The Vauxhall SRV, or Styling Research Vehicle, was a concept car of 1970 designed by Wayne Cherry and Chris Field for Vauxhall. It was never intended for production, and it was built as a research platform for new design ideas rather than as a running car.
Vauxhall SRV at a glance
| Maker | Vauxhall Motors |
|---|---|
| Year | 1970 |
| Type | concept car, Styling Research Vehicle |
| Designers | Wayne Cherry and Chris Field |
| Height | 41 inches (104 cm) |
| Seats | four adults |
| Doors | four, with concealed rear door handles |
| Engine | 2.3-litre Slant-Four, transversely mid-mounted, fuel injection |
| Claimed top speed | 225 km/h (140 mph) |
| Running | never, the engine was a mock-up |
Written from the English Wikipedia article on the SRV, with the German article for background.
History of the Vauxhall SRV
The SRV was an attempt to raise Vauxhall’s profile and image while providing a research platform for novel design concepts. Its exterior was inspired by the short-nosed, long-tailed Le Mans racers of the time, yet it could seat four adults in comfort despite being just 41 inches (104 cm) high. The design had fixed front seats with all of the driver’s controls adjustable for position, angle and reach, so that different drivers could be accommodated without moving the seat.
The car had four doors, with the rear doors handle-less and largely disguised — a feature that took more than thirty years to reach production cars. It could change its aerodynamic profile with an adjustable aerofoil in the nose section, had electrically adjusted suspension levelling at the rear, and could redistribute fuel between tanks to adjust its centre of gravity. The instruments were fixed to a pod hinged to the driver’s door.
The engine was a 2.3-litre transversely mid-mounted Slant-Four with fuel injection, and a top speed of 225 km/h (140 mph) was claimed. In reality the engine fitted to the SRV was a mock-up: the car was unable to run under its own power, and the necessary transverse transmission was never developed. The SRV has been displayed more recently, including at the London Classic Car Show in March 2017.
Design and features
- Adjustable controls: the driver’s seat was fixed and the pedals, wheel and instruments moved instead.
- Concealed rear doors: handle-less rear doors, decades before production cars adopted them.
- Adjustable aerofoil: a moving nose section to alter the aerodynamic profile.
- Moving weight: fuel could be shifted between tanks to change the centre of gravity.
Vauxhall SRV versions
- SRV concept (1970): the only car built, a non-running design study.
The SRV previewed ideas later seen in production Vauxhalls, and it joined the XVR among the company’s 1960s and 1970s concept cars. More cars are in the Vauxhall collection.
Sources
- Vauxhall SRV, English Wikipedia: design, features, engine, display
- Vauxhall SRV, German Wikipedia: concept background
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