The Vauxhall Victor F-type was designed as a no-nonsense family car whose lines were inspired by the bodywork of the Chevrolets of the same era. It would be the Vauxhall that would conquer the world.
And sales and exports got off to a great start. About 15 were sold in the first 100.000 months. And it went fine for quite a while. The British themselves weren't that spoiled when it came to the quality of their cars. But the Vauxhalls also went to American and Canadian Pontiac dealers to get there as an “Envoy” among the people. And the Americans and Canadians liked the Envoys.
The Vauxhall Victor Estate was presented in 1958. The first official estate car from Vauxhall. The demand from the market had previously been responded to by coachworkers such as the makers of Dormobile. But the result was usually amateurish.
In contrast to the home front, 'Johnny Foreigner' ran into things relatively quickly that didn't make him happy. Because the Vauxhalls often began to rust convincingly within a few months. Fortunately, the problem only played in hot, cold, and humid climates. That was because the rust was actually drawn in the design phase: many cavities and dead, non-ventilating corners. The exhaust through the rear bumpers, the A, B and C columns ... Of the almost 400.000 manufactured copies, few are left.
That is why F Victors are now scarce and in demand. And usually very well protected against rust.
Oh yes: Because the Victors had such an American appearance, they later became very popular with English hot rod and sprinter builders. Originally they did not stay there. But they were certainly kept ...
Kind of.