The HA Viva, announced in September 1963, was Vauxhall's first new small car since 1936. It was a result of a General Motors project that also yielded the Opel Kadett A, sharing the same floorpan and engine construction, though with metric measurements for the Opel and Imperial for the Vauxhall. The HA Viva was comparable in size and mechanical specifications to the Opel Kadett released a year earlier.
The HA Viva was Vauxhall's first serious step into the compact car market after World War II. It was powered by a 1,057 cc overhead valve, four-cylinder, front-mounted engine driving the rear wheels. The HA Viva was offered only as a two-door saloon and competed with rivals like the Ford Anglia and BMC's 1100 range. It set new standards for its time with lightweight, easy-to-operate controls, a slick gearchange, lightweight steering and clutch pedal, good all-round visibility, and relatively nippy performance. It was also one of the first cars actively marketed towards women.
Over 100,000 HA Vivas were made in its first ten months, and by 1966, sales had surpassed 306,000. A total of 309,538 HA Vivas were produced. The HA Viva was assembled in Australia by Holden and in New Zealand by General Motors.
The HB Viva, announced in September 1966, was larger than the HA and featured styling influenced by American General Motors models. Unlike the previous generation, the HB was a solely Vauxhall design, with Opel developing the equivalent Opel Kadett B independently. The HB Viva featured an enlarged 1,159 cc engine. Automatic transmission was offered from February 1967, fitted with the Borg Warner Type 35 system.
The HB introduced a completely different suspension design from the HA, with double-wishbone and coil springs at the front, and trailing arms and coil springs at the rear. This suspension design set new handling standards for its class. A brief-run Brabham SL/90 HB model was purportedly developed with input from Jack Brabham. The Viva GT was also a sought-after model. Two larger overhead camshaft engines from the Vauxhall Victor were also offered: a twin-carb 1975 cc in the Viva GT from February 1968 and a 1599 cc in the Viva 1600 from May 1968.
The HB was originally offered as a two-door saloon, with a three-door estate joining the range in June 1967. The introduction of a four-door option in October 1968 coincided with minor interior trim improvements and saw the HB breaking sales records worldwide. The four-door saloon was designed and engineered by Holden in Australia. A total of 566,391 HB Vivas were produced.
The HC Viva, produced from 1970 to 1979, shared mechanicals with the HB but featured more modern styling and greater interior space. It was available as two- and four-door saloons and a fastback estate, with engine options including standard 1159 cc, 90-tuned 1159 cc, or 1600 cc overhead cam power. A coupé version called the Firenza was introduced in early 1971.
The 1159 cc engine was enlarged to 1256 cc in late 1971. In early 1972, the overhead cam engines were upgraded, with the 1.6 becoming a 1.8 (1759 cc) and the 2.0 (1975 cc) twin carburettor becoming a 2.3 (2279 cc). The Viva range was divided in September 1973, with the entry 1256 cc models remaining Vivas, and the 1.8-litre engine becoming an option on the Viva SL. The 1.8- and 2.3-litre models were rebadged as the Magnum, featuring more luxurious trim. The entire range received safety equipment upgrades, including power-assisted dual-circuit brakes.
The Viva was revised again in 1975, with trim levels becoming E, L, and SL. Production was scaled down after the launch of the Chevette in spring 1975. The Viva remained on sale until the latter part of 1979. The HC Viva became Vauxhall's fastest-selling new model of all time, with its first 100,000 units sold in just 7.5 months. Combined Viva production topped the 1.5 million mark.
The HB Viva's brakes were problematic, with a 1971 survey of passenger cars registered in Sweden during 1967 placing it at the top of a list of cars identified as having faulty brakes. Problems were concentrated on uneven and dragging brakes, generally at the rear.
In Canada, the HC Viva was renamed the "Firenza" from 1971 to 1973. The Firenza was plagued with significant quality problems, including brake failure and engine fires. Angry owners organized into the "Dissatisfied Firenza Owners Association" and engaged in public demonstrations. The protests, combined with reports of a fatal accident caused by steering failure, prompted intervention by the Canadian government. GM withdrew the Firenza from the Canadian market in early 1973.
The end of production of the HC Viva in 1979 marked the last car completely designed by Vauxhall with no input from Opel. The Viva was effectively replaced by the new Vauxhall Astra, a variant of the front-wheel-drive Opel Kadett.
Combined Viva production topped the 1.5 million mark. The millionth Viva, a gold HC, was driven off the production line on 20 July 1971. The HC Viva's domestic market launch coincided with a surge of debt-fueled economic growth in the UK, and it became Vauxhall's fastest-selling new model of all time.
A van version of the HA Viva was marketed as the Bedford HA. A limited-production estate conversion of the Bedford HA van was marketed as the Bedford Beagle. A van version of the HB Viva was developed but never went beyond the prototype stage. General Motors New Zealand sold versions of the three-door HB estate with no rear seat as 'van' models.
Several cars based on the Vauxhall Viva were produced from 1970 to 1976 by Grumett in Uruguay, including a double-cab, two-door pick-up.
In Russia, General Motors launched the GM-AvtoVAZ Chevrolet Viva in 2004, essentially a four-door Opel Astra G. Holden in Australia and New Zealand marketed versions of the Daewoo Lacetti and Nubira as the Holden Viva. The Viva nameplate was revived by Vauxhall in the UK from 2015 to 2019 on a rebadged variant of the Opel Karl/Chevrolet Spark.
The millionth Viva was celebrated with significant fanfare on 20 July 1971. ```
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