THE VAUXHALL VIVA HA AT 60

The 26^th September 1963 was an important date for Vauxhall – the public launch of their first post-war car. To promote the "1-litre car with the millionaire ride," there was a cinema commercial featuring Peter Gilmore, with a six-minute advertising feature screened on ITV on the 29^th September. In addition, the company commissioned a six-minute PR film starring Katie Boyle, for Luton left nothing to chance when promoting the "lovely, lively, spacious, gracious" Viva HA.

That original HA series model founded a dynasty that lasted for 16 years. Vauxhall aimed the first Vivas at motorists who regarded the BMC ADO16 as too boldly advanced, the Ford Anglia 105E as too flamboyant and the Triumph Herald as too expensive. From a dealer's perspective, the all-synchromesh transmission, rack & pinion steering, and a large boot were major sales features.

As for the Viva's looks, the best term is probably "cuboid". In profile, the HA resembles a child's drawing of a car, almost literally three boxes on wheels. Autocar also noted a "remarkable similarity" to the Opel Kadett A, which debuted the previous year. Luton's management considered building a small car in 1959, and the Viva was based on the Kadett floorpan. However, Vauxhall did not mention this connection in their publicity, while Opel imports to the UK would not commence until 1967.

The cheapest HA was the Standard model at £527 7s 1d and buyers could choose from five paint finishes. Vauxhall did not offer a four-door version, possibly because that would increase the price by at least £15. The De Luxe cost £527 7s 1d and proved far more popular, not least because a heater, passenger sun visor and 'Screenclean' washers were standard equipment. To impress their neighbours, the proud owner could also specify four more colour schemes, including Jade Green' or Storm Grey. Servo-assisted front disc brakes were a worthwhile extra at £15 2s 1d, as were seat belts at £4 4s each.

The Viva's ride and handling impressed Small Car, the precursor to Car magazine, and the motoring correspondent of The Observer found the Viva's gear lever – "a delight to use". He praised the lively acceleration and the "surprisingly flexible" 1,057cc engine. Autocar found the HA "outstandingly easy to drive", but Motor thought it "commanded respect rather than great enthusiasm for its virtues from our testers". By contrast, Motor Sport was more positive: "It is economical, needs very infrequent greasing, is modern yet unobtrusive in appearance and is, perhaps most important of all, light and pleasant to drive".

Vauxhall transferred HA production from Luton to their new Ellesmere Port factory in June 1964. Two months later, the Bedford division introduced the HA Van, which, incredibly, remained in production until 1983, outliving the saloon by 17 years. The Folkestone coachbuilder, Martin Walter, offered an estate conversion of the Van as the 'Bedford Beagle'. You can imagine the Two Ronnies' Four Candles gentlemen musing over the Beagle's £618 16s 8d price tag and wondering if the optional overriders justified another £1 19s.

Meanwhile, those drivers who craved a little more performance than a standard Viva could provide could order the 'GT' treatment from the Jack Braham works in Surrey. Customers could order twin SU carburettors, a hand-fabricated intake manifold, a close-ratio gearbox, a front anti-roll bar, lowered suspension, and a free-flow exhaust. Naturally, this fine car boasted a side flash to cause a stir in the rotary club car park, and especially keen motorists would specify a Smith's tachometer and a wooden-rimmed steering wheel with a matching gear knob.

John Bolster evaluated the full £259 5s 'GTO' Brabham-converted Viva on the 8^th April 1966 edition of Autosport. His test car’s engine was bored out to 1,190cc, giving 80 bhp and an acceleration of 0 – 60 mph in 10.8 seconds. He found it "goes and handles like a sports car, though it is 'soft' enough for auntie's shopping jaunts". There appears to be some dispute about how many HAs were converted by Brabham, and the figure could be as low as 25. One sales challenge was a factory warranty did not cover his work.

Other Performance Vivas included the LawerenceTune GT, priced at a steep £781 2s 1d, built to special order and sold via the Shaw & Kilburn dealership. Former Mini Cooper owners who now required more boot space needed to call PRImrose 7788 to book a test drive. Bill Blydenstein also built tuned HAs, believing "The basic sound engineering is all there in the Viva". At the opposite end of the performance spectrum, the HA's road manners made it highly popular with driving schools.

As for the standard factory models, Vauxhall also built them in Australia (by General-Motors-Holden), Belgium, Denmark, New Zealand, Portugal, and South Africa. In January 1964, Chevrolet and Oldsmobile dealers in the vital Canadian export market began distributing the renamed 'Envoy Epic'. It became the country's best-selling car from the UK and their second most popular import behind the VW Beetle, despite advertising claims of "A Man's Car That Women Love".

By June 1965, the new SL flagship offered drivers "the last word in luxury," namely a grille and taillights from the Epic, rather stylish black-on-white instruments, Ambla upholstery, elaborate wheel trims, a lockable glove compartment and a "side flash in contrasting colour". The result was a direct rival to the Ford Anglia 123E Super, and in 1966, Vauxhall introduced the '90' engine tuner option for the De Luxe and the SL.

The 90 versions featured a raised power output from 50bhp to 60bhp, an ambitious 100 mph speedometer (the top speed was nearer 82 mph), servo-assisted front disc brakes and a water temperature gauge as standard. Vauxhall modestly claimed, "searing acceleration", while Autocar thought the £648 5d SL90 "a most likeable and practical small car".

The last of 309,598 HA saloons departed Ellesmere Port on the 29^th July 1966. Comparatively few survive today – Vauxhall's much-vaunted Magic Mirror's acrylic paint finish proved not much of a deterrent to corrosion. The first generation Vivas encountered at car shows deserve to be celebrated as one of the most significant cars to wear the Griffin badge. And a reminder that in 1963, a brochure might pose the vital question, "Did Woman have the first as well as the last word about the design of this spacious, vivacious Vauxhall?