VIVA LAVIVA!
The original HA-series Viva was a smash hit for Vauxhall, with almost 310,000 built in just three years.
The company wanted to stay ahead of the game, however, and in 1966 it introduced the second-generation model, codenamed HB and featuring a stylish ‘Coke bottle’ look that lasted four years. The Viva HC then arrived at the start of the ’70s, its contemporary styling and wide range of models helping it to remain on sale for almost the entire decade. And these days, both the HB and HC models offer a refreshing and more affordable alternative to the best-selling Ford Escort.
Beneath the HB’s handsome exterior sat an enlarged (1159cc) version of the HA’s powerplant, while the car as a whole had also grown, gaining an extra seven inches in length as well as boasting an estate option. The Viva could now compete not only with Ford’s ageing Anglia but also lower-spec versions of the Cortina, which by 1966 had evolved into bigger Mk2 guise. Arriving in 1968, meanwhile, was the Viva 1600, featuring uprated suspension and a 1.6-litre, 83bhp OHC engine for an improved handling and performance
