Sportissimo – Robert Meldrum’s Vauxhall Viva HB De Luxe Estate

This is a totally and utterly subjective view, but this writer regards Robert Meldrum’s Viva HB as one of the most handsome estates of its era. Today, his white Vauxhall creates a stir whenever he goes for a drive, with amazed reactions from members of the public too young to recall the HB.

Vauxhall unveiled the Viva wagon in June 1967, claiming “Estates were once the ugly sisters of saloons”. Instead, here was a wagon that was “‘Sportissimo’ - Look at her. Slim. Smooth. Nimble. With a rakish fastback…She’s waiting now, with your local Vauxhall dealer”.

The Estate debuted several months after the HB saloon. Vauxhall apparently hoped to launch it at the 1966 London Motor Show but decided to fulfil the initial spate of orders first. To appreciate the impact of HB’s Estates, such as Robert’s, take a look at its domestic rivals 57 years ago. The De Luxe Estate cost £729 7s 9d, and for suburban decadents whose role model was Roger Moore, there was the SL at £787 3s 2d.

By comparison, the BMC 1100 Countryman/Traveller was £745; the Morris Minor Traveller De Luxe was £648, while the Triumph Herald 1200 Estate would set you back £712. The potential HB owner might also have considered the Ford Anglia 1200 De Luxe Estate (the Escort would not debut until 1968) for £682 or the Hillman Imp Husky for £622. Motorists who regarded brown shop coats as the height of fashion could also buy the Bedford Beagle – based on the HA Van – for just £635.

These were all worthy competitors, but none had the Viva’s ‘Coke Bottle’ styling. Vauxhall emphasised the 43.4 cubic feet load bay, while the HB Estate’s looks were a sales tool in their own right. There was no hint of goods yards and warehouses about the Viva; it was a ‘US-style leisure vehicle’ scaled down for British roads. Vauxhall did not offer the Estate in ‘Standard’ form as this was transport for those with at least ‘De Luxe’ aspirations.

When Autocar’s issue on 15 February 1968 evaluated an SL Estate with the optional ‘90’ performance pack, they described the HB as “a pacesetter in its class”.

Robert’s De Luxe dates from 1970 and is one of the last HBs, as Vauxhall introduced the replacement HC that autumn. And his Viva embodies The Daily Telegraph’s observation: “the new treatment enhances the car’s already elegant lines and, to my mind, converts it into a stylish hatchback”.

Plus, the Estate’s sleek lines “help keep her beautiful back window clean”.

With thanks to: Robert Meldrum