What kind of car is this

[HDDan]

This is a picture of my great aunt in England in the 50s. Trying to figure out what it is

[Rob Hall]

Vauxhall Cresta.    

The '57-62 'PA' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vauxhall_Cresta

Edited April 12, 2018 by Rob Hall

[Ro3bert]

I hope someone recognizes it, I don't think I've ever seen one like it while I was in England. I'ts kind of a pretty car.I know it can't be but the emblem in the center of the grill resembles the Lancia or Maserati mark. On the other hand the piece on the hood (bonnet) is totally unrecognizable.

Robert

Looks like I'm wrong for the second time in my life. 

Edited April 12, 2018 by Ro3bert

[Atmobil]

Yes, it is a Vauxhall Cresta.

[Atmobil]

Here is an image of one that looks much like that one but in opposite colors:

https://www.hagertyinsurance.co.uk/price-guide/1960-Vauxhall-Cresta

Edited April 12, 2018 by Atmobil

[Atmobil]

Or maybe it is a Velox, read here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vauxhall_Velox
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vauxhall_Cresta

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

I lived in New Zealand in the mid 70's. These cars were all over the place. Dreadful machines... -RRR

[HDDan]

My first thought was a zephyr because of the grill but the hood threw me off because it made me think of a Studebaker then the tail fins really threw me off. I was stumped.

 

Thanks for the help.

[ChrisBcritter]

Sweet photo! From what I've read in British car magazines, they're the equivalent of the '57 Chevy for collectible/nostalgia value in England.

[Richard Bartrop]

Those were everywhere in British Columbia when I was a kid.  In my youthful imagination, they were baby Chevies.

[Spex84]

I took some photos of a couple Vauxhalls in a field south of my hometown a few years ago. Sadly, they've since been crushed.  As Richard has mentioned, they were imported to Canada and were fairly common here at one time. 

They're funky little critters, but the one in your photo looks like a clean example!

Edited April 13, 2018 by Spex84

[peekay]

I have this very nice 1.43rd model from Vanguards, UK:

Hosted on Fotki

[Anglia105E]

Yes I am remember this Vauxhall Cresta as a child, and thinking then how American the car looked! The two-tone paint and the whitewall tyres add to this appearance. Quite a nice design I think, even now, and the similarities with the '57 Chevy are there, as others have said on here.

David

[dodgefever]

14 hours ago, Ro3bert said:

I hope someone recognizes it, I don't think I've ever seen one like it while I was in England.

Unless you were here when they were new, you'd be unlikely to.  They were notorious rot boxes.

[Ro3bert]

2 hours ago, dodgefever said:

Unless you were here when they were new, you'd be unlikely to.  They were notorious rot boxes.

I was there in 1958 and 1959. Traveled over much or Eastern England including London, so probably during the rusting time.

Robert

[Richard Bartrop]

It's definitely a Cresta.  The Velox doesn't have the same trim, or that badge on the door, which turns out to be the word "Cresta"

The lack of taillights on the fins would narrow it down to a '60-62 model

Edited April 13, 2018 by Richard Bartrop

[Earl Marischal]

An uncle of mine had a two-tone blue example. Quite posh for its day.

steve

[Aaronw]

Odd, despite the GM connection I would have guessed Ford related. I get more of a 50s Ford or early Ford Falcon in the styling, not really seeing Chevy. 

 

Nice looking car, I assume it was a smaller car, Ford Falcon / Chevy II sized? 

[Richard Bartrop]

21 minutes ago, Aaronw said:

Odd, despite the GM connection I would have guessed Ford related. I get more of a 50s Ford or early Ford Falcon in the styling, not really seeing Chevy. 

 

Nice looking car, I assume it was a smaller car, Ford Falcon / Chevy II sized? 

Really?  I thought that roofline was classic 50s GM.

[Rob Hall]

51 minutes ago, Aaronw said:

Odd, despite the GM connection I would have guessed Ford related. I get more of a 50s Ford or early Ford Falcon in the styling, not really seeing Chevy. 

 

Nice looking car, I assume it was a smaller car, Ford Falcon / Chevy II sized? 

It's definitely 60s compact size, 105 inch wheelbase, 177 inch length.   A bit smaller than the Falcon or Chevy II.

Speaking of the Chevy II, the generation of Cresta that came after this---the 1962-1965 Cresta PB, has a passing resemblance to the first gen Chevy II..

[Aaronw]

9 hours ago, Richard Bartrop said:

Really?  I thought that roofline was classic 50s GM.

 

 

I can kind of see that, but overall the car reminds me of a 52-54 Ford borrowing some styling cues from front end of the 57 Ford. I feel like I know what the Ford Falcon would have looked like if it came out in the 1950s instead of 1960.

 

I think it is the relatively plain sides, most of the 1950s Chevy's had a lot more going on with the sides. Taking another look though I can definitely see a strong resemblance to a low option '55 Chevy 150.

[Aaronw]

9 hours ago, Rob Hall said:

It's definitely 60s compact size, 105 inch wheelbase, 177 inch length.   A bit smaller than the Falcon or Chevy II.

Speaking of the Chevy II, the generation of Cresta that came after this---the 1962-1965 Cresta PB, has a passing resemblance to the first gen Chevy II..

 Now this one I defiantly can see the Chevy influence. 

[HotRodaSaurus]

He I am in 1981 with my Cresta, a 1960 version. back then these were what we English referred to as Old Bangers. No one was really interested in them except Teddy Boys and Banger Racers(destruction type derby) though it was the start of the so called 'Classic Car' interest. Nothing really classic about it in my opinion and still non today but many will challenge that, especially an owner thinking ££££. 

The underside is exactly the same layout and design as my 1960 cadillac but without any air ride. Usually a 2.2 litre straight six it was an easy cart to work on 1 hr for a DIY mechanic with no special tools to change a clutch,  the big engine bay was easy to shove an American V8 in without too much trouble as lots of customisers and racers did in the late 70s and 80s. There was virtually not much in the way of extras in the way of power this and power that, though you could get a clock but a radio was extra as was overdrive for the column change 3 speed manual gear box. Auto trans was also available but mine did not have that.
 

Driving it was great but handling another thing. A bit like the Cadillac, like a waterbed on wheels, 0-60mph in about a minute haha. Just about everybody states they banged their knee on the windshield post, well I never hit mine and neither did my passengers, just folk law created by Ford enthusiasts. As for passengers, with the full bench in the front get the girlfriend to cuddle up to you and cruise. 

Estate versions were built by outsiders but in my opinion(again), one of the worse designs ever as the rear wraparound screen did not take well to being extended.

The big Ford Zephyr and Zodiac Mk2s were far better cars to drive, the Consul being grossly underpowered even in those days and was generally more comfortable I had 3 Ford Mk2s and only 1 Cresta though both Vauxhall and Ford rusted dramatically.
 

The PB in the lower photo's are nowhere near in the same league of collectorbillty but getting more so since the price of the Fords and Cresta/Velox are a little silly these day, especially for projects as most of the best ones have been done up.
Though I love these old cars as part of my lost youth I like to think they were what they were, I drove or rode even, all the vehicles in these photo's and treated them with the respect or sometimes disrespect they deserved.
Nice to reminisce about my old 'Passion Wagon's' (Close encounters of the female kind) 

pics are as follows.

Me posing with bike and Cresta after being refused part of stand in for Al Pacino in Cruising.

My old Zodiac around 1983

 

 

Same Zodiac, 

After I sold it, last seen masquerading on a trailer as a so called Collectors car hahahaha

 

 

Mk3 Ford Zephyr again around 83, Underpowered rubbish.

Edited April 15, 2018 by HotRodaSaurus
added photo's

[HotRodaSaurus]

Revell made a 1/43rd scale model of this. I think it was the mid range model with the 'open' mouth and oval tail lights. The later cars also had a roller speedometer. imagine a paint roller with a spiral colour going around it in the same style as a barber pole  but with only one stripe going all the way down. This was also carried over to some of the PB Vauxhall series. The PC went back to dials.

[ChrisBcritter]

Here's the car that's supposed to be the Cresta/Velox's strongest influence:  the 1954 Pontiac Strato Streak concept.