VAUXHALL VICTOR F SERIES UK DEALER LAUNCH FILM

INTRODUCED BY VAUXHALL MD PHILIP COPELIN THIS FILM INTRODUCED VAUXHALL DEALERS TO THE NEW F SERIES VICTOR. THE CAR WAS INITIALLY A HUGE SUCCESS, MORE SO IN EXPORT MARKETS THAN IN THE UK, BUT IN FACT WAS LAUNCHED LONG BEFORE THE MANY FAULTS HAD BEEN CURED AND THE CAR SUFFERED FROM BUILT IN WATER LEAKS WHICH JUST ADDED TO THE CAR'S ABILITY TO RUST AWAY ON IT'S OWN. THE REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE IT CAUSED VAUXHALL TOOK YEARS TO REPAIR. © GM ARCHIVE
For more information on Vauxhall please go to ww.vauxpedia.net

[@VauxhallVictorMan]

Many of you have commented what a rot box the F series was. Well you are correct. Why, well it was by design. There were so many mud traps under the wings that within a year the rust had taken hold. Once the front hinge pillars holed then water seeped into the floor pan and soaked the thick felt used for sound deadening. So now the floor stayed wet and never really dried out. Once the floor had gone only the sills held the car together. They only had very thin metal under the wings and they rusted away very quickly so with the sills full of water the end was near. On 60 and 61 models a splash panel was fitted to the inner rear wings which did stop the rust but they never did the same for the fronts. Shame. Mechanically (if maintained properly) they could go easily over the 100,000 mile barrier. They were amazingly comfortable. A great car let down by design.

[@davidellis279]

My Uncle bought one of these brand new,he was fanatical about maintenance,he garaged it every night and leathered it off every time it was out in the rain,he diluted the old engine oil with diesel and sprayed the underside with it after every 3months,he had it about 6yrs and it was immaculate,he traded it in and a mechanic from the garage bought it,they of course fell to bits from rust but this one was A1 due to the oil treatment it received.

[@johnwh1039]

Lovely British film. The Victor was flown to the Continent. I was half expecting him to add '...you know, where foreign chaps live''

[@mr-wx3lv]

I remember them from my childhood, but they weren't the only cars that rusted badly, most of them did back then.

[@davidellis279]

My uncle had one brand new, he didn't under seal it he sprayed used engine oil under it every time he changed it and after six years of ownership it was like brand new while everybody else's had rotted away. A mechanic from the garage in Bury where he bought it from bought it of him and couldn't believe how good it was, I bet that car is one of the few left running today because of what he did. I put a secondhand front axle assembly on it for him because the original had cracked on the off/side suspension arm and he never trusted it after that so he sold it.

[@jonathancandy1766]

I have a 1960 F type estate. I have had 2 of these now and love the look. Always wanted a Chevy or Pontiac Nomad but for UK roads the smaller size is better and even though not as economical as a new car better fuel use than a big V8 and so much more style than most mundane modern cars :) .

[@daviddunmore8415]

I had one when I was living in Australia in the early 1970's. An original 1957 example with almost no rust (unlike the UK ones).

[@ewaf88]

Nothing to do with your climate then :)

[@williamcarrington3474]

What happened to the Holden ? This was rare taxi in Bahrein 1963 .

[@railtrolley]

It looks a bit like the FB / EK series Holden of the same era.

[@garryfrater7536]

I'm also a Aussie (born and breed) my folks had one not a bad car really. My 6 foot 6 brother would curse it everytime he got into the front the dash would knee cap him my mother named it the millionares baby because it had so many rattles but another wedge of paper would fix it. It took us from Sydney to Melbourne (in 1962 that was a really big drive) without so much as a jack handle and a roadtrip to South Australia 2 years later ( it did in a clutch at Yass) but all in all it was a good old girl.

[@garryfrater7536]

I'm also a Aussie (born and breed) my folks had one not a bad car really. My 6 foot 6 brother would curse it everytime he got into the front the dash would knee cap him my mother named it the millionares baby because it had so many rattles but another wedge of paper would fix it. It took us from Sydney to Melbourne (in 1962 that was a really big drive) without so much as a jack handle and a roadtrip to South Australia 2 years later ( it did in a clutch at Yass) but all in all it was a good old girl.

[@kevthedynamo]

It was basically a 1956 Chevy Belair with less chrome and a smaller engine. It was let down by Vauxhall importing cheap Italian steel which rusted.

[@johnmarsh2078]

I believe that they had to rush the Victor and Cresta through the production process at treble speed so that the sills didn't fall off with rust in the dealers' showrooms. Wotta rot-box they were.

[@1safariman]

Had to comment not only because of your surname but I had one of these with the chassis number of 4004 and was told that they started at 4000 yes you are right they did rust.

[@pjohnson9576]

john marsh hi john my uncle bought one new and after 3 years the bottom of the doors had rotted through, they certainly did rust

[@charlesbrain3872]

I know you are all talking about the UK and the victor.. was the 1961 and less rust prone? I note over here they fare better

[@bwghall1]

they were stored outside in a field then brought in and painted and the race was on. would the Victor crumble before the Renault. pub bet 1960s.

[@replevideo6096]

@@charlesbrain3872 Yes, Charles. The F and FS variant were notorious rot boxes. Having gained a bad name, the next model, the FB was quite the opposite. It seemed to last longer than most other cars. The FB model ran from 1961 to 1964, so I assume you refer to the FB. For identification the F and FS are basically the same car as in this video with minor body changes. The FB was a completely restyled body.

[@suttonreid7242]

My very first car, purchased from my dad in 1966. I especially liked the part of the film where they were explaining the "low center of gravity". However, after rolling mine while racing a friend on a motorcycle, I realized that my car probably never saw the film. ;) It was the perfect car for California, my home, because our state slogan is, "Rust? Don't bother me with stories of rust!".

[@rosskelly4200]

Thanks so much for posting this video. Lots of info not only about that specific model - spent a lot of time in one of those! - but also about the engineering and marketing of the time. Of course, the blowhards are out in force. But that's the coarseness of today's social media. A rare and valuable historical document! Thanks again.

[@robv1139]

Years ago my dad told me of a mate whos' son was learning to drive had one collapse in the garage, rear suspension came up through the floor!

[@harrygatto]

Many years ago when I was a humble mechanic, I jacked up the front of a Victor F model and then for safety put a couple of axle stands under the chassis legs and then let down the jack. I walked away to get my tools and heard an awful crunching noise as the chassis gave way and it settled back onto its wheels again with the stands sticking through the floor! Not a bad car for its time in many ways but the rust killed them all off eventually.

[@cliffbird2680]

Always knocked my knees getting in

[@lesreed7943]

Indeed - I recall much the same: jacked up o/s/f and the "chassis" just crumpled!

[@woolyhighlander7280]

You're not supposed to place jack stands under the floor, they go under the Frame !

[@nouvalari]

@@woolyhighlander7280 The chassis legs are welded to the floor, and in these Victors rust was a killer within 3 years.They along with the next model the 101, almost killed Vauxhall off within 6 years. The saving grace was the little Viva.

[@fk4515]

That's what we call "that great GM feeling" they learned so much 10 years later they came out with the Chevy Vega, figuring it the car couldn't run the rust would't be an issue, still people who bought cars actually wanted to drive them, for some reason GM had a hard time figuring that out

[@geoffcrisp7225]

My Dad's first car bought in 1963 secondhand. We covered many miles without any problems, just about keeping up with the rust. Door sill box sections were the worst, bless the inventor of fibreglass! Lovely to drive, seat six, large boot good reliability when motoring was enjoyable.

[@MajorKlanga]

Don't forget chaps, you can put your beer on the dashboard while driving and you won't spill a drop on the pleated or smooth vinyl seat.

[@paulbaker654]

My first car - a real "old banger". Passed my test in it but it virtually rusted away before my eyes. Mine was only 8 years old. My wife has just bought an 8 year-old Fiesta and it's like new.

[@frednutz1604]

Same here. I bought it from my dad. He had all the rust cut out & filled with lead, body filler not around then, so it was heavy. Blew a welsh plug at the back of the head & the only way to get to it was to lift the engine or cut a hole in the firewall. Had a lot of fun in that car.

[@anonov1]

.Had to use a drive on four post lift as chassis rust was bad . Lots of water traps in the body and mud traps in the fenders ( Wings.) especially behind the head lights. ...but just when you thought Vauxhall couldn't do any worse, along comes the PA. ! As for their engines being so wonderful....who thought putting the oil pump up by the cylinder head on the VX4/90 was a great idea ? Every one of those engines rattled like a tin can of marbles for 20 seconds or more on a cold start up....and adjustment of valve clearance after 60,000 miles needed new valve adjustment screws because the originals had worn a pocket in the adjustment screw.

[@ColinPrince]

Yes, I bought a red second hand Victor. The exterior was beautiful, but when driving it, you could feel it moving and it sounded very strange. I had it inspected and was told that the chassis was almost non existent. I took it back to the dealer and he never even hesitated to give me my money back.

[@TheOzthewiz]

OMG!!!!

[@mike969696]

Wonderful film. I really enjoyed the Alpine footage too!

[@m.leblanc1800]

My Dad's 1958 rusted immediately, we had to be told as little kids be careful getting in and out so we didn't cut ourselves. B y 1963 it just about crumbled to dust.

[@donborgal975]

Looks a lot like a mini 1957 Chevy crossed with a Nash. When I was a small boy the neighbor who lived in the house behind ours had one of these. He accidentally ran it into the back of our 2 car garage. I always liked the way these cars looked, but I rarely see one these days!

[@Giorg189]

Wow, 3 speed manual with 55 bhp! You can make a quick coffee before reaching 60 mph! Well, that's safety!

[@johnrroberts7900]

Yes, but a relatively large body to carry lots of people, and 31 mpg fuel consumption. And synchromesh on all forward gears (rare for column-shift at that time), so 1st could be used while on the move.

[@woolyhighlander7280]

My 1st. Brother in Law had a brand new 58 Vauxhall Victor Super, he drove it unmercifully, it was VERY impressive to say the least.

[@hjp1hjp22]

How many Vauxhall Victor Fs still exist in Britain? I love the American styling of this car an its big brother the Cresta PA. Ford had the American styled Consul and Zephyr at the same time, and contrasted with the bland Rootes and especially BMC cars of the same period. A Standard 8 for example may turn heads today but is dull as ditchwater.

[@1safariman]

HJP1 HJP2 on the app howmanyleft.co.uk it shows 7 Victors of which 3 are on sorn this is as of Sept 2020

[@holycrossplymouth]

I owned a 1960 F Type, series 2, in the 80s. My favourite car - lovely to drive and so reliable! Unfortunately, rust took its toll. I would love to own another one, if it wasn't for my trike taking all my attention. Incidentally, a Victor badge from my old car adorns the rear of the trike! What a pity GM rushed the car into production before it was ready. Also, the crap steel (Swedish?) didn't help!

[@Replevideo]

The Victor was indeed everything that is claimed here except for one fatal flaw. Despite the advertising claiming it was undersealed, which was unusual in those days, it suffered from rapid rusting. I had one which somehow survived that problem, with 80,000 miles on the clock, and the engine was so quiet and smooth that a workmate who was talking to me, leaning on the front wing, while I was waiting to get out of the works car park, did not realise my engine was running until I started to pull away. The Victor boosted Vauxhall's sales considerably until the rust problem became apparent, whence their sales plummeted, and did not recover for many years. That fatal flaw, obviously not considered by their engineers, gave Vauxhall a bad reputation, which took years to live down. I met one guy who bought a Victor new, and he had to have new floor pans welded in while it was still under its 12 month guarantee..

[@alfredgriffiths2159]

Replevideo j of

[@jackiron4785]

Imagine having to do that on a year old Insignia....

[@stephenarcher8929]

The rust comes in an exciting range of colours.........

[@seana806]

This looks like a compact 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88 and they definitely took some styling cues from the ‘57 Oldsmobile since the instrument cluster looks similar to a ‘57 Oldsmobile instrument cluster and some of the side trim looks quite similar to a ‘57 Oldsmobile as well. The front end definitely is a inspiration from the ‘57 Oldsmobile as well.

[@p.istaker8862]

Why didn't they bother to test the steel that the body shells were made from?

[@texhow1]

Our truck driver had one in blue with red leather seating, the downside was every weekend he had the get the Body filler out & repair holes at the front & rear Window sides, it was a lovely looking car, he used to do weddings in it before the rust took over.

[@dukenukem5768]

@12:35 : Smoke pouring from the exhaust! People didn't mind back then. The exhaust pipe came out via a hole in the rear bullet "over-rider" and the fumes corroded it and the rear bumper even faster. At the front those bullets reminded you of a pair of knockers, not as bad as some American cars though.

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

Amen to that mate

[@johnrroberts7900]

That's steam, not smoke - manufactuer testing in bloody freezing conditions. Compare this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4OahX6om6lqe68

[@glpilpi6209]

My friends father had an eight year old one that had 28.5k miles on it and was immaculate . It was kept in a garage , I must assume that it never was used in the rain !!. Two tone light blue . It was a 1960 Super model.

[@robertmatthews8302]

I trained as a Vauxhall garage mechanic in the sixties. Pity under body protection against rusting was thought to be unimportant in those days.

[@lazycalm41]

Interesting how 'column change' was the norm rather than the exception back then. Both my father and grandfather owned Victors throughout the late 60's and into the 70's and I always remember sitting on the front bench seat in the middle. No seat belts of course! Good cars though.

[@hebneh]

In 1958, for the first time, Americans started buying appreciable numbers of foreign cars as a reaction against the immense and gaudy domestic cars. This caused Ford, GM, and Chrysler to rush compact vehicles into production for late 1959 sales as 1960 models, but in the meantime they scrounged up some “captive” imports from their overseas factories. The Vauxhall Victor was thus sold in the USA.

[@Rick-S-6063]

The Victor became the second best selling imported car in Canada, right behind the VW Bug.

[@riottaba]

I learned how to weld car tin on a my 101 back in 1976....

[@JeffM---]

I would love one of those brand new.

[@Rick-S-6063]

I owned a '60 Super wagon in my teen years, and ironically it's the only one of the GM disasters I owned that I wish I still owned.

[@ewaf88]

Bloody hell those mountain roads were no better than dust tracks in them there days. I've actually driven over the Furka pass - once in a 45bhp Citroen AX - the road is slight better now :)

[@p.istaker8862]

You forgot to mention that there are too many Furka's on the road there now.

[@arnepianocanada]

More from below: oh yes, hood strakes and Chev-like rear door chrome yelled USA too. Mond you, Ford did similar with the Mark II Consul-Zephyr-Zodiac - lotsa '55 Chevy cues.

[@andreat4898]

British beer was warm because of Lucas Fridges.

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

LMFAO. Can't argue that mate

[@tootall5559]

If that don't look like a 55 chevy that shrunk in the wash...

[@gabriel.954]

lol... I thought a 55 Pontiac...

[@sarjim4381]

@@gabriel.954 With the addition of tail fins extending a bit further out, it would've looked like a small '57 Chevy.

[@jusb1066]

it was when vauxhall still had to use cast offs from their GM owners, the much later vauxhall (the square one) was the first of their british designs, later on had to have opel designs

[@Rick-S-6063]

I always thought the car looked like a '57 Pontiac taking a trip through the House of Mirrors.

[@tamer1773]

I thought it looked like a miniature '57 Buick or Oldsmobile.

[@tripsadelica]

Looks like an FC/FE Holden from side on. I suppose GM designed all their "foreign" cars similarly.

[@richardfordham1414]

My father drove my family from London to Rome and back in one of these back in the sixties. It was the worst holiday of my life. My family survived but the engines big ends went. My Dad got rid of the car to our relief and bought a Zodiac.

[@bbseatwo]

Do they still make them? I'd like a new one.

[@simonchaddock4274]

I am old enough to have learned to drive on a year old Series 2 (by then the exhaust did not go through the bumper!) With a 3 speed column change modern high speed cruising was not realistic but it did mean you could get 6 normal size people in. On cross ply tyres you never really got to explore the ultimate road holding as the tyre squeal would stop you! We drove with 5 people on board from the UK to the Costa Brava and back, no problem.

[@nickjervis8123]

The imported steel was Japanese and also used on Cresta and Velox. The car was not rushed into production as prototypes were running around in 1954. In Car Mechanics magazine from early 1960 there is a guy complaining that his one year old Velox needed a new rear wing due to rust. Also on You Tube type in Car Dumping Everywhere a Nuisance Pathe from 1965. A 1958 Victor is seen dropping to pieces when about 7 years old. The steel was rubbish. The car was great. Nick

[@vauxpedia]

The design was not rushed and you are right the car was essentially good but it was put into production before the factory was ready and there still issues with window sealing that were not resolved. Some of the steel may have come from Japan but the bulk was from Sweden & the UK. The rust issue was not just metal related there were far too many water traps and the undersealing was worse than nothing at all - it trapped water between the coating & the floorpan. Most F Series rusted from the inside out.

[@keithbrown8963]

I had the estate version and it was great. 1957 model and it done 117000 miles.

[@thomaspridmore106]

Had one of these estate loved it but could not stop the rust 346mpk sold just in time

[@motorvating]

I had one in 1986. what a great car it was, just oozed style amongst the modern drab. Only went because somebody pulled out in front of me in a brand new car in 1987. The other car was a total rright off, I had a dent in the wing, but unfortunately I had to hit a high kerb to avoif a pedestrian which bent the chassis.

[@chrismccartney8668]

Was a great car I had one my first car very reliable but bit prone to rusting but mine didnt really rust that much was a 1960 F Deluxe Series 1 3 speed column leather seats two tone black/grey

[@makjac46]

Do you want an example of old fashioned British designs?, Take a look at the Ford V8 Pilot, 1936 look still selling as a 1951 model.

[@Mithrasboy]

We did have a war to attend to between 1939 and 1945 so car design was not really a priority. Toward the end of the 1940s we were producing new models but most of them were for export to get money flowing back into the country. Most Brits had to content themselves with ownership of Ford Populars although you might get hold of a new Morris Minor if you were lucky.

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

@@Mithrasboy Just as long as it wasn't the Morris Princess

[@charliedrake247]

Wish they make this style now with the updated kit we have now be great better style than we have now

[@pauldoree3967]

My dad had one of these. Big ends went bang at 40k miles.

[@redly40]

I had a black super in 1978 paid $10 for it as it was in the wrecking yard and evil kenevil had bought all the rolling wrecks around my area they were to be shipped out..he didnt get to do his tour here Qld Australia and since he owned the car and wasnt coming I got it. I was told to make an offer..all I had on me was $10 ,It was my 2nd victor and had previously been owned by "bikies" at Slade Pt Mackay..I pulled the rego plates,radiator,started motor out of my previous model along with the rego sticker (old water pasted type rego label I soaked it with a sponge) and away I went..I got a year or two out of her..rust did kill it in the end tho.. I would buy one today if there was a great almost new one..but they are now rare..ebay does have some here in Australia..but too much money is wanted..ahh the good old days $4 for half a tank of fuel..

[@nigelweaving9045]

My Dad had one of these. Had it for 4yrs and apart from service items all he had to replace was the battery at 4yrs.

[@NoosaHeads]

They used Lucas electrical components. They didn't call Lucas "The prince of darkness" for nothing.

[@davidellis279]

Having worked on these pieces of crap I think you'll find most of the electrics were AC/ Delco not Lucas which were a subsidiary of GM which were far worse than anything Lucas made.

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

Contrary to popular belief, Vauxhall's were made in Australia, not in the UK

[@TheOzthewiz]

Lucas electrics was ANOTHER achilles heel of British motor cars of that era!

[@johnknott6539]

ChaosDemonwolf1 That is so silly.

[@stuartplatt2146]

I don’t understand why people have such a low opinion of Lucas. I had a Lucas pacemaker fitted and it has never been a proble.........

[@andynixon2820]

Rockabillys loved them . Be bop a loo la .

[@ArthurM0rgan63]

Meanwhile in France, you had the Citroën DS!

[@chaosdemonwolf1]

Or the Fiat 124....aka in Russia, the Lada

[@volkswagenk7017]

@@chaosdemonwolf1 Fiat 124 is originally italian, and it wasn't produced in the 50's and 60's but it's still a nice car

[@hollypebbles]

@@chaosdemonwolf1 Why did the Lada have heated rear windows? To keep your hands warm while you pushed it.

[@bertiewooster3326]

Today's rust is called ELECTRONICS !!!!

[@VauxhallVictorMan]

The production cars only had the door lock on the drivers door. PMJ469 Is a prototype from 1955. Vauxhall dropped the chrome crest on the rear doors, narrowed the grille end mouldings and painted the headlamp peaks (flat in 57 but peaked in 58). Actually you could get 42mpg with good driving and a perfectly tuned engine and a vacumn gauge fitted. I think at 15.38 you see an E series speedo not the F series. Still a great find.

[@thomasnadin7925]

VauxhallVictorMan I had a Type E 1958 Vauxhall Victor Super in Gypsy Red. Reg. No. HEN107. Inside was a Logo for General motors on the LHS of the dash board. You are the first person to mention the Type E as all others call it the F model. the F model changed to a straight bumper other features almost the same.

[@VauxhallVictorMan]

Thomas Nadin Thomas the F series Victor launched in 1957 . Your car amazingly was a Gypsy Red as was HEN108 which also is a Gypsy Red and is in the Victor club now. The Series one F model continued through 1958 and then changed to the as you say straight bumpers in 1959 as the Series 2 which then changed to the 1961 Series 2 before the FB Victor launch in 1961. My comment about the speedo being an E series one is just a mistake by Vauxhall in the film. The E series models were called the Wyvern, Velox and Cresta. Hope that clarifies things.

[@thomasnadin7925]

VauxhallVictorMan On the original log book of my car HEN107 "IS" registered as Vauxhall Victor Super, Type E, Private, 1508cc, Gypsy Red. I would not think that the registration document would be wrong. would the general motors Logo make the difference, I do not know.

[@nickjervis8123]

+VauxhallVictorMan Hi I worked for Attwood Garages in Wolverhampton a Vauxhall Bedford dealership long after the F type was a rusty memory and in the basement were several prototype vehicles. There was a 4 door Triumph Herald (not the Indian one) that was as long as a Victor and wider than a production Herald. They had taken over the old Cyril Williams concern. There was also a Victor F type with a round speedo like the E type. We stole the bottom trunnions off it for a customer's MOT failure. Nick

[@boneshaker6819]

The good old days when virtually every car was a rot box. Poor design and poor steel coupled with British roads. Wasn’t just Vauxhall, Ford and BMC were just as bad. We got a new mini, paid a lot for full waxoil treatment, and still had rust everywhere in about 2 years.

[@briansaiditsoitmustbetrue4206]

My dad bought a BRAND NEW 1973 Morris Marina and it was COVERED in rust when it was 2 Years old.

[@Witheredgoogie]

You have forgot the winters were much harsher in those days, snow (thus salt) could be on the ground for weeks..not the inch or so we get for a day these days when despite ABS and traction control etc everything grinds to a halt. Plus of course most people burnt coal resulting in thick fogs dropping sulphuric acid on the cars when it rained.

[@kjellhmyhre2374]

The boot lid opens down to the sill - that must be about 150 years or so ahead of its time!

[@stavm1909]

Drove it straight to the scrap yard cuts out all the road tax

[@7ANGLIA]

NICE LOOKING CAR,PITY THEY RUSED AWAY,LIKED TO HAVE HAD ONE BUT I WAS TOO YOUNG

[@arnepianocanada]

There was backlash against some of the Americanised design aspects; they included the wraparound windscreen, tailfin-like rear light structures and through-the-bumper exhaust piping. The "Darren Dip" at rear doors (named for famous US designer Howard "Dutch" Darren) disappeared in later models. I saw many of these in Canada, also our variant Envoy with certain design differences.

[@glynjones2540]

Not sure that '58 inches from road to roof' necessarily guarantees good roadholding. Two colleagues swapped Austin A50s for Victors and I have to say that the Victor was superior in every way to ride in.

[@Tmuk2]

I notice it'd already lost a hub cap in the Swiss mountain test

[@OMENAHILLO-zv5eo]

i like it... i wishd my friends uncle has taunus 17m and 20m and 2 vauxhalls

[@johnwh1039]

Love the cup holder at 7.36! Like me brand spanking new in 1957. Its easy to say retrospectively but I cant think of another car I have come across which is so obviously total crap!

[@riottaba]

Thinking back I recall that the Fc rusted far more quickly that the FB and people blamed the FC's duff underseal

[@grahambaynham745]

My dad had two of these the first was a grey on and the second a maroon one,he bought them from Shaw and Kilburn of Luton

[@timothyauger1443]

Why were these cars so susceptible to rust? I did read that it was rushed into production without sufficient development on the body. But was the steel abnormally thin. or poor quality?

[@TheOzthewiz]

Yes and Yes!

[@davidhunt6463]

This information film provided very little actual information.

[@RalphColmar]

Just like most new model launches then ;-)

[@douglasgreen437]

Thank you Mr Chulmondly Warner...Did you have to let Grayson drive with a beer on the dashboard...🤔

[@billy2rivers1]

My old dad had a early crests from new and watched it rot away in three years.

[@TheOzthewiz]

That's still TWICE as long as a Chevy Vega! lol

[@royfisher6260]

My dad had a 61 estate. The previous owner had filled the cills with concrete. Even the roof went rusty.

[@randolfo1265]

We had lots of these in Canada, Eh!

[@asd36f]

In an attempt to take market share away from VW and Renault, whose small cars were selling well in the United States, GM arranged for the F Series Victor to be sold in the United States at Pontiac dealers. Less than 30,000 were exported before the plug was pulled on the venture.

[@professorpatpending8731]

prospective buyers would love the beer glass on the dash test at 7.51.

[@bobmarshall3700]

You had to be pissed to buy one and more importantly, to drive one!

[@mccrackenphillip]

I still kind of like it 🇺🇸

[@pl5624]

Reminds me of the edsel launch.

[@TheOzthewiz]

The Edsel was NOT a bad car, it was launched at the wrong time (recession) into a crowded "medium priced" market! I would LOVE to have a NEW Edsel Citation convertible!!!!!!!

[@Mariazellerbahn]

Apart from using crap quality steel, the steel wasn't rustproofed and only painted on the outside where you could see. Condensation forms on cold steel so the unprotected steel would rust outwards and by then was too late. Different metals used to attach trim woud also cause an electrolytic reaction and cause rust. Another school of thought is that positive earth accellerated the electrolytic rusting process.

[@Terry-xf5pt]

First car a ever owned in the 70's complete rust bucket.lol.three speed column change i recall.It was red and white.

[@kingofassholes2619]

Looks like a miniature '55, 56, '57 Oldsmobile.

[@adrianadrian1887]

Victor =winner. That car was a winner.

[@bombasticbuster9340]

A British Chevy!

[@TheOzthewiz]

More like.....Pontiac.

[@jackgess3364]

Love the old British accents “ frightfully nice chap” tally ho you chaps . Nice to see a slide rule being used by one of the testers .

[@TheOzthewiz]

Yes, and don't forget, slide rules were used to put men on the Moon!

[@cameronrichardson3108]

Back when we’re were told more about the cars than “don’t just feel the future drive the future”

[@tonycookson5608]

these cars dropped to bits after 18mths,honestly.my neighbour purchased it new /the metal was not new but used before and cleaned up.like the first datsun models and ford escorts.dire is an understatment and cost vauxhall in a big way

[@rockall66]

Ronnie Kray in the driving seat in the promo.

[@robertking3130]

So they built the factory before the tested the car. Real smart.

[@ahoorakia]

you noticed how @3:54 shows two big brown suit case one medium brown and one small brown, and two small black one! total of six and @4:00 only one big brown one, total of five ,medium brown is all the way in the back!!😂😂

[@briansteffmagnussen9078]

Is this the British version of the German Opel P2 ?

[@Rick-S-6063]

It could be said that the Victor and Rekord were related in theory and marketing, but the cars were actually like night and day. Bodywork, platform, electrical systems and their voltages, Metric vs SAE fasteners, component suppliers. Two vastly different animals.

[@ruffomaldito]

This one was the head-on rival for the Opel Rekord, it was no match in sales for the German.

[@notroll1279]

In how many (and which) markets we're they offered in competition with one another?

[@rogerhector8323]

lot of ways looks like an FB-EK Holden

[@relathan1]

I'm an American and just starting to look into British cars of the 50s 60s and 70s, so I'm not familiar with the details on the models of this period. So many people here mention the rust issue and "rot boxes." What was the deal with that? It doesn't look like a poorly designed car. Why would Vauxhall use shoddy steel?

[@Witheredgoogie]

It was actually a victim of its own success they were selling like hotcakes and were getting steel from anywhere to cope with the demand, some of it had been on boats for weeks. Ford tried to compete with the 'Ford Consul Classic' but that became the British 'Edsel' ie. they spent a lot of money on it but the public just thought it was ugly and was rather overweight for its size. However, Victor's reputation was drowning in rust, they tried rubber bitumen coating the underneath from about 1958 but with the very heavy winters of the early 1960s that just accelerated the rust process - a shame as it was a pleasant car with a reliable powertrain otherwise.Vauxhall obviously brought new 'improved' models,but the public were suspicious and it took to the late 70s to gain lost ground again with first the Cavalier.

[@pod9538]

Yeah 1957 new era yes your right my mum was born. Say no more.

[@dfcvda]

they were just before my time

[@ricomartinez2869]

Year?

[@TheOzthewiz]

'57, '58

[@tamer1773]

It's unmistakably a GM product. Hemmings described it as a 3/4 American GM car.

[@celt101]

GM should not exist because of its ineptitude.. Archaeic management.. And the American tax payer is still paying the bill.. I was in Brazil and the absolutely dreadful looking Chevrolet cars there.. As Lee Iacoca said in his book, when he left Ford to try to make something of Chrysler, the only reason he knew he would be successful was because GM were going to be his main competitor.. Just look at what GM did to Saab.. ☹️

[@chrishobbs6677]

celt101 v