VAUXHALL PA CRESTA/VELOX QUICK GUIDE

British Americana in extremis with dog-leg windscreen and obligatory tail fins. Lusty engines ensure performance is not a disgrace and these models have developed quite a following. Finding a rust-free example may be tricky, but very rewarding if you do. Velox was lower spec, with a few less thrills.

WHY YOU WANT ONE:

• Classic American looks, built in Luton
• Lusty engines offer modern-era performance
• Seating for six
• You can work on it yourself
• Rare and eye-catching

Rare Friary estate based on the Vauxhall PA Cresta

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

• Rust. Panels hard to find and they really do rot!
• Perished window seals which hasten the above
• Engines that knock or produce blue smoke
• Worn transmissions
• Bodywork bodgery

RIVALS FOR YOUR AFFECTION

• Ford Zephyr/Zodiac Mk2
• Anything built in America in the Fifties
• Humber Super Snipe
• Austin Westminster

SPECIFICATION

• Engine 2262cc 6-cylinder OHV
• Power 78bhp
• Top Speed 90mph
• 0-60mph 18seconds
• Economy 22-24mpg
• Gearbox 3-speed manual