Simon Cars - Vauxhall Firenza

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Vauxhall Firenza, Magnum

In 1971 Vauxhall offered a 2-door coupe model as the Vauxhall Firenza. This model had been designed in parallel to the other HC models with an eye on producing a personal coupe model for the Canadian market. However, sales were never expected to be large, so the coupe was designed keeping the front of the Viva HC. Roy Haynes was given the task of creating a coupe with minimal panel changes. Launched in 1971 the Firenza was offered with 1156cc or 1975cc engines, but was given the 1256cc, 1759cc or 2279cc units from March 1972. The Firenza Sport SL was launched at Geneva 1972 with warmed up styling to match its warmed up 122bhp 2279cc engine. This prefaced the new approach to the Firenza which was actually to wipe it away in October 1973 with a new version of the Viva HC named 'Magnum' and offered in 2-door, 4-door or 3-door estate with 1800 or 2300 power. A new 'droop-snoot' Firenza HP Coupe (and rarely an Estate car version) were launched with design by Wayne Cherry, this model doing well in Rallying.

Vauxhall Firenza 1972 1300 SL - badge on boot. The name 'Firenza' was like the Italian name of 'Firenze' for Florence. Although 'Firenza' was only used on the coupe versions of the Viva HC, the Vivas exported to Canada were all called 'Firenza'. In 1973 the name was lost to British cars which became called 'Magnum' whatever body they carried.	Vauxhall Firenza HP 1976 - badge on front panel. The 'droop snoot' nose was fitted with 4 Cibie lamps, although it might have gone for a cheaper solution and had 4 Victor FE units instead.	Vauxhall Firenza HP 1976. The 'droop snoot' nose was given to 204 Firenzas to try and make a sporting car out of it, and the 2275cc engine was uprated with big valve head and twin Strombergs to 131bhp, mated to a 5-speed ZF gearbox and uprated front discs. A further 200 Magnum estates were given the same nose on standard mechanics and marketed as the Sportshatch.	Vauxhall Firenza 1972 1300 SL. The first Firenza was available with 1100, 1600 and 2000 engines from 1971, and from 1972, 1300, 1800 and 2300 units.
Vauxhall Firenza 1972 1300 SL. The brief of creating the Firenza was given to Roy Haynes, but he did not have a free hand. The entire front of the Viva HC had to be retained, as well as much of the existing panels rearwards. Compared to Ford Capris and Opels it was poor.	Vauxhall Firenza 1800. The 2-door coupe version of the Viva HC was introduced in 1971 with the name Firenza, and from 1972 was available with a 1759cc ohc engine.	Vauxhall Firenza 1975 1800. The 1300 versions of the Firenza were soon dropped as Vauxhall tried to market the car on its performance	Vauxhall Firenza HP 1976. When Ed Taylor replaced David Jones at Vauxhall he immediately brought in Wayne Cherry who set about the aerodynamics of the HC-based Firenza. In the end a new 'droop snoot' sloped front end with headlamps behind a perspex screen was almost tacked onto the existing panel work of the HC. The wheels were replaced by Avon Safety Alloys, and the engine uprated, and the car launched in 1973; only 204 were built.
Vauxhall Firenza 1972 1300 SL.	Vauxhall Viva HC	Designer: Roy Haynes

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key text: This is the page introducing Simons love of cars from the website RedSimon which is a series of photo albums of Simon GP Geoghegan.
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