vauxhall

Vauxhall Motors has been a subsidiary of General Motors Corporation (GM) since 1925. In the rest of Europe Vauxhall cars are branded as Opel.

The original company was founded by Alexander Wilson in Vauxhall, in London, back in 1857. Rather than being able to look for used Vauxhall cars in 1857, you’d be more likely to find marine engines and pumps. It wasn’t until 1903 that Vauxhall produced its first car. The car wasn’t quite the smooth running vehicle they are known for today; instead it was steered with a tiller and had just five horsepower. It also only had two gears, forwards and reverse.

At the time the company traded under the name Vauxhall Iron Works, and it wasn’t until two years after their move to Luton in 1905 before Vauxhall rebranded to Vauxhall Motors in 1907.

One of Vauxhall’s early cars was the Y-Type Y1, which was built to compete in the RAC & Scottish 2000 Mile Reliability Trials in 1908. The car was a huge success, beating all other cars in its class by an average of 37 seconds.

Today Vauxhall is better known for mass produced cars at affordable prices, such as the Vauxhall Zafira, which became the first MPV to feature in a list of the top 10 selling cars in the UK.

Source: Vauxhall Motors | Opel

Vauxhall 2010 Meriva

Vauxhall 2010 Astra

Vauxhall 2010 Insignia VXR Sports Tourer

Vauxhall 2012 Ampera

Vauxhall FLEXtreme Concept

In 2008, Vauxhall and its Euro sister Opel introduced a pioneering headlight technology called Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL), which provides a clear advantage in terms of active safety and comfort.

AFL, which combines swiveling Bi-Xenon headlights with a light that turns at a 90 degree angle for intersections and narrow corners, is being offered on the 2009 Car of the Year Vauxhall Insignia. Vauxhall and Opel are the first car manufacturers to make this new lighting technology available for a wide spectrum of customers by offering it in midsize cars.

The idea is to make driving in the dark and in bad weather conditions easier and above all safer. According to the latest figures from Germany’s Federal Statistics Bureau, more than 40 percent of all automobile accidents resulting in death occur at night, despite the fact that there is up to 80 percent less traffic on the road than during the day. This comes as no surprise. Scientific studies have shown that visual perception, with which we absorb 90 percent of all traffic relevant information, is reduced to as little as four percent when visibility is poor at night. The Adaptive Forward Lighting System provides an added measure of safety in autumn and winter especially, when fewer daylight hours, late sunrise, early dusk and frequent rain and fog, create poor visibility.

Compared to standard headlights, the new Adaptive Forward Lighting system offers the following additional functions:

Curve-light: The swiveling front headlights shine at an angle of up to +/- 15 degrees, depending on the steering angle and car speed. Curves are better illuminated by up to 90 percent. This not only contributes to increased safety and car control, but also enhances the dynamic driving characteristics of the car and ensures additional safety and comfort.

Turning-light: Junctions and narrow bends receive additional wide-angle lighting. The illumination is nearly 90 degrees to the direction of travel over a distance of approximately 30 meters from the car. The turning-light is designed to function only at speeds up to 50 km/h, so that it does not activate in situations like lane changes on the motorway.

Main-beam headlight: Bi-Xeon lights provide extremely powerful lighting on main-beam. With Vauxhall’s sophisticated Bi-Xenon system, dipped-headlights and main-beam can be projected on the road through one single Xenon bulb per headlight. A movable aperture in the beam path allows the switching of dipped-headlights to main-beam. The advantages are an especially intensive and bright beam of light, which has the same color as dipped-headlights.

Source: Opel | carmagazine.co.uk | Vauxhall.co.uk

Being a true pioneer in the car industry is a mixed bag.

When a car maker puts themselves out there with a new model or innovation, green or otherwise, anything less than perfection off the block and the hammer falls. Kudos received from any genuinely trailblazing ideas get tempered quickly by the harsh reality of consumer review mags and newspapers which invariably pick to pieces other details… (’great mileage!’, ‘low emissions!’, ‘efficient design!’ – plain interior?? - 2 stars, of 5).

Sound familiar? It’s rare when an innovative car such as the 2009 Vauxhall Astra EcoFLEX gets the accolades it deserves for having its priorities in order.

That’s exactly what has happened with the new Astra. This month, London’s Telegraph newspaper review team put Vauxhall’s newest EcoFLEX offering under the microscope. They looked it over; kicked the tires, played with the dials, drove it on busy city streets and let it loose on the motorway - and it is quite apparent they liked what they saw.

A few direct quotes from the telegraph.co.uk review:

“…the driving ergonomics are brilliant, with a low-slung, chunky gearlever providing short, neat changes between the six ratios and a small, responsive steering wheel. The chassis has been lowered and feels firmly planted through corners, with the nose swift to change direction.”

“…the engine is a sweet thing. I was expecting a lot of noise and diesel vibration to be transmitted into the cabin, on the assumption that much of the insulation would be taken out to save weight, but it positively purred at idle. On the go, a squeeze of the throttle releases a strong spurt of acceleration and it’s so much fun you don’t notice how quickly the power delivery dips as the revs continue to rise.”

“…the figures speak for themselves: carbon emissions of 119g/km put the car into tax band B (VED costs £35 a year) and it has an EU Urban fuel consumption rating of 50.4mpg. In return you get a maximum 108bhp and 191lb ft of torque, which doesn’t sound like much, but I was astounded at how much fun the Astra was to drive.”

“…it’s entertaining around town and, all the while, you’re getting about 50 miles to the gallon. This is clever engineering, so toes and fingers should be crossed that the future of Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port factory is secure. The company is producing some very good cars at the moment - the Insignia (Car of the Year), the terrific Corsa and the sweet-looking Agila, for instance - and the Astra EcoFLEX is another to add to the list.”

They even liked the interior.

“…interior came as a pleasant surprise”

With the interior passed, you know you’re on to a good thing.

It’s official - the 2009 Astra EcoFLEX is a winner. Check out the full review on the Telegraph.co.uk 2009 Astra EcoFLEX Review and Vauxhall.co.uk virtual showroom for the full line of Vauxhall’s EcoFLEX cars.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk Motoring page | Vauxhall.co.uk

If, likely when, the UK Government announces a new car scrappage scheme in its budget on April 22nd, the potential environmental impact will be debated ad nauseum, or worse. So, before we get lost in the back and forth of it all, let’s go straight to the experts and find out the real score.

UK consumer advocate website cleangreencars.co.uk weighed in and the verdict is clear: a carefully targeted scrappage incentive for car owners could boost car sales while achieving a long-term reduction in CO2 emissions.

If a scrappage incentive (‘bangers for bucks’) scheme were available for new cars emitting under 130g/km of CO2 (the EU target for 2012), and, it were used to scrap cars which are at least 10 years old - cleangreencars calculations show that savings in CO2 output would more than balance the extra CO2 produced in the manufacture of the cars.

Who are we to argue that? What’s good for the environment is good for us all. Debate all you want, but you can’t possibly make an argument against that point. The cleangreencars numbers suggest that any short-term spike in CO2 output that would result from the scrappage of old cars and the manufacture of new cars is more than overridden by the additional low-emission cars. The national vehicle population would provide a net CO2 emissions reduction within six years time. Indications are that any government incentive scrappage plan would apply to cars and light vans that produce more than 150g/km CO2 and that are more than eight years old. If this is indeed the case, an even greater net benefit than stated above would occur, as a greater number of cars would be eligible for the offer.

It is expected that the scrappage scheme will allow consumers to take back approximately £2,000 from the value of their old car and put it towards a new or nearly-new, “greener” car. But will this incentive be enough to kickstart the entire sagging UK car industry? That’s a question for another blog. But far as the environment is concerned, the numbers show that the benefits of introducing a scrappage scheme in the UK is indisputable.

No debate required, actually. Your 2 cents are welcome below.

SOURCE: cleangreencars.co.uk | Vauxhall.co.uk

If you thought the domestic car industry was going to the heap, turns out you might be right.

You might remember the car scrappage scheme that existed some years ago in Ireland and other parts of Europe. It offered a money incentive to consumers who were prepared to trade in their old cars in an effort to remove cars ten years and older from our roads. It seems this scheme, or one similar, is set for a return. This week, tucked into the UK budget, introduction of a car scrappage scheme in the UK seems a certainty.

Well done Gordon, that’s only a year behind every other major country in Europe. Maybe he was waiting for Liechtenstein to get onboard as well, we’re not sure, but one thing we do know is that EU giants Germany, France, Italy and Spain are already in the midst of clearly successful government funded scrappage schemes. With calls for action for the UK’s struggling automotive sector have growing louder by the day, it finally looks as though some sort of plan is on the way here too.

As you might imagine, domestic major car manufacturers like Vauxhall are completely sold on the plan as well. Why? There is plenty of evidence that getting bangers off the road is just good business. In Germany, the coalition government is set to extend the €2,500 scrappage premium for consumers who trade in their 10-year-old cars for newer, more fuel-efficient models. The plan has attracted 570,000 new car buyers so far. The French equivalent, worth €1,000 for each car, has also boosted sales, prompting Renault to move its production of the Clio model back to France and create 400 jobs.

The proof is in the pudding. While sales have been falling dramatically in the UK - new car registrations in Germany rose 40% in March and in France increased by almost 10%.

On the back of the obvious success indicators, there has also been a public outpouring of support for the plan. From E-Petitions on the official website of the Prime Minister’s office http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/scrappagescheme/ to the UK blogosphere, majority opinion seems to be in support of anything that gets the industry jumpstarted. In an unprecedented move, the editors and publishers of Britain’s biggest car magazines and websites have recently joined forces to urge the Government to support demands to stimulate new car sales in the UK.

When the scheme gets the expected go ahead, the voucher would apply to cars and light vans which produce more than 150g/km CO2 and which are more than eight, perhaps nine, years old. When consumers trade in their older, less environmentally-friendly cars, they would save up to £2,000 on a new or nearly-new vehicle. For this reason, scrappage should appeal to ministers since it would help the Government achieve its target of a 20% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2020 and furthermore a market recovery would see an increase in tax from car sales. This makes the scheme virtually self-funding, thanks to the resultant increases in VAT takings.

Will the bangers for bucks scheme be the savior some make it out to be?

We’re about to find out.

SOURCE: The Times | Vauxhall.co.uk

Men think about sex every six seconds, so the legend goes.

But it could be more than that.

If you look at any car magazine or car manufacturer’s website these days, you’d be hard pressed to deny it. What is it with motoring journalists that they cannot be content with providing us with facts and figures about the cars they are trying to sell, but instead they have to resort to sexual innuendo to get their point across?

Stiff chassis you can easily throw around; good, strong grip; dynamic chassis; sleek, sexy body; nice curves, the list of double entendres is endless (perhaps just for those that have a dirty mind).

Is it just that providing information about car parts, engine capacity and fuel is so dull that motoring writers feel the need to spice things up a bit, or, is it rather because a man’s car is a status symbol and therefore needs to be sexy? Like the footballer who has a hot blonde on his arm, a man likes to feel that his car should be his ‘trophy bird’?

For as long as cars (and indeed other modes of transport) have existed, men have referred to their pride and joy in female terms and have used the pronoun ‘she’ when talking about their car’s performance- unlike their ‘other’ pride and joy, of course, which is always given a masculine name. And quite rightly so.

Many car manufacturers have clearly cottoned onto the idea that sex sells. Sensing a man’s tendency to ‘feminise’ his car, top car maker Vauxhall has wisely given its cars names that could be considered female, presumably in the hope that female names will get male consumers hot under the collar and eager to put their hands in their pocket… to get their wallet out and buy a car, I mean… (you, my friend, have a dirtier mind than me).

Vauxhall’s range of car names mostly end in the letter ‘a’ and for those of you who remember your schoolboy Latin, or indeed have studied romance languages, you will know that words ending in ‘a’ are usually feminine.

Agila, Vectra, Insignia, Corsa, Zafira, Meriva, Astra, Tigra…they all sound like female Goddesses who are about to give you… well, to coin a much-loved motoring journalistic expression… the ride of your life!

What are the other sexiest car names out there today?

SOURCE: Vauxhall.co.uk

Let the debate begin.

Today’s question in the ‘Desert Island’ series, we ask the age old question - if you could only choose one (1) - which reasonably priced car manufacturer would you take (imagine: on a desert island / to dinner with you / in a cage fight / wherever).

You know what we’re on about.

Just one. It’s not as easy as it sounds. Consideration has to be given to the entire line of cars within the manufacturer’s fleet. From the bottom feeders (ie. lower priced models) up through their very best. When you make your choice, remember, you get them all, good and bad. The idea of today’s debate is to find the one economy car manufacturer that shines across the entire range. Or, at least stays away from that one truly unsightly blemish, the one car in the entire line that looks like it’s been set on fire and put out with a chain. Or should do.

I’m looking at you, Picasso.

When you think about it, they all have ‘that ONE pig ugly car’, don’t they. Some, like Citroen, have plenty of mingers to choose from. Others are let down by that one model so very bad that the whole line is tainted. Pick Volkswagen and yes, you get the Golf, the new Beetle and the Passat. But you also get the new Rabbit. Are YOU going to drive the new Rabbit? Thought not. For purposes of THIS debate, consider Volkswagen ‘nicht gut’.

Toyota surely have some lovely cars in their fleet. They also have the Verso, the Yaris and across the board the worst set of car model names of any manufacturer in automotive history. Avensis, anyone? Sorry, Toyota.

Mitsubishi? Some of the best looking vehicles on the road, without doubt. And, a mini-van straight out of 1989 in the Grandis. What it lacks in Grand, it makes up for in Diss.

Sayanora.

Our American cousins from Ford excel at truck manufacturing and lay claim to many fine car models as well. With 2009 offerings like the Kuga (Cougar, spelled in American?) on the way, it looks like they’ve just given up now. The end is nigh. Ford, may you rest in peace.

Volvo. Volvo, yes! Decent looking cars. Maybe plain, but nothing horrendous. Wait, they make the V50 Tank/Wagon thing, don’t they? Scratch Volvo.

In this debate - one weak link lets down the entire family. Maybe your parents were right after all.
It’s hard to argue with Jeremy Clarkson and the UK Top Gear team. In an episode last season they gave some serious, intelligent, well thought out discussion to the issue (1 minute, 30 seconds to be exact).

And who did they pick?

They came up with Vauxhall.

Vauxhall?

TOP GEAR UK VAUXHALL REVIEW

Don’t sound so surprised (to our North American friends, visit - Vauxhall.co.uk). Vauxhall has come a long, long way in their design recently. In fact, they now have to be considered across the board the best looking car manufacturer. And if Jeremy Clarkson says so, it has to be right doesn’t it? Are YOU going to take issue with the biggest petrol-head in Europe, a man revered, a man with such gravitas he was put forward by 475,000 Facebook members to become Prime Minister of England?

Maybe we’ve gone too far, but take a look at each model in the Vauxhall range individually and you’ll see Clarkson has a point. The entire 2009 Vauxhall line is solid, top to bottom. Let’s take a closer look…

We’ll start with what’s bound to be the most contentious pick first. The Meriva. While admittedly not possessing the Hollywood good looks of some of its stable mates - let’s face it, it’s no Berlingo.

The Corsa is, well, the Corsa. Like most of the girls you used to date - not SUPER attractive, but small and light enough that you can get away with it. Maybe a bit more popular than your girlfriends tended to be though.

The Vauxhall Antara. If not the best looking SUV in its price range, we welcome your opinion to what you think might be. Pretty.

The Corsavan? Automobile review website WhatVan.co.uk just awarded the Vauxhall Corsavan “Small Van of the Year”. Small vans have never been so popular and according to ‘What Van?’, Corsavan is the best of the lot. Nice going, Corsavan.

The design of the Agila and Astra easily hold their own against the competition, and the Tigra, VXR and New Insignia are undeniably some of the best looking cars in the world, at any price.

All in all, the author sees no reason to veer from PM (to be) Clarkson’s view that Vauxhall has ‘no mingers’ in the range. And you? What’s your input… agree? Disagree?

Digg?

Who’s on the desert island with YOU?

Let the debate begin. We’ve stated our case. State yours below!

1970 Vauxhall SRV

The Vauxhall SRV (Styling Research Vehicle) was a 1970 concept vehicle designed by Vauxhall Motors. Never intended for production, the car was an attempt to raise Vauxhall’s profile and image, while providing a platform for researching some unusual design concepts.

1970 Nissan 270x

The 270x concept was introduced at the Tokyo Motorshow in 1970. The aggressive style was not matched with its performance - the base mechanicals were from the Nissan E10 Cherry. The Cherry’s 1171cc motor was slope mounted into a FWD design in which the exhaust system exited the back in order to conform to the sloping design.

1973 Chevrolet Aerovette

The interior was more fully engineered than the typical concept car, another indication that the Aerovette was indeed a serious production prospect. The Aerovette displayed a strongly triangulated “mound” shape, balanced proportions, and artful surface detailing. “Gullwing” doors harked back to the original Mercedes 300SL coupe but were articulated for easier operation in tight parking spots.

1970 Ferrari 512 S Modulo

The Ferrari 512 S Modulo is a concept car designed by coach maker Pininfarina, unveiled at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show. The Modulo was the last in a series of studies. The concept car has an extremely low body with a Canopy-style roof that slides forward to permit entry to the cabin. All four wheels are partly covered. Another special feature of the design consists of twenty-four holes in the engine cover that reveal the Ferrari V12 engine.

1970 Porsche Tapiro

The Porsche Tapiro was designed legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1970. It was based on the Porsche 914/6 platform and featured a mid mounted 2.4 litre flat 6 cylinder Porsche engine, giving 220 bhp and 7200 rpm. Like so many concept cars of the time, it had gullwing doors and the profile of the windscreen was almost the same angle as the bonnet. In recognition of his talent, Giurgiaro was awarded the Car Designer of the Century by the Global Automotive Elections Foundation.

1972 E25 BMW Turbo

The E25 BMW TURBO prototype was built as a celebration for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. The car had a Turbo fitted 1,990cc BMW 4 cylinder engine. The car weighed just 980kg and featured gullwing doors and an ergonomically considered interior. Safety was another consideration in its design, with an integrated passenger roll-cage, crash safe deformable structures front and rear of the car and a collapsible steering column, thanks to 3 universal joints. Only 2 E25 cars were ever built.

1978 Vauxhall Equus

The Equus was the last concept car designed for Vauxhall under the guidance of Wayne Cherry, who was at the time head of European design for General Motors. After the Equus, Vauxhall did not resume producing show cars again until 2003. The Equus was an elegant but simple two-passenger roadster design based on the Panther Lima chassis - a typical, hand-built British roadster, featuring a Vauxhall drive train.

SOURCE: Conceptcarz.com | Vauxhall.co.uk