Nathan Williams is a loyal CC Cohort contributor and has posted many, many great finds over the last few years. But this is a bit of a CC topical find, and, like several of Nathan’s finds, deserves a wider outing.
Paul N recently showed us an aftermarket conversion of the BMW 3.0Si saloon to an estate format. Notwithstanding the fact that the BMW was not a true capacity first estate but more of an early interpretation of the BMW Touring format, the idea of an aftermarket conversion to create an estate was not a new one.
From 1959, Friary Motors, in Basingstoke in southern England, produced Vauxhall Cresta PA series estates in limited numbers from 1959 to 1962. The actual style was defined by Vauxhall but the volume judged as too low to justify the Luton factory tooling up, so Friary were contracted to productionise and build the car in smaller numbers.
The Cresta was and its decontented sister the Velox were competing with Ford Zodiac and Zephyr, the larger Rootes saloons and the likes of the Austin Westminster and Morris Isis.
The basic Cresta shape was closely based on contemporary American and GM Detroit practice; the 1954 Cadillac Park Avenue concept is often cited as the starting point.
The limitations of using the original saloon rear doors are obvious, as well as the challenge of adding something harmonious with the rest of the very fully styled car. You can debate the success (or otherwise) of the adaptation, but the cargo volume was substantial.
One person, though, was seemingly quite happy with the style – HM the Queen had a Cresta estate at Sandringham until the early 1980s.
This car’s MOT history actually shows it titled as a Velox and not a Cresta, which I wouldn’t have expected given the three-tone paint. I’m not sure how you were supposed to outwardly recognize the distinction between the two models otherwise (without a model badge), but there are some images on the internet of other Velox models with at least a two-tone paint job, so I suppose it’s plausible.
On a side note, I recognized the front clip of this Cresta only because some years back, one of the car blogs I follow had posted pictures of a LHD Velox on the street in Seattle. Knowing that Vauxhalls had been sold in the United States at the time, I had figured since then that the Velox/Cresta was one of those models. But upon looking into it further, I was mistaken: only the Victor was sold in the US, from 1957-1962. However, the Velox/Cresta was sold in Canada (which explains the LHD), though I presume not in estate form.
A immaculate Canadian Velox was offered on EBay. some 4 years ago along with a Australian Cresta. The later rare as most died prematurely on rough outback roads.A good source of body parts and chrome as British models rusted out before their mechanics died.
Very popular with the Rock N Rollers . 2/3 scale fifties American car.
Man, the styling on that is busy! (or ‘fussy,’ as one of my former brand management bosses used to say).
Oh dear. And Friary built this following a Vauxhall design! Did GM in America see it first?
Those rear side windows really need to go back to the tailgate rather than following the angle of the rear door windows. As it is, that rear view looks incredibly awkward, and would give a whopping blind spot.
Hmm, a bit like the Nissan Leaf.
A British Rambler
Definitely another example of a British interpretation of an American car. The Cresta at least had some links to Detroit GM but the Humber Super Snipe looked like a Checker Cab in sedan form.
Come to think of it, so did the estate.
I’m getting a Studebaker Lark vibe in the slant-back pillars and back door hips, but that’s just me.
The door pillars are vertical, must be the angle of the photo at play here.
Here’s your Humber Super Snipe. This was considered a luxury car competing with Rover. Like I said, reminiscent of a Checker Cab.
I think the Friary sub-contacted here must have been the Carmelites – after too much silent contemplation, the familiar has been made strange, and they don’t get out much.
As for the royal estate’s estate, one can only note that upon grateful receipt of her gift from Vauxhall, Lizzie thereafter kept it discreetly hidden for use on the family farm only, which both hardly amounts to an ringing endorsement and also reveals some unexpectedly good taste.
The Zephyr conversions looked OK, but the Cresta was obviously pretty challenging because of the roofline.
They obviously weren’t designed with a wagon variant in mind. Much like the Rover P6 a few years later.
Unsurprisingly, this Vauxhall ad (Alamy photo) shows that purchasers had to pay a hefty 30% premium for the estate version.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-1960s-uk-vauxhall-velox-magazine-advert-85324621.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=C03D89D2-4070-443D-BA46-5F6CF954BDC9&p=1337086&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dvauxhall%2520velox%26qt_raw%3dvauxhall%2520velox%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d%26ispremium%3d1%26flip%3d0%26pl%3d
They should’ve been given a 30% discount for taking that thing off Vauxhall’s hands!
Interestingly I also have a photo of the royal one.
Goodwood Festival of Speed as a royal car show back in 2012