1953 Vauxhall Velox Vagabond 'Holden Bodied' Convertible (Project)

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 a 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.