New Vauxhall Viva

pogofish

DominicH wrote: »

unless your dad had one and you get misty-eyed about it. .

I'm from the era where many of our dads did have one - and as a result it was a cheap first car fo many of my contemporaries. So I could go-on at length with Viva disaster stories.

I seriously doubt that many will remember them with any kind of pride/romance.

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

pogofish wrote: »

I'm from the era where many of our dads did have one - and as a result it was a cheap first car fo many of my contemporaries. So I could go-on at length with Viva disaster stories.

I seriously doubt that many will remember them with any kind of pride/romance.

It was a nice easy car to drive, little stubby gear stick, good looking in its day, I thought. Roomy. Stopped more or less in a straight line, and lasted quite well.

You have to remember what the contemporary competition was like - every 60s car will have had its disaster stories - that's how cars were then! We had Morris 1100's - where the distributor was unprotected from the rain so they conked out in the rain. They also had hydrolastic suspension which made us sick on long journeys, and they stank of plastic in hot weather, which would also make us feel sick.

DominicH

pogofish wrote: »

I'm from the era where many of our dads did have one - and as a result it was a cheap first car fo many of my contemporaries. So I could go-on at length with Viva disaster stories.

I seriously doubt that many will remember them with any kind of pride/romance.

Maybe so. I don't recall there being any Vivas in my family history, so I wouldn't know. But I always amazed at the stuff that gets the "classic" label applied to it. I would certainly look askance at anyone waxing lyrical over the Austin Princess, for example, which our family was all too familiar with. Came with factory-fitted rust, that one, almost literally.

motorguy

pogofish wrote: »

And the Viva was about the crappiest of the lot.

I simply cannot see any marketing advantage in harking-back to that bucket, no matter how new reliable or different today's model is.

Its about on the same par as launching a new plane and naming it after the flaming Hindenburg! :eek:

The viva was a very successful car for vauxhall, and owners and enthusiasts groups continue to this day.

My mum ran several during the 1960s and 1970s and i have fond of holidays touring the highlands of scotland in one with my folks with me on the back seat.

As has been said, they were no better or no worse than other cars at the time. Cant comment on the age / condition of the car you had problems with.

motorguy

pogofish wrote: »

Its about on the same par as launching a new plane and naming it after the flaming Hindenburg! :eek:

You do know the Hindenburg wasnt an airplane dont you?

droopsnoot

It's just a name, the only association it has with any of the previous models is the name. While there doesn't seem to be much love for the original Viva in here, I'm sure there aren't many owners of original Vivas that would swap for a new one.


ETA - I did think some of the advert slogans are quite funny. "In the old Viva, lane departure warnings were shouted from the passenger seat" was quite witty, as long as it doesn't stray too far into putting down your old product to sell your new one.

DominicH

Horizon81 wrote: »

To be honest it doesn't look too bad, and with the proliferation of needless electronically controlled rubbish on cars these days I'm all for basic cars coming back. EDIT - just read they come with cruise control, totally unnecessary on a city car! I'd rather have a Sandero over this.

Don't get a Laureate then (cruise control/speed limiter). And really, all cars are stuffed full of electronics, even the "basic" ones. Unless we want to go back to adjusting our points every six months?

("Points" were part of a thing called a "distributor", kids.)

DominicH

droopsnoot wrote: »

It's just a name, the only association it has with any of the previous models is the name.

Someone should tell Vauxhall's advertising agency then. The ads are all about how the new Viva isn't like the old Viva.

e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VRVkAAuFvE

Nessun_Dorma

Tobster86 wrote: »

Why on earth would you get excited about a Vauxhall?

It wasn't so much excitement about Vauxhall, more the idea of a retrospective design of the old Viva being brought up to date. I had Viva and a Victor, back in the day and was maybe hoping to relive my very, very lost youth.

Nessun_Dorma

pogofish wrote: »

I'm from the era where many of our dads did have one - and as a result it was a cheap first car fo many of my contemporaries. So I could go-on at length with Viva disaster stories.

I seriously doubt that many will remember them with any kind of pride/romance.

But what was the comparable alternative, back then? Escort? Cortina? Allegro? Marina?