New Vauxhall Viva

lincroft1710

There were 3 Vivas - HA 1057cc 1963 - 66 slab sided styleless, HB 1159cc 1966 - 70, Coke bottle, and HC 1256cc 1970 - 79, bland.

Competition - Ford Anglia/Escort, Triumph Herald/Toledo/Dolomite 1300, BMC 1100/1300, Austin Allegro, Morris Minor/Marina 1.3, Hillman Avenger

pogofish

motorguy wrote: »

You do know the Hindenburg wasnt an airplane dont you?

Airplane...? Not in the UK or Germany!

No more than the relationship between a Viva and a decent car!

pogofish

IanMSpencer wrote: »

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.

I'm well aware of the standard of competition - Just that the Viva seemed to be as bad as the worst of them.

pogofish

Nessun_Dorma wrote: »

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

I'd put the Viva somewhere between the Allegro and the Marina in order of crapness!

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

pogofish wrote: »

I'd put the Viva somewhere between the Allegro and the Marina in order of crapness!

The Marina was essentially a rebodied Austin Cambridge. It was dreadful. The Viva was a far better car. The Allegro was a re-engineered 1100 and was grueling appalling. I would c rate the Viva far higher. The fact that it was the driving school car of choice tells you something, and the coke bottle version was modern and stylish in its era. The GPO loved the Mk1 Viva van and it lived on for many years, box on wheels though it was.

My mate's dad had the coke bottle Victor with column change and bench front seat, it wallowed beautifully. I thought it was a great car at the time. During the Cavalier years the Cavalier was a great car, superior to the nasty Jelly Mold.

chickendipperbabe

Nessun_Dorma wrote: »

I was getting a little exited when I heard Vauxhall were relaunching the Viva brand. I assumed it would be replacing the old Astra. But this current model seems to be smaller than than the Astra. Has anyone seen it in the flesh, so to speak?

Background: we're in the process of changing our cars, the Mrs has test drove (with me riding shotgun) a new Hyundai i10, Micra 5 Door, Citroen C1 5 Door, Viva and a Fiat Panda.

The last car we tried was a Viva a couple of weeks ago we were disappointed with it. with the front seats right back there is a tonne of leg room in the front but that and the amount of toys you get as standard are its only good points. The Dash is way too high, even with the seats fully pumped up and rear visibility is non existent. In the back its as cramped as a new five door C1/Aygo/108 - its really cramped bordering on uncomfortable for someone tall or even slightly stocky such as myself.

A Hyundai i10 or even a Micra is far better car in my opinion if you after space and visibility. I liked the i10 and its five year warranty but even though its slated and supposedly not a patch on its Sunderland built predecessors I was pleasantly surprised with the Micra, lots of space in the front and back, decent boot, excellent visibility and it was nice to drive, so I was told.

motorguy

pogofish wrote: »

I'm well aware of the standard of competition - Just that the Viva seemed to be as bad as the worst of them.

Clearly you just like arguing on the internet :rolleyes:

robatwork

Should bring back the Austin Allegro and Maxi.

Just reeked of quality engineering throughout.

pogofish

IanMSpencer wrote: »

The Marina was essentially a rebodied Austin Cambridge. It was dreadful. The Viva was a far better car. The Allegro was a re-engineered 1100 and was grueling appalling. I would c rate the Viva far higher. The fact that it was the driving school car of choice tells you something, and the coke bottle version was modern and stylish in its era. The GPO loved the Mk1 Viva van and it lived on for many years, box on wheels though it was.

My mate's dad had the coke bottle Victor with column change and bench front seat, it wallowed beautifully. I thought it was a great car at the time. During the Cavalier years the Cavalier was a great car, superior to the nasty Jelly Mold.

Yes - I learned to drive in an Allegro - another bucket!

However, you couldn't argue with Viva owners then, or now it seems - and you let yourself down with the Cavalier - If anything it was even worse.

This is why I headed the Saab/BMW route at the earliest opportunity!

colino

Viva, Cedric, Nova, Adam, Mini, just trademarked names that they own and apply with as much imagination as Toyota used to slap on to their next gestation of Corolla, or George Foreman naming his kids. Nothing to do with size, shape, or quality, just a name for the PR boys to run with.