Paris Motor Show
The Paris Motor Show is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows with many new production automobile and concept car debuts; the show presently takes place in Paris expo Porte de Versailles. The Mondial is scheduled by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles, which considers it a major international auto show. In 2016, the Paris Motor Show welcomed 1,253,513 visitors, making it the most visited auto show in the world, ahead of Tokyo and Frankfurt; the key figures of the show are: 125 000 m2 of exhibition, 8 pavilions, 260 brands from 18 countries, 65 world premieres, more than 10 000 test drives for electric and hybrid cars, more than 10 000 journalists from 103 countries. Until 1986, it was called the Salon de l'Automobile; the show was held annually through 1976. The show was the first motor show in the world, started in 1898 by industry pioneer, Albert de Dion. After 1910 it was held at the Grand Palais in the Champs-Élysées.
During the First World War motor shows were suspended, meaning that the show of October 1919 was only the 15th "Salon". There was again no Paris Motor Show in 1925, the venue having been booked instead for an Exhibition of Decorative Arts. In October 1926 the Motor Show returned; the outbreak of war again intervened in 1939 when the 33rd Salon de l'Automobile was cancelled at short notice. Normality of a sorts returned some six years and the 33rd "Salon" opened in October 1946. In January 1977, it was announced that no Paris Motor Show would take place that year, because of the "current economic situation": at the same time the organisers confirmed that a 1978 Auto Salon for Paris was planned; the 65th Salon de Paris duly opened on 15 October 1978 in the modern buildings of the Parc des Expositions on the south-western edge of central Paris at the Porte de Versailles, where the show had been held since 1962. 1898 1st 1913 14th "Salon de l'Automobile" 1919 15th "Salon de l'Automobile" The first "Salon" since 1913.9 October 1919 65 French automobile makers exhibited.
At least 118 exhibitors in total. There was no "Salon de l'Automobile" in 1920 1921 16th "Salon de l'Automobile" 1922 17th "Salon de l'Automobile" 4 October 1922 81 French automobile makers exhibited 113 exhibitors in total.1923 18th "Salon de l'Automobile" 1924 19th "Salon de l'Automobile" 2 October 1924 78 French automobile makers exhibited 116 exhibitors in total. There was no "Salon de l'Automobile" in 1925 due to the venue having been allocated to an Exhibition of Decorative Arts 1926 20th "Salon de l'Automobile" 7 October 1926 81 French automobile makers exhibited and 42 non French automobile industry businesses exhibited. 126 exhibitors in total1927 21st "Salon de l'Automobile" 1928 22nd "Salon de l'Automobile" 1929 23rd "Salon de l'Automobile" 1930 24th "Salon de l'Automobile" 2 October 1930 46 French automobile makers and 46 non French automobile makers exhibited. 92 exhibitors in total.1931 25th "Salon de l'Automobile" 1 October 1931 39 French automobile makers and 37 non French automobile makers exhibited.
79 exhibitors in total.1932 26th "Salon de l'Automobile" 1933 27th "Salon de l'Automobile" 5 October 1933 26 French automobile makers exhibited.1934 28th "Salon de l'Automobile" 1935 29th "Salon de l'Automobile" 1936 30th "Salon de l'Automobile" 1937 31st "Salon de l'Automobile" 7 October 1937 22 French automobile makers exhibited.1938 32nd 1946 33rd 1947 34th "Salon de l'Automobile" 23 October 1947 27 French automobile makers exhibited.1948 35th 1949 36th 1950 37th 1951 38th "Salon de l'Automobile" 4 October 1951 23 French automobile makers exhibited.1952 39th 1953 40th 1954 41st 1955 42nd 1956 43rd 1957 44th "Salon de l'Automobile" 3 October 1957 24 French automobile makers exhibited.1958 45th 1959 46th 1960 47th 1961 48th "Salon de l'Automobile" 5 October 1961 9 French automobile makers exhibited. 1962 49th SalonThis was the first year the show was held at the Porte de Versailles on the outskirts of Paris.1963 50th 1964 51st 1965 52nd "Salon de l'Automobile" October 1965 9 French automobile makers exhibited.
1966 53rd 1967 54th "Salon de l'Automobile" 6 October 1967 8 French automobile makers exhibited, plus one coachbuilder Citroën Dyane world premiere1968 55th "Salon de l'Automobile" 1976 63rd "Salon de l'Automobile" known as a "Salon of Sobriété"Ferrari 400 world premiere1978 64th "Salon de l'Automobile" 15 October 19781998 Paris Motor Show 2000 Paris Motor Show 2002 Paris Motor Show 2004 Paris Motor Show 2006 Paris Motor Show 2008 Paris Motor Show 2010 Paris Motor Show 2012 Paris Motor Show 2014 Paris Motor Show 2016 Paris Motor Show 2018 Paris Motor Show Media related to Mondial de l’Automobile de Paris at Wikimedia Commons Official website Template:Paris Motor Show
Jaguar XK120
The Jaguar XK120 is a sports car manufactured by Jaguar between 1948 and 1954. It was Jaguar's first sports car since the SS 100, which ceased production in 1940; the XK120 was launched in open two-seater or roadster form at the 1948 London Motor Show as a testbed and show car for the new Jaguar XK engine. The display car was the first prototype, chassis number 660001, it looked identical to the production cars except that the straight outer pillars of its windscreen would be curved on the production version. The sports car caused a sensation, which persuaded Jaguar founder and Chairman William Lyons to put it into production. Beginning in 1948, the first 242 cars wore wood-framed open 2-seater bodies with aluminium panels. Production switched to the 1cwt or 112 lb heavier all-steel in early 1950; the "120" in the name referred to the aluminium car's 120 mph top speed, which made it the world's fastest production car at the time of its launch. In 1949 the first production car, chassis number 670003, was delivered to Clark Gable.
The XK120 was available in three versions or body styles, first as an open 2-seater described in the US market as a roadster as a fixed head coupé from 1951 and as a drophead coupé from 1953, all two-seaters and available with Left or Right Hand Drive. A smaller-engined version with a 2-litre 4 cylinder engine, designated the XK100, intended for the UK market was cancelled prior to production. On 30 May 1949, on the empty Ostend-Jabbeke motorway in Belgium, a prototype XK120 timed by the officials of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium achieved an average of runs in opposing directions of 132.6 mph with the windscreen replaced by just one small aero screen and a catalogued alternative top gear ratio, 135 mph with a passenger-side tonneau cover in place. In 1950 and 1951, at Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, a banked oval track in France, open XK120s averaged over 100 mph for 24 hours and over 130 mph for an hour. In 1952 a fixed-head coupé took numerous world records for speed and distance when it averaged 100 mph for a week.
XK120s were highly successful in racing and rallying. The first 242 production XK120s, hand-built with aluminium bodies on ash framing mounted on a steel chassis copied from the Jaguar Mark V chassis using many of the same parts, were constructed between late 1948 and early 1950. To meet demand, beginning with the 1950 model year, all subsequent XK120s were mass-produced with pressed-steel bodies. Aluminium doors and boot lid were retained; the DHC and FHC versions, more luxuriously appointed than the exposed open cars, had wind-up windows and wood veneers on the dashboard and interior door caps. With a high-temperature, high-strength aluminum alloy cylinder head, hemispherical combustion chambers, inclined valves and twin side-draft SU carburetors, the dual overhead-cam 3.4 L straight-6 XK engine was advanced for a mass-produced unit of the time. Using 80 octane fuel a standard 8:1 compression ratio developed 160 bhp. Most of the early cars were exported; the Jaguar factory's access to 80 octane fuel allowed it to provide cars with the higher compression ratio to the press, enabling journalists to test the model's optimum performance in Belgium, on a long, straight stretch of road between Jabbeke and Ostend.
The XK engine's basic design modified into 3.8 and 4.2 litre versions, survived until 1992. All XK120s had independent torsion bar front suspension, semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear, recirculating ball steering, telescopically adjustable steering column, all-round 12-inch drum brakes which were prone to fade; some cars were fitted with Alfin brake drums to help overcome the fade. The open two-seater's lightweight canvas top and detachable sidescreens stowed out of sight behind the seats, its doors had no external handles. There was an interior pull-cord accessed through a flap in the sidescreens when the weather equipment was in place; the windscreen could be removed for aeroscreens to be fitted. The drophead coupé had a padded, lined canvas top, which folded onto the rear deck behind the seats when retracted, roll-up windows with opening quarter lights; the flat glass two-piece windscreen was set in a steel frame, integrated with the body and painted the same colour. Dashboards and door-caps in both the DHC and the closed coupé were wood-veneered, whereas the open cars were leather-trimmed.
All models had removable spats covering the rear wheel arches. On cars fitted with optional centre-lock wire wheels, the spats were omitted as they gave insufficient clearance for the chromed, two-eared Rudge-Whitworth knockoff hubs. Chromium-plated wire wheels were optional from 1953. Factory standard 6.00 × 16 inch cross ply tyres were fitted on 16 × 5K solid wheels, with 185VR16 Pirelli Cinturato radial tyres available as a option. In addition to wire wheels, upgrades on the Special Equipment version included increased power, stiffer suspension and dual exhaust system; the Motor magazine road-tested an XK120 in November 1949. This pre-production car, chassis number 660001, road-registered as HKV 455, was the first prototype built, it was the 1948 London Motor Show display model, had been driven by Prince Bira in the 1949 Silverstone Production Car Race. When tested, it had the 8:1 compression ratio, was fitted with an undertray, ran with h
Vauxhall Wyvern
The Vauxhall Wyvern is a medium-sized family car introduced by Vauxhall in 1948 as a successor to the Vauxhall 12. The name comes from the mythical beast the wyvern, may be due to a misidentification of the heraldic griffin on the Vauxhall badge; the L series Vauxhall Wyvern along with the Velox were Vauxhall's first post-war new models. Many of these went for export to help the British economy; the Wyvern was fitted with a 1442 cc four-cylinder engine with 35 bhp with a top speed of 62 mph. The optional extras available were a radio/heater/foglight; these vehicles are forgotten classics with few surviving. Australian vehicles carried the model code LBX. In August 1951 a new Wyvern was launched, featuring a modern Ponton, three-box shape in a monocoque body. In spite of the abandonment of the old RAC horsepower tax system which favoured long stroke engines, the old long stroke four cylinder 35 bhp engine from the L-series was retained and permitted a claimed top speed above 62 mph despite the car's increased size.
As before, a more powerful Vauxhall Velox was available with the new body. 5313 were made. After only six months production of the rebodied Wyvern the car received, in April 1952, Vauxhall's new short stroke 1508 cc four-cylinder engine. Along with its six -cylinder Velox version, the new engine had a bore of 79.3mm and a stroke of 76.2mm, identical measurements as the rival Ford Consul/Zephyr engines introduced two years previously. With a power output of 45 bhp at 4,000rpm, maximum speed rose to 72 mph. More performance was available from the six-cylinder Vauxhall Cresta versions; the EIX series Wyvern received a new bonnet and grille in 1955, a wrap-round rear window in 1956 and another new grille in 1957. The Wyvern sold well on the UK market until Vauxhall abandoned the six seater four cylinder market and replaced it with the smaller but more radically styled Vauxhall Victor F-Series in 1957. A car with the 45 bhp engine tested by the British magazine The Motor in 1952 had a top speed of 71.6 mph and could accelerate from 0–60 mph in 37.2 seconds.
A fuel consumption of 30.4 miles per imperial gallon was recorded. The test car cost £ 771 including taxes; the EBX model code was applied to the "chassis only" variant of the Wyvern EIX. General Motors-Holden's produced a Vauxhall Wyvern model in Australia from 1938 to 1957. Externally like the monocoque British cars these Australian Vauxhalls retained a separate chassis frame; as well as countering prejudices against "chassisless cars" on outback roads the separate box girder chassis could be bodied with an open tourer body or a utility body. The new Holden was "chassisless". GMH introduced a locally built Vauxhall Wyvern model to the Australian market in 1938, ten years prior to the use of the Wyvern name in England. Based on the British Vauxhall H Series, it was produced in Saloon and open Calèche body styles, with the Calèche offered in 2-seater Roadster and 4-seater Tourer models; the Wyvern used a 10 hp engine. The Saloon featured a six light body with a side window behind each rear door, unlike the British H Series 10-4 model.
The wheelbase was increased in 1940 to 97¾ inches. Production was resumed in 1946, using pre-war tooling. A new grille with horizontal bars was adopted; the 10 h.p engine was used. The L Series Wyvern was produced from 1948 to 1951, it was offered with an Australian developed Sedan body, an Australian "Caleche" Tourer body, both with a box girder chassis, or with the English Sedan body. The Australian Sedan differed from its English counterpart in having a longer passenger cabin, a more rounded boot and an additional side window behind the rear doors. Australian vehicles carried the model code LBX; the E Series Wyvern was produced from 1952 to 1957. In addition to building the 4-door integral body-chassis Wyvern sedan, GMH continued to build a separate chassis and developed a 2-door convertible and a Coupe Utility for it; the convertible was marketed as the Caleche and as the Vagabond. 1954 was the last year for the Coupe Utility, the Vagabond was not included in the facelifted E Series range released in April 1955.
Citations Bibliography Culshaw, David. The Complete Catalogue of British Cars 1895–1975. Veloce Publishing. ISBN 978-1-874105-93-0. Vauxhall Wyvern 1937, www.vauxhall.org.au Images of Vauxhall L Series tourer, E Series Utility and E Series Vagabond Convertible at www.kpl.com.au
Hillman Minx
The Hillman Minx was a mid-sized family car that British car maker Hillman produced from 1931 to 1970. There were many versions of the Minx over that period, as well as badge-engineered variants sold by Humber and Sunbeam. From the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, the Minx and its derivatives were the greatest-volume sellers of the "Audax" family of cars from Rootes, which included the Singer Gazelle and Sunbeam Rapier; the final version of the Minx was the "New Minx" launched in 1967, part of the "Arrow" family and a basic version of the Hillman Hunter. The Minx was available in four-door saloon and estate forms, with a 1496-cc engine; the Hillman Super Minx was a larger model offered during the Audax era. Throughout the life of the Minx, there was an estate version—and, from 1954 to 1965, a short-wheelbase estate, the Hillman Husky, a van derivative known as the Commer Cob; the Minx model name was revived – along with the "Rapier" name, as applied to the Sunbeam Rapier version of the Audax family – as a special edition late in the life of the Talbot Alpine / Talbot Solara cars, produced by Chrysler Europe after its takeover of the Rootes Group.
The original Minx was announced to the forewarned public 1 October 1931. It was straightforward and conventional with a pressed-steel body on separate chassis and 30 bhp 1185 cc engine producing cushioned power, it was upgraded with a four-speed transmission in 1934 and a styling upgrade, most noticeably a V-shaped grille. For 1935 the range was similar except that synchromesh was added to all forward gears and this Minx became the first mass-produced car with an all synchromesh gearbox, it was designed by Rootes' technical director Captain John Samuel Irving designer of Sunbeam aero engines and Sunbeam's Golden Arrow in conjunction with Alfred Herbert Wilde chief engineer of Standard and designer of the Standard Nine. The 1936 model had a new name, the Minx Magnificent, a restyle with a much more rounded body; the chassis was stiffened and the engine moved forwards to give more passenger room. The rear panel vertical, was now set at a sloping angle, the manufacturers offered the option of a folding luggage grid attached to the rear panel for "two pounds, seven shillings and sixpence" painted.
A Commer-badged estate car was added to the range. The final pre-war model was the 1938 Minx. There were no more factory-built tourers but some were made by Carbodies; the car was visually similar to the Magnificent, with a different grille, access to the luggage boot was external. There were two saloon models in the range, the basic "Safety" model with simple rexine trim instead of leather, no opening front quarterlights, less luxurious trim levels; the De Luxe model had leather trim, opening quarterlights, extra trim pads, various other comfort benefits. The 1938 model was not the final iteration before the outbreak of war, however, as the 1939 model was different mechanically, with the entire drivetrain improved to the extent that few parts are interchangeable with the 1938 model; this includes gearbox, half shafts, steering box, a great many other mechanical and cosmetic changes. The front grille, which to the casual eye looks identical to the 1938 model, became a pressed alloy component rather than a composite.
During the Second World War, British car companies produced simple Utility load carriers, the Car, Light Utility or "Tilly", developed into the experimental Hillman Gnat. For Hillman it was the Hillman 10HP, a Minx chassis with two-person cab and covered load area behind; the basic saloon was produced for military and essential civilian use from 1940 to 1944. United Kingdom: British Army, RAF The Minx sold between 1945 and 1947 had the same 1185 cc side-valve engine, the same wheelbase and the same shape as the prewar Minx; this postwar Minx became known as the Minx Mark I. This was the first Minx with a protruding boot that nodded to the Ponton, three-box design by replacing the'flat back' look, inherited from models that had debuted in the 1930s. Between 1947 and 1948, Hillman offered a modified version they called the Minx Mark II. A much more modern looking Minx, the Mark III, was sold from 1948. Three different body styles were offered these being saloon, estate car and drophead coupé. Beneath the metal and apart from updated front suspension, little had changed: the Mark III retained the 1185 cc side-valve engine of its predecessor.
Claimed power output, at 35 bhp, was unchanged. However, in 1949 the old engine was bored out and compression ratio increased, for the Minx Mark IV, to 1265 cc, power output increased by 7 per cent to 37.5 bhp. A Mark IV saloon tested by The Motor magazine in 1949 had a top speed of 67 mph and could accelerate from 0–60 mph in 39.7 seconds. A fuel consumption of 32.1 miles per imperial gallon was recorded. The test car cost £ 505 including the price including radio, over-riders and heater; the Mark V, introduced in 1951, featured a floor mounted handbrake. The Mark VI of 1953 featured a new grille, revised combustion chambers and a two-spoke steering wheel. A fourth body variation was added, badged as the Hillman Minx Californian, a two-door hard-top coupé with unusually, a b-pillar that wound down out of sight along with the rear side window to give an unbroken window line when all windows were opened: the rear window assembly was of a three-piece wrap-around form; the whe
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
Earls Court Exhibition Centre was an internationally renowned exhibition and events venue in London, considered iconic by many visitors, that opened in 1887. A permanent structure in art moderne style was not built until 1935–37, its heritage listing was refused after it was acquired by developers and demolition was completed, in 2017. Located in Earl's Court straddling the boundary between the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, it was the largest such venue within central London served by two London Underground stations, one of them, Earl's Court tube station, being specially adapted for show visitors and with a direct link to Heathrow Airport; the founder was Leeds entrepreneur, John R. Whitley and the first attraction headlined performances by Buffalo Bill Cody as part of the'American Wild West' Show visited by Queen Victoria and subsequently by members of the Royal Household; this was followed by "Four National Exhibitions", the title of C.
Lowe's 1892 book about its founder. Earl's Court was known for serving as London's premier exhibition venue for many decades, hosting the Royal Smithfield Show, Royal Tournament, the British International Motor Show, London Boat Show, the Ideal Home Show, Billy Graham rallies, the Brit Awards and other notable events such as large scale opera productions and pop concerts in addition to hundreds of trade shows, such as the London Book Fair, it was used as one of the venues for both the 1948 and 2012 Olympic Games. Before 1887 Earl's Court was farm land attached to Earls Court Manor. With the arrival of a multiplicity of railway companies, before London Underground became distinct from the cross country railways, the tracks formed a triangle which became'waste ground'; the introduction of two Underground stations, a mass network of rails trapped the land. The idea of introducing entertainment to the area was brought about by John Robinson Whitley, an entrepreneur who used the land as a show-ground for a few years from 1887.
Whitley did not profit from his efforts, yet his desire had decided the future of Earl's Court and its purpose in years. In 1895 the Great Wheel, a huge Ferris wheel, was created for Imre Kiralfy's Empire of India Exhibition. A plaque in the press centre commemorates some of these facts and that the reclusive Queen Victoria was an occasional visitor to the shows. Kiralfy had the neighbouring Empress Hall built to seat 6,000 and had the Earl's Court grounds converted in the style of the 1893 Chicago White City for the Columbian Exposition, went on to found nearby White City in 1908. In 1935, Earls Court was sold and the new owners decided to construct an exhibition centre with an internal pool, to rival any other in the world and to dominate the nearby Olympia exhibition hall; the plan was to create Europe's largest structure by volume. The project did not go to plan. Designed by the specialist American theatre architect, C. Howard Crane, with over 40,000 sq m of space over two levels, Earls Court opened its doors to the public for the Chocolate and Confectionery Exhibition on 1 September 1937.
The British International Motor Show followed and the Commercial Vehicle show. In spite of all the problems during the latter part of its construction, the project was completed at a cost of £1.5 million. At the center of Earls Court was a large swimming pool which if used took four days to fill and four days to empty and 2¼ million gallons of water were needed to fill it; these operations could only be accomplished at night, so as not to put undue strain on local services. A 750-tonne retractable floor in three sections covered the pool when not in use and was lowered using water hydraulic rams; the pool was used for watercraft exhibitions and lastly as a feature for the Ideal Home Show in 2011. A new entrance to Earl's Court tube station was constructed to facilitate easy access to the exhibition centre, including direct entrance from the underground passage which connects the District and Piccadilly lines; this was however closed in the 1990's at around the time the capacity of the exhibition centre was expanded by the construction of a second hall, Earls Court Two.
With falling attendances and the sale of Earls Court-Olympia to a new developer group in 2008, a fortuitous constellation of like-minded politicians in the two boroughs and at City Hall, confidential plans were drawn up to demolish Earls Court. These were approved in outline by the two local authorities in 2013, along with a swathe of public housing, existing retail and the historic Lillie Bridge Depot in Fulham in order to make way for four new urban "villages" inspired by Terry Farrell on the 80 acre site, expected to be completed in 2033. Demolition work began on the site in December 2014 following its closure on 13 December; the final event in the main Earls Court was a concert by indie rock band Bombay Bicycle Club. The final event to be broadcast from the venue was the 2014 BBC Music Awards two days earlier. In 1985 it was decided by the owners, the P&O, to expand the covered venue to fend off competition from rival national venues, such as the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham and in response to the drastic need to increase exhibition space.
Earls Court II was built over the London Underground and British Rail lines and adjacent land occupied by a mass of sheds linked to the Lillie Bridge Engineering and Railway Depot in Hammersmith and Fulham. Earls Court Two was constructed at a cost of £100 million; the barrel-roofed hall links with Earls Court One and the hall's 17,000 sq m floor was column-free and could hold a maximum capacity of 10,750. The hall was opened by Diana, Prince
Vauxhall Velox
The Vauxhall Velox is a six-cylinder automobile, produced by Vauxhall from 1948 to 1965. The Velox was a large family car, directly competing in the UK with the contemporary six-cylinder Ford Zephyr, to a lesser extent, with the A90, A95, A110 Austin Westminster models, it was introduced by Vauxhall shortly before the London Motor Show in October 1948, as a successor to the Vauxhall Fourteen. Between 1948 and 1957 the Velox shared its body with the less-powerful four-cylinder Vauxhall Wyvern. From August 1954 through to October 1965, it shared its body with the more luxuriously-equipped Vauxhall Cresta, a tradition that ended with the introduction of the new PC Vauxhalls; the Velox name was discontinued at that time in favour of the more upmarket Cresta name, while a new flagship model, the Viscount, was launched. The Velox and its Opel contemporaries are remembered for having mirrored North American styling trends much more than other European models of the time; that was apparent following the 1957 introduction of the PA version of the Velox.
The classic four-door saloon boasted a newly developed straight-six-cylinder engine of 2275 cc, with overhead valves. The 54 bhp power output provided for a claimed top speed of 74 mph. 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. Available at extra charge was an AM radio integrated into the fascia; the body was shared with the four-cylinder Vauxhall Wyvern, a pattern that continued with subsequent versions of the Velox until the introduction of the more compact Vauxhall Victor at the beginning of 1957. While the Velox exterior differed only in badging, additional brightwork and different coloured wheels, the interior boasted superior seating materials over the Wyvern including a central arm rest in the rear.
A car tested by The Motor magazine in 1949 had a top speed of 74.1 mph and could accelerate from 0–60 mph in 22.8 seconds. A fuel consumption of 22.3 miles per imperial gallon was recorded. The test car cost £550 including taxes. Early Velox and Wyvern models were assembled at Vauxhall's Luton plant in England, as well as in Australia and in New Zealand at the GM plant in Petone, near Wellington; the LBP model ID was applied to "chassis only" exports to Australia, where local production included a two-door Caleche tourer and, in early four-door saloons, a unique "six-light" body featuring an additional rear window behind the back doors. This gave the car more resemblance from the rear to the pre-war designed J-series Vauxhall Fourteen it replaced. Velox LIP production took place in Switzerland, where a 400kg van version was a common sight in the 1950s serving as Swiss Post Office vehicles. Despite the lack of bumper over-riders suggesting the four-cylinder Wyvern powerplant, all vans were Veloxes.
Conventional Velox and Wyvern four-door saloons were assembled at the General Motors plant at Biel. Built in Switzerland was a unique prototype two seater roadster known as the Vauxhall Zimmerli-Velox 18-6; this used a coach built aluminium body on a tubular ladder chassis, with standard Velox running gear. It was built in 1949 for the Zimmerli brothers; the car survives today in near original condition. In August 1951 a longer, wider Velox was launched, designated as the EIP series, featuring a modern'three box' shape and integral construction; the body was again shared with the 4-cylinder-engined Wyvern. The car was launched with the previous model's engine but with power output increased to 58 bhp. A car with the original 2275 cc engine tested by The Motor magazine in 1951 had a top speed of 77.4 mph and could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 23.7 seconds. A fuel consumption of 23.5 miles per imperial gallon was recorded. The test car cost £802 including taxes. In the same year, the magazine tested the sized Ford Zephyr Six.
Ford's test car was fitted with options including a radio, a heater and leather seating: thus equipped the Zephyr came with a recommended retail price of £842. In April 1952 the Velox was redesignated as the EIPV series, received a new over-square 2262 cc engine, in the development pipeline for several years; this provided either 64 bhp or, with a compression ratio improved to 68 bhp of power. A further test in 1952 by The Motor magazine of the EIPV with the short-stroke 2262 cc engine, found the top speed had increased to 80.4 mph and acceleration from 0–60 mph to 21.4 seconds. A similar fuel consumption of 23.6 miles per imperial gallon was recorded. The test car cost had risen to £833 including taxes. In December 1952 General Motors Holden launched a tourer and coupe utility version of the EIPV Velox and EIX Wyvern models on the Australian market, these cars' chassis were prefixed EBP for the Velox and EBX for the Wyvern. Both these cars used modified Vauxhall bodies affixed to the Bedford CA chassis.
The tourer was to be called the Caleche but by the time of launch the model name was changed to Vagabond. The Vagabond was a two-door five seater with folding side curtains, it did not survive the 1955 face lift. The coupe utility continued on until withdrawn at the end of the 1957 model year. In August 1954 a significant facelift was applied. Most obvio
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