The Vauxhall XVR is a concept car built in 1966 by Vauxhall. The name stands for eXperimental Vauxhall Research. It debuted at the March 1966 Geneva Motor Show receiving favourable reviews from press, but never went into production.[1]
| Vauxhall XVR | |
|---|---|
 The surviving Vauxhall XVR Mockup | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Vauxhall |
| Production | 1966 (three built) |
| Designer | David Jones (design director) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Concept car |
| Layout | FMR Layout |
| Doors | Gullwing doors |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1,975 cc (2.0 L) Slant-four I4 |
| Transmission | 4 speed manual |
Production
edit
Three prototypes of the XVR were built in total. Two were glassfibre rolling mockups with no engines, while one was a metal bodied, fully functional example, built by Motor Panels of Coventry. The fully functional car was the one displayed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966. In total, the concept took five months to design and build.[2]
Only one of the mockups survives today, as Vauxhall crushed both the running prototype and the other mockup. The surviving car remains in the ownership of Vauxhall Motors and is currently on display at the British Motor Museum.[3]
Specifications
editThe lone fully functional XVR was powered by a front mid mounted 2.0 litre Vauxhall Slant-4 Engine, producing around 100 bhp (75 kW; 101 PS).[4]
The suspension was fully independent in the front and rear, and there were disc brakes at all four corners.[4] The slant four engine was a pre-production model which was later used in the Vauxhall VX4/90. The XVR was able to reach a top speed of over 100 mph (160 km/h).
Design
editThe design team for the XVR was directed by David Jones and also included Wayne Cherry, John Taylor, Leo Pruneau, and Judd Holcombe.[5] The looks were inspired by the concept car by Chevrolet, the Mako Shark II which was introduced in 1965. The design incorporates the Mako Shark's split windscreen, pop up headlamps, and gull wing doors.[6]
References
edit- ^ "1966 Vauxhall XVR". supercars.net. 20 December 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Vauxhall XVR: The Little Vette that Wasn't". Hooniverse. 24 March 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
- ^ Pope, Lizzie (24 August 2021). "Vauxhall Heritage Collection moves to British Motor Museum, Gaydon". Classic & Sports Car. Haymarket Media Group.
- ^ a b Jamieson, Craig (5 June 2017). "TG's guide to concepts: the Vauxhall XVR". Top Gear. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018.
- ^ "Vauxhall XVR Concept". deansgarage.com. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
- ^ "Blog: Vauxhall's long lost sports car - the original GT Concept". autocar.co.uk. 30 January 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
