Though the differences have been eroded over the years, there’s always been a clear distinction between American and European cars – to the extent that swapping one from its regular environment to the other generally makes it stand out like a sore thumb. But back in the ’50s and ’60s, a few well-known manufacturers took their cues from the more extravagantly styled cars from across the pond as the US enjoyed a post-war motoring boom.
Granted, some of these came from American-owned companies with British car-making divisions, but we still thought of them as our own, while others were established Midlands firms looking to add transatlantic touches. Read on for a round-up of our favourites.
VAUXHALL
Having been acquired by American automaker General Motors in 1925, it was inevitable that Vauxhalls would carry stateside styling cues. However, things would really ramp up in 1957. In February of that year, the F-series Victor arrived as the replacement for the four-cylinder E-series Wyvern. With its curves and chrome, the F-series bore more than a passing resemblance to a 1950s Chevrolet – understandable, given it was largely a cut and paste of the ’55 Chevy Bel Air, with its exterior penned as part of a collaboration between the design team at Luton and Fisher Body Design in the USA.
During a visit to the UK, GM president Harlow Curtice reportedly made the decision that the F-series would be the first model in Europe with a panoramic windscreen. Inside, there was a continuation of the American theme with bench seats front and rear, and jukebox-style instruments. Bright LA-style Harvest Yellow and Gipsy Red colour schemes were also offered, breaking with the conventional palette of the period.
In 1959, Series II versions of both models arrived with more subdued styling; the signature US-style sculpted panels and flutes now gone. The Victor FB that followed in 1961 dispensed with
