While the modern Vauxhall brand is known for its rebranded Opel and, latterly, Peugeot models, the marque’s older models stood alone. Originally a pump manufacturer from London, Vauxhall moved into the automotive sphere in the early 20th Century, and to its current home near Luton.
After being acquired by General Motors in the 1920s, Vauxhall transitioned from making sporting models to more family oriented fare. Starting with cars like the 10, the first British car to be built based on a unibody construction, Vauxhall began to take the fight to Ford.and the future British Leyland brands.
The Velox and Wyvern came along in the late 1940s to replace the Vauxhall 12 as the mid-size family offering, and were the brand’s first post-war vehicles. Taking clear design inspiration from across the Atlantic, the Velox and Wyvern shared a body but were separated by an engine.
Where the Velox sported a 2.2-litre six cylinder, the Wyvern originally had a 1.4-litre four, good for around 35hp. That meant that the Velox catered for a more sporting audience - later joined by a more luxurious Cresta model - while the Wyvern was for those with economy in mind.
Vauxhall updated the Wyvern in 1952 to the E-Series model you see here. This gained an upgraded 1.5-litre engine, with 40hp, and the same bore and stroke as the Velox’s 2.2. The marque continued to produce the Wyvern, named for a slightly different mythical animal than the griffin on the company’s logo, through to 1957, replacing it with the Victor.
This Wyvern was built in 1954, the same year that Vauxhall introduced the Cresta as a third model in that body. As a post-’51 car, this has the updated body and engine.
According to the ownership documents with the car, the first owner had the car from new in July 1954 through to 1980, while a second owner displayed the car in a showroom until 1989.
Since that time, the car has been through another seven owners, reaching its current owner just two years ago. That averages out at seven years per owner and, with just 61,000 miles on the clock, less than a thousand miles each year.
Though now MOT exempt, the car has had nearly annual tests. It’s not currently covered by an MOT, but passed its last with no advisories, just as it has over the last decade.
One point of interest is the car’s appearance on the small screen. This Wyvern appeared in a 2014 episode of the “Endeavour” TV series, a prequel to the long-running Inspector Morse show.
With 66-years on the roads, there’s quite a bit of history with the Wyvern. Along with some photocopies of an original service book, bearing the first owner’s name and stamps through to 1967, there’s copies of old V5 documents too, showing some of the owner changes.
To go with the documentation, there’s original period handbooks and a shop manual, along with some laminated promotional materials of the era. There’s also some photographs and images of the car and awards from classic car events.
From more recent times, you’ll find plenty of receipts for replacement parts - many from a club oriented around the Wyvern/Velox/Cresta family. In addition there’s an agreed value certificate from 2016.
It’s a classic cabin, which carries on the green theme from the exterior to great effect. The seats, carpets, door panels, and dashboard are all one shade of green or other - even the instrument dials are backed in green. While the speedometer only reads up to 80mph, the Wyvern’s official top speed is only 72mph.
The passenger side of the dash sports a chrome Art Deco motif, along with the Wyvern’s aircraft badge which features on the large glovebox. You’ll also find an ashtray on each side of the front cabin - a rarity these days!
Both sets of bench seats - in green leather of course - are in generally good condition, with no rips or tears. There’s some discolouration on the front seat backrests and around the side, but it’s as expected for a vehicle of this age. The green carpets and mats are all in good condition and rip-free too.
There’s some wear around the rim of the steering wheel, but it and the three-speed column shift are in good working order.
It’s hard to see how 66 years have passed since the Wyvern rolled out of Luton, given the exterior condition. You’d have to get very close indeed to spot any blemishes of any kind, with both the paint and the brightwork just about unmarked.
There are a couple of areas not quite at this standard. Although hard to spot, some small patches of paint are bubbling up over the offside rear wheel arch, and there’s some areas inside the doors on the sills with rust spots. A mark on the passenger side has been repaired with touch-up paint, reported by the current owner as a keying incident. There’s some paint weathering in channeled areas on each side of the car too.
All the chrome areas are bright and unmarked, including the door mirrors, rear wing protectors, grille, and even the flying bonnet emblem. The Vauxhall logo beneath, originally red and silver, has faded somewhat and lost some of its colour.
Interestingly, the Wyvern has side flag indicators. These don’t function, as the car has more modern indicators, but it’s possible to return them to working order if required.
Beneath the car is as you’d expect. There is some rusting on exposed surfaces, including the leaf springs, but no evidence of structural corrosion. You will find some rust inside the fuel filler cap, which may bear some scrutiny.
The Wyvern comes from a simpler age of motoring, and there’s really only a limited amount that can go wrong - none of which is in evidence on this car.
There were no issues starting the Wyvern’s 1.5-litre engine, and it ran without hesitation or a lumpen idle. Under acceleration the engine exhibited no issues, nor did the three-speed gearbox either forwards or in reverse. There were no undue noises from the suspension or brakes, though you will have to bear in mind that the Wyvern is equipped with drum brakes all round.
As a classic piece of British motoring, there’s plenty to like about the Wyvern. Though overshadowed in performance terms by the physically similar Velox and Cresta, the Wyvern is nonetheless an enduring and endearing shape.
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1954 Vauxhall Wyvern
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