder engine capable of 90mph. It was subsequently available in FC, FD and finally FE forms, the last-named with a 2279cc slant four OHC engine. January of 1976 appeared to mark the end of the brand, because when the FE range was extensively revised as the VX 1800/2300, there
