Vauxhall Firenza. 1970–5 (prod. 18,352 plus 204 HP). 2-door coupé. F/R, 1159, 1256 cm³ (I4 OHV), 1599, 1799, 1975, 2279 cm³ (I4 OHC). Essentially an HC Viva coupé, but best remembered for 2·3-litre High Performance model shown at 1973 Motor Show with startling (for its time) ‘droop snoot’ front in fibreglass, conceived by head of design Ed Taylor and his successor Wayne Cherry. HP model did have mechanical improvements to aid higher performance, thus more than a cosmetic exercise. However, high price (£2,625) coupled with a difficult assembly process saw an end to the droop-snoot model after just 204 examples. The “regular” Firenza effectively continued under the Magnum nameplate from 1973.

Manufacturing location: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England

Marque: Vauxhall

Off-site link

• Firenza.net