1973 Vauxhall Victor Transcontinental ES from UK and Ireland - Comments

My Father had a Victor FE, bought new in August 1973 - Just in time for the new M reg! The car was a special edition "Transcontinental ES" model and replaced an old mark 2 Cortina.

The Transcontinental ES package added a vinyl roof, cloth seats (unusual in 73), head restraints and, wait for it - Hazard warning flashers!

The car was surprisingly roomy and comfortable, providing Granada sized accommodation for the price of a mid range Cortina. However, a wallowy ride spoiled things and regularly induced sickness in rear seat passengers.

For a 1.8 the car was slow! The engine was strangled by poor breathing and gave only about 70 bhp. In a big car like the Victor it had its work cut out and it drank fuel as a result. The fuel crisis hit just as Dad took delivery and it cost him a fortune to run it!

For a mid 70's car I suppose it was reasonably reliable, but by the time he sold it in October 1979 rust had taken hold in the sills and front wings and those cloth seats were thread bare. Imagine writing that about a 6 year old car today!

A car of its time.

A Triumph of style over substance!

I agree-they werent built to last. my dad owned a '73 vx490, a lovely pokey car, but falling to bits by the time it was only 8 years old.

Actually, the FE series Victor and its derivatives (VX4/90, Ventora) was no more or less succeptible to rust than its mass market rivals.

How many Consul/Granadas, BLMC 1800/2200/Princesses, Hunter/Sceptres, Chrysler 160/180/2Ls, Fiat 132s, Renault 16s, Peugeot 504s and such do you still see these days?

Considering that the FE sold in far fewer numbers than most of its rivals (it was a marketing failure), the proportion that survive today bear testimony to just how well they have lasted.

Hi, can anyone help?

Is it worth swapping a Vauxhall Victor with a BMW touring estate?

The Victor has been hand painted and used for run to the sun, so it will cost about £1000 for paint job.

Not only this, but it's going for £600 with another car for spare parts. Does it have seatbelts? I'm not so sure if it's a good idea.

Please let me know ASAP!!! Thanks.

Granted not many 73 vintage Fords etc last today, but I doubt they would have suffered from rampant rust in 1979 the way our Victor did. Vauxhalls from this era did not last. I remember a Vauxhall salesman once admitting that brand new Vivas arrived from the factory already rusting!

To the poster who claims that Fords of the same era are not as rust prone as the equivalent Vauxhall models, this is not so from my experience.

I used to work at a Ford dealership and the number of Escorts, Cortinas and such coming back with terminal corrosion around the strut towers just buggers belief.

There are more Fords of this era running around merely due to the fact that they sold in much greater numbers in their heyday, making it a case of proportional representation.

The Escort Mk1 did 1.2 m units as compared to 560,000 or so HB Vivas and every Cortina sold over a million units, as compared to just 200,000 or so FD Victors - a car that the Mk3 Cortina was a virtual carbon copy of.

Vauxhall's image and marketing hit the skids in the early 1970s, affecting their sales rates so much so that GM combined their design and engineering with Opel. Much could be said for Ford, which also integrated their European model ranges, starting with the Escort Mk1.

Hi ii`v just bought a Fe victor est, and love it the wind noise at 60 mph, the rattle of the engine as you start it,the windows all fogged up for the first 10 Miles of your journey,all are forgotten as you park up,as someone is bound to keep you talking for 10 min-its (saying that their dad had one just like it) best regards to all the classic nuts out their Gary.

Hi everyone, I like that FE series Vauxhall is quite good car, I have some of them right now. First FE of mine was ´72 Victor 2300SL and It was really good car to drive. Now I have one, wich is little fixed, I did fit Opel Sebator 3600cc engine and geabox in it. Now it is quite fast as well :)

I also have original 3300 SL estate from 1973, and I will fully restore it later. Also ave 3 more Estates and several sedans. So I´m crazy... lol.

Please check out my web page http://www.kolumbus.fi/jenqist for more.

Myu cars find out under link "OMAT" and there is much more useful information, only in weird language, but I have planned to transfer all in English as well.

Hiya.

I have just got a 1973 Victor. I love it. The only problem is the rear wheel arch has gone. Can any one tell me if you can get a replacement one to weld in, or do I have to make one? If you can buy one, please let me know where.

fen05@hotmail.co.uk

Regards john.