Classic Vauxhalls to dock at Ellesmere Port factory

Vauxhall’s 60-strong heritage collection is on the move. This comes as the company plans to create a new public-facing heritage centre in the future.

Perhaps fittingly, the cars will find a temporary home at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port factory in Cheshire. A converted 8,000 square-metre building has been set aside at the ‘home of the Astra’.

Vauxhall’s collection represents every decade of the company’s 117-year history. We’ve been fortunate enough to experience many of the cars, including the Vauxhall Lotus Carlton, VXR 220, Mk1 and Mk2 Astra GTE, Viva GT, Firenza ‘Droopsnoot’, Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3 Cavalier, and Chevette.

We’ve even taken a trip down memory lane to celebrate 25 years of the Vauxhall Corsa.

Once the relocation has taken place, the Vauxhall collection will be maintained on site by Manor Park Classics. However, around 20 cars will still have visibility outside of Ellesmere Port.

Currently, 13 Vauxhalls are on display at Stockwood Discovery Centre in Luton as part of a ‘Vauxhall – Made in Luton’ exhibition. The display includes a Prince Henry, XVR concept car and a 1970 Viva GT.

Manor Park Classics will provide exposure for six cars at its Runcorn headquarters. The display will include a 1904 6hp Light Car, a 1926 OE-Type 30-98, an original Lotus Carlton press car and a 1989 Astra GTE.

‘Take your breath away’

Andrew Duerden, Vauxhall’s archivist, said: “Our upcoming move has given me the opportunity to re-organise the archive and prioritise the elements which add depth, colour and interest to our extensive history.

“Digitisation of our image library is ongoing, and provides a valuable asset to media in search of historical context to Vauxhall stories. We also have many unseen design studies from the Sixties and Seventies that, quite frankly, take your breath away.

“I will also be taking on responsibility for Vauxhall’s popular dating certificate service, providing build verification for owners of classic Vauxhalls.”

‘Fully committed’ to heritage

Simon Hucknall, Head of PR, provided some reassurance for the future of the collection. “Vauxhall is fully committed to preserving its heritage collection and archive. While the move from Griffin House to Ellesmere will mean a temporary halt to the collection’s working status, our partners at The Culture Trust Luton and Manor Park Classics have generously supported future exposure of a third of our vehicles.

“We are currently developing plans for a new, purpose-built base for the Collection, which will allow it to be public-facing, while also bringing back its working status. This is by no means the work of a minute, but we hope to be able to share more details about a new Vauxhall Heritage Centre early next year.”

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