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Vauxhall Victor FE 1800 (78 Hp)
Overall Rating
Vauxhall Victor:
The Vauxhall Victor is a large family car produced by Vauxhall from 1957 until 1976. The Victor was introduced to replace the outgoing Wyvern model. It was renamed Vauxhall VX Series in 1976 and continued in production until 1978, by which time it had grown significantly and was viewed, at least in its home market, as a larger-than-average family car.
The last Victor, the Victor FE, was also manufactured under licence by Hindustan Motors in India as the Hindustan Contessa, during the 1980s and early 2000s, with an Isuzu engine....(Read more on Wikipedia)
FE Overview:
Vauxhall Victor (FE). With 141 Nm of torque, it offers ample pulling power. Weighing only 1177 kg, it’s quite light. Rear‑wheel drive offers dynamic handling and sporty feedback. A four-door car with a separate trunk, ideal for families and daily commuting. Seating for 4 makes it ideal for daily use.
The Vauxhall Victor FE was produced before the establishment of Euro NCAP (1997), and therefore, no official safety ratings are available. Safety standards of the 1970s were significantly different from modern requirements.
1800 (78 Hp) Verdict:
Performance Verdict
The 1800 engine provided adequate performance for daily driving and family duties in the 1970s. It was a reliable workhorse, offering sufficient power for urban and moderate highway speeds without being particularly sporty.
Fuel Economy
As a carburetted engine from the early 70s, fuel economy would be modest by modern standards, likely in the low to mid-20s MPG depending on driving style, but acceptable for its time.
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
- • Classic British styling and character
- • Spacious interior for its class
- • Comfortable ride quality
- • Rear-wheel drive dynamics
- • Relatively simple mechanics for maintenance
Cons:
- • Dated safety features (no modern NCAP rating)
- • Fuel economy is poor by modern standards
- • Susceptibility to rust (common for cars of this era)
- • Limited availability of certain spare parts
- • Performance of the base engine is modest
Specifications:
Specifications are compared to those of the previous generation(FD: 1969 - 1972).
| General: | |
|---|---|
| Brand: | Vauxhall |
| Model: | Victor |
| Generation: | FE |
| Modification (Engine): | 1800 (78 Hp) |
| Start of production: | 1972 |
| End of production: | 1976 |
| Powertrain Architecture: | Internal Combustion engine |
| Body type: | Sedan |
| Seats: | 4 |
| Doors: | 4 |
| Engine: | |
|---|---|
| Power: | 78 Hp @ 5200 rpm. |
| Power per litre: | 44.3 Hp/l |
| Torque: | 141 Nm @ 3000 rpm. |
| Engine displacement: | 1759 |
| Number of cylinders: | 4 |
| Engine configuration: | Inline |
| Fuel injection system: | Carburettor |
| Engine aspiration: | Naturally aspirated engine |
| Valvetrain: | OHC |
| Engine oil capacity: | 4.8 l |
| Coolant: | 7.4 l |
| Cylinder Bore: | 85.73 mm mm |
| Piston Stroke: | 76.2 mm mm |
| Compression ratio: | 8.5:1 |
| Performance: | |
|---|---|
| Fuel Type: | Petrol (Gasoline) |
| Weight-to-power ratio: | 15.1 kg/Hp, 66.3 Hp/tonne |
| Weight-to-torque ratio: | 8.3 kg/Nm, 119.8 Nm/tonne |
| Space: | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight: | 1177 |
| Trunk (boot) space - maximum: | 595 l |
| Fuel tank capacity: | 65 l |
| Size: | |
|---|---|
| Length: | 4544 mm mm [56mm more] |
| Width: | 1699 mm mm [Same width.] |
| Height: | 1370 mm mm [37mm more] |
| Wheelbase: | 2667 mm mm [76mm more] |
| Front track: | 1427 mm |
| Rear (Back) track: | 1407 mm |
| Minimum turning circle (turning diameter): | 10.7 m [above average] |
| Powertrain: | |
|---|---|
| Drivetrain Architecture | The Internal combustion engine (ICE) drives the rear wheels of the vehicle. |
| Drive wheel | Rear wheel drive |
| Number of gears | 4 |
| Transmission type | Manual |
| Front brakes | Disc [bad for performance and cooling.] |
| Rear brakes | Drum [bad for performance and cooling.] |
| Steering type | Steering rack and pinion |
| Tires size | 185/70 R14 |
| Wheel rims size | 14 |
Behind the wheel of the Vauxhall Victor. How does it handle on the road?