1953 Vauxhall Velox Vagabond 'Holden Bodied' Convertible

Description

Alongside the original FX/FJ series Holdens, General Motors’ Australian arm produced a range of cars based on English Vauxhalls, including two uniquely Australian versions of the Wyvern and Velox saloons – the open topped Vagabond and a Coupe Utility. The four-cylinder Wyvern and six-cylinder Velox were sturdy saloons designed to meet the demands of families in post-war Britain and a new series of each, using monocoque construction techniques, was announced in August 1951. Designated the Model EIP, the latest Velox was powered by a 2275cc engine rated at 58 horsepower, mated to a three-speed manual transmission. Vauxhall upgraded the Velox in April 1952 with a new, over-square 2262cc engine developing 68 horsepower, resulting in markedly stronger performance. One of the more glamorous sights on Australian roads in the early 1950s, the Vagabond was an Australian designed and built Holden-bodied derivative based on the sturdy utility chassis, negating the need for any reinforcement and was available in both Wyvern and Velox versions. A sports tourer with Transatlantic styling touches, standard features included twin wing mirrors, a chrome bonnet ornament and dress rings. A full five-seater, the Vagabond sported a neat folding hood and a long list of dealer options, including fog lamps, whitewall tyres, heaters, radios and additional chrome decoration. Production of the Vagabond came to a premature end in February 1955 with GM’s latest update of the Wyvern/Velox series, Holden’s bean counters deciding sales simply weren’t strong enough to justify an open-topped version. In the end something like 1,200 were built, of which very few have survived in roadworthy condition and fewer still have been restored to as-new condition.