The Vauxhall Cresta was the upmarket version of the Velox, itself a six-cylinder Wyvern, and was sold from 1954 to 1972 in four generations: E, PA, PB and PC. The PA of 1957 is the best remembered, with its American-style tail fins and wrap-around windows, and the Viscount was its most luxurious derivative.
Vauxhall Cresta at a glance
| Maker | Vauxhall Motors, Luton |
|---|---|
| Production | 1954–1972 |
| Generations | E (1954–1957), PA (1957–1962), PB (1962–1965), PC (1965–1972) |
| Related | Vauxhall Velox and Wyvern |
| Engine | 2,262 cc six-cylinder |
| PA engine | 82.5 bhp at 4,400 rpm |
| PA gearbox | three-speed, with overdrive from 1960 |
| PA top speed | 89.8 mph; 94.7 mph with overdrive |
| PA price | £1,073 including taxes in 1958 |
| Viscount | 1966–1972, an upmarket Cresta PC |
Written from the English Wikipedia article on the Cresta, with the German article for background.
History of the Vauxhall Cresta
The Cresta was introduced in 1954 as an upmarket version of the Velox. The Cresta E used the same 2,262 cc six-cylinder engine in the same state of tune but offered leather or fabric upholstery, optional two-tone paint, a heater as standard, a small electric fascia-mounted clock, a cigar lighter, a boot lamp and a vanity mirror on the passenger’s sun visor, plus a special ornamental badge above the V on the nose. A radio was optional. A facelift in October 1955 brought deeper front and rear screens, proper winding windows instead of balanced drop windows, separate amber flashers and standard windscreen washers, and October 1956 added a new grille with horizontal bars, a higher compression ratio and electric wipers. The Motor tested a Cresta in 1956 at 82.2 mph and 0–60 mph in 20.2 seconds, at 23.5 mpg; the car cost £931 including taxes.
The PA Cresta was announced on 2 October 1957 and mimicked the American fashion for tail fins, wrap-around windows and white-wall tyres, taking its cues from Harley Earl’s 1954 Pontiac Strato-Streak concept; Opel offered a similarly styled car at the time in the Kapitän P1. All factory-built PAs were four-door saloons, with estates converted by Friary of Basingstoke. Front suspension was independent on coil springs with an anti-roll bar, the rear used a rigid axle and semi-elliptic springs, and Lockheed 9-inch drum brakes were fitted all round. The 2,262 cc six had pushrod overhead valves and a compression ratio of 7.8:1, with a single Zenith carburettor, producing 82.5 bhp at 4,400 rpm through a three-speed gearbox. The cabin had leather and nylon upholstery, woven pile carpet, a standard heater and a handbrake under the dashboard with a column gearchange so that six people could sit across the bench seats. The Motor recorded 89.8 mph and 0–60 mph in 16.8 seconds at 25.2 mpg in 1958, for £1,073 including £358 of tax; with overdrive in 1960 it reached 94.7 mph and 15.2 seconds.
The PA was facelifted in August 1959 with a larger grille and a single wrap-around rear screen, the ribbed roof giving way to a smooth contour and the Vauxhall flutes on the front wings disappearing in favour of a straight chrome side moulding. In August 1960 a new 2,651 cc engine of square dimensions arrived with 95 bhp at 4,600 rpm, along with larger wheels and brakes. Australian assembly of the PA began in May 1958 under General Motors-Holden and continued for later models until 1965.
The Cresta continued through the PB of 1962 and the PC of 1965, and from 1966 the Viscount took the model further upmarket as a more luxurious Cresta PC, staying in production until the Cresta line ended in 1972.
Design and features
- Tail fins: the PA of 1957 brought American styling to Vauxhall’s big saloon.
- Six-cylinder power: a 2,262 cc engine, later 2,651 cc.
- Luxury trim: leather, carpet, heater and clock from the first Cresta E.
- Viscount: the most luxurious Cresta, sold from 1966 to 1972.
- Friary estate: the rare PA estate converted outside the factory.
Vauxhall Cresta versions
- Cresta E (1954–1957): the first upmarket Velox.
- Cresta PA (1957–1962): tail-finned saloon, 2,262 cc then 2,651 cc.
- Friary estate: a converted PA estate, rare today.
- Cresta PB and PC: the later generations, 1962–1972.
- Viscount (1966–1972): the luxury version of the PC.
The Cresta was the upmarket sister of the Velox and Wyvern, and it was replaced at the top of the range by the Viceroy. More cars are in the Vauxhall collection.
Sources
- Vauxhall Cresta, English Wikipedia: generations, equipment, prices, road tests
- Vauxhall Cresta, German Wikipedia: model history
