If you are interested in owning a family-sized classic from the 1970s, then the last generation of the Vauxhall Viva (known as the HC) is well worth considering. Manufactured between 1970 and 1979, it competed with two models from Ford, the Cortina and the Capri, and nowadays it is often the cheaper alternative despite being the rarer car.
The HC was available as a two- or four-door saloon, a three-door estate and a twodoor coupé, with trim options dictated mostly by letters and ranging from Standard, de Luxe, E and L to SL and GLS (not all at the same time as some were introduced later and others were dropped). Initially powered by an 1159cc overhead valve engine, its capacity was increased to 1256cc in 1972. Other engine options were also available, including a 1599cc and 1975cc SOHC (known as the slant four because of its tilted position in the engine bay), which were increased to 1759cc and 2279cc in 1972.
The two-door coupé Firenza was manufactured between 1971 and 1973, initially powered by a range of OHV and SOHC engines. In late 1973, the Vauxhall Magnum was launched and marketed as a separate upmarket model with either a 1759cc single-carb or 2279cc twin-carb engine, whilst the Viva HC continued to be available with 1256cc and 1759cc engines. To add further complications to the model line-up, the desirable High Performance Firenza (HPF) two-door coupé was produced between 1974 and 1975, recognised by its Droopsnoot angled front. And in 1976, the Magnum Sports Hatch estate appeared (it was never officially launched and didn’t even have a brochure), which was a threedoor sport hatchback with a Droopsnoot front, Extra Dark Wine exterior paintwork and a hard-to-miss
