1951)
| Production | 1948-1951 |
|---|---|
| Assembly | Luton, Bedfordshire, England Biel, Switzerland Australia, Petone, New Zealand |
| Body style | 4-door saloon 2-door tourer (Australia) |
| Engine | 2275 cc I6 ohv 54 bhp (40 kW) |
| Wheelbase | 97.75 in (2,483 mm) |
| Length | 164.5 in (4,178 mm) |
| Width | 62 in (1,575 mm) |
| Height | 63 in (1,600 mm) |
| Curb weight | 2,268 lb (1,029 kg) |
| Related | Vauxhall Wyvern |
The classic four-door saloon boasted a newly developed straight-six-cylinder engine of 2275 cc, with overhead valves. The 54 bhp (40 kW) power output provided for a claimed top speed of 74 mph (119 km/h). Power was delivered to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual gear box with synchromesh on the top two ratios.
Optional extras included a heater from which warm air was evenly distributed between the front and back areas of the passenger cabin and which could be set to de-ice the windscreen in winter or to provide cool air ventilation in summer. Also available at extra charge was an AM radio integrated into the facia.
The body was shared with the four-cylinder Vauxhall Wyvern, a pattern that continued with subsequent versions of the Velox until 1957. The interior of the Velox was not greatly differentiated from that of the Wyvern, but it could boast superior seating materials and, for the rear seat, a central arm rest.
Early Velox and Wyvern models were assembled at Vauxhall's Luton plant in England, at the General Motors plant at Biel in Switzerland and in Australia (by Holden in Melbourne) and New Zealand at the GM plant in Petone near Wellington.
A car tested by The Motor magazine in 1949 had a top speed of 74.1 mph (119.3 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 22.8 seconds. A fuel consumption of 22.3 miles per imperial gallon (12.7 L/100 km; 18.6 mpg) was recorded. The test car cost £550 including taxes.
Read more about this topic: Vauxhall Velox, Velox LIP (1948