112-661: The Vauxhall VXR8 is a performance car marketed by Vauxhall in the United Kingdom between 2007 and 2017, based on two different models produced by Holden Special Vehicles : the HSV Clubsport (2007–2009) and HSV GTS (2010–2017). The VXR8 is the successor to both the Vauxhall Monaro VXR and the Vauxhall Omega/Carlton . Initially powered by a 411 bhp (306 kW) Gen IV LS2 6.0 litre V8, from late 2009 it
224-601: A 38.2% share of Citroën. On 9 April 1976 they increased their stake of the then bankrupt company to 89.95%, thus creating the PSA Group (where PSA is short for Peugeot Société Anonyme ), becoming PSA Peugeot Citroën. Since Citroën had two successful new designs in the market at this time (the GS and CX ) and Peugeot was typically prudent in its own finances, the PSA venture was a financial success from 1976 to 1979. In late 1978, PSA purchased
336-500: A 75% share to Russian Railways (RZD) for €800m, but retains Gefco as the main logistics provider. Motaquip is an all-makes aftermarket parts company and was established in the UK by PSA Peugeot Citroën in 1981. In December 2014 Motaquip was sold to an outside company to become independent of PSA as "Motaquip Limited". The head office is now based in Nuneaton, UK, with all parts distributed from
448-552: A French car due to perceived reliability issues. He also announced that the Opel and Vauxhall brands would be elevated to new heights within Groupe PSA, including the sale of Opel and Vauxhall-branded vehicles outside Europe for the first time in many decades. On 17 February 2017, PSA announced its bid to acquire PROTON Holdings , which owns the Proton and Lotus brands, but lost out to Geely
560-504: A Vauxhall on the UK market. Early in 1980, Vauxhall moved into the modern family hatchback market with its Astra range that replaced the aging Viva, and quickly became popular with buyers. The Astra was a rebadged version of the first front-wheel drive Opel Kadett, which had been launched in 1979, and was sold alongside the Astra for several years. Initially imported from Opel's plant in Bochum , it
672-529: A binding $ 50 billion merger, expected to be implemented in the next 12 months. The new group is incorporated in the Netherlands and has John Elkann as Chairman of the Board and Carlos Tavares as CEO. On 15 July 2020, the two companies announced that the merged entity will be named Stellantis , from the "Latin verb 'stello' meaning 'to brighten with stars.'" On 4 January 2021, both shareholders of PSA and FCA approved
784-709: A capacity for building around 100,000 units a year. In 2012, the Ellesmere Port plant employed around 1,880 staff and had a theoretical (three-shift) capacity around 187,000 units a year. Vauxhall-branded vehicles are also manufactured in Opel factories in Germany, Spain , and Poland . The current car range includes the Astra ( small family car ), Corsa ( supermini ), Crossland ( subcompact crossover SUV ), Mokka ( subcompact SUV ), and Grandland ( compact SUV ). Vauxhall sells high-performance versions of some of its models under
896-399: A few months later. In May 2019 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced its intention to seek a merger with Groupe Renault . However, in early June merger talks were suspended, and never resumed. On 31 October 2019, Groupe PSA announced intent to merge with FCA. The merger would be on a 50-50 all stock basis. On 18 December 2019, FCA and PSA announced that they had agreed to the terms of
1008-523: A full year loss for 2008. Streiff was replaced by Corus Group chief executive Philippe Varin. Carlos Tavares became CEO in 2014. PSA was actively committed to developing its market presence and sales in many fast growing developing countries and regions of the world. This led to huge investments and partnerships in South America, Iran ( Iran Khodro ) and China (Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën Automobile). It announced plans to invest €650 million in
1120-461: A full-synchromesh gearbox, mechanical windscreen wipers and a 'six-stage' carburetor. Priced at £168-182, the 10-4 was only slightly more expensive than old-fashioned equivalents from Austin and Morris and cost around £30 more than the cheapest 10-horsepower class car on sale, the Ford 7W . The model was promoted as "The £1 Million Motor Car", reflecting the supposed investment in its design and production and
1232-781: A manufacturing plant in Sanand , India . With a capacity of 170,000 vehicles, the Sanand plant started production of the aaa in 2020. In Kazakhstan , assembly of the Peugeot passenger cars will start in June 2013 with a production capacity of 4,000 units per year at the beginning and more than 10,000 units in the near future. A PSA plant was opened in 2018 in Tunisia and in 2019 in Kenitra in Morocco. Citroën will enter
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#17330862143391344-624: A range of mopeds and scooters. In 2014, Mahindra & Mahindra acquired a 51% stake in the company, and in 2019, PSA sold its remaining stake. The company owned 50% of the Chinese Jinan Qingqi Peugeot Motocycles joint venture, which became a wholly owned subsidiary of China South Industries Group in 2013. Citer is a French-based car rental company established by Citroën in 1968. It was sold to Enterprise Holdings in 2011. Sevel ( Société Européenne de Véhicules Légers SA and Società Europea Veicoli Leggeri-Sevel S.p.A. )
1456-408: A reputation for rapid and severe structural corrosion. The F-Type Victor was especially badly affected by this issue, caused by a combination of thin-gauge steel to minimise weight, numerous moisture traps in its body design (for instance the hidden tailpipe design encouraged corrosive exhaust gases and condensation to collect in the rear wing corners), the fitting of a plasticised underseal treatment to
1568-588: A reverse gear in 1904. A single survivor could still be seen at the London Science Museum in 1968. A 1903 model was entered in the London-to-Brighton car run in 2018. To expand, the company moved the majority of its production to Luton in 1905. The company continued to trade under the name Vauxhall Iron Works until 1907, when the modern name 'Vauxhall Motors' was adopted. The company was characterised by its sporting models, but after World War I ,
1680-621: A significant player in the British car market. After 15 months on sale the AS-type Light Six was replaced by the D-type Light Six. This was fundamentally the same as the outgoing model with minor styling and interior updates, but with one major engineering change - namely the addition of Dubonnet suspension to the front, making the new Light Six the first mass-production British saloon car with independent front suspension. The Dubonnet system
1792-400: A single body design across three distinct models. In 1954, GM management sanctioned a switch to a two-body line-up at Vauxhall with concurrent investment to expand both the body shop and production lines at Luton. The new model would replace the four-cylinder Wyvern with a smaller car using the same engine, bringing Vauxhall into line with the established norm for cars in the 1.5-litre class -
1904-451: A single body design in order to maximise productivity and reduce supply costs. The British government had also revoked the RAC taxable horsepower system and replaced it with a flat charge per vehicle regardless of engine size. This meant that there was no longer such an imperative to offer similar models with different engine capacities to fit in the different bands of the old tax system. Therefore,
2016-500: A single body design) with the addition of the Cresta , which was a more luxuriously styled and appointed version of the Velox. Following GM practice from America, from this point Vauxhall began offering annual minor updates, improvements and styling changes to its cars to both keep up with competitors and to tempt existing owners to replace their car. Since the restarting of car production in 1945
2128-482: A spell, working as a draughtsman with GM's Lansing -based Oldsmobile division. As the first significant post-acquisition passenger car, the Cadet, initially retailing at £280, is generally regarded as demonstrating Vauxhall's newly acquired interest and expertise in controlling production costs, but it was also the first British car to feature a synchromesh gearbox . General Motors continued to reposition Vauxhall towards
2240-581: A star to perform at their factory for three consecutive days. Vauxhall was one of the first English car makers to switch from wartime to civilian production, mostly due to the ease with which Bedford trucks in production for military use could be redirected to the civilian market. The first post-war civilian trucks were made a few days before VJ Day in August 1945, with Vauxhall car production resuming in September. These initial models were essentially unchanged from
2352-559: A subsidiary of Stellantis in January 2021, having previously been owned by General Motors since 1925. Vauxhall is one of the oldest established vehicle manufacturers and distribution companies in the United Kingdom. It sells passenger cars, and electric and light commercial vehicles under the Vauxhall marque nationally, and used to sell vans, buses, and trucks under the Bedford brand. Vauxhall
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#17330862143392464-423: A unitary structure, independent front suspension with coil springs, a leaf-sprung live rear axle and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder overhead valve engine with a three-speed manual transmission with column-mounted change - it was, by necessity, virtually all brand new. The drivetrain was largely lifted from the outgoing E-Type Wyvern, but the engine received a higher compression ratio and updated carburation to account for
2576-461: A warehouse in Luton, UK. PSA wholly owns Banque PSA Finance which provides financial services, and 98.67% of GIE PSA Tresorerie which was founded in 1990 as a treasury and cash management services division. A number of marques were inherited following the acquisition of Chrysler Europe in 1978, and some were merged to re-establish Talbot , a previously dormant marque. Chrysler Europe marques included
2688-521: The Brooklands circuit, the Vauxhall was so far ahead of all other cars of any class that the driver could relax, accomplishing the 200 miles (320 km) at an average speed of 46 mph (74 km/h), when the car was capable of 55 mph (89 km/h). The Y-Type went on to win class E of the trial. The Y-Type was so successful that it was decided to put the car into production as the A09 car. This spawned
2800-722: The Fiat Ducato , Peugeot Boxer, and Citroën Jumper. The joint venture with the Chinese company Dongfeng Motor Corporation (later Dongfeng Motor Group ) was established in 1992 and produces the Citroën C-Triomphe , 207, 307 and 408 models at factories in Wuhan and Xiangyang . The Kaluga factory was built by the Russian-based joint venture between PSA Peugeot Citroën (70%) and Mitsubishi Motors (30%) established in 2011. The site builds
2912-573: The HSV GTS . The final run was 15 of the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS-R; fitted with a 587 bhp (438 kW) version of the supercharged LSA V8 engine. This article about a modern automobile produced after 1975 is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Vauxhall Motors Vauxhall Motors is a British car company headquartered in Chalton , Bedfordshire , England. Vauxhall became
3024-595: The Hindustan Motors to sell Peugeot, Citroën, and DS vehicles in India and purchase of the Ambassador brand from Hindustan Motors at the cost of ₹ 80 Crore (€11 million). On 14 February 2017 PSA announced that it was in talks to acquire Opel and Vauxhall Motors from General Motors . The talks were in an advanced stage, but were a surprise to the press and to much of Opel's leadership as they had plans to transform
3136-740: The Mitsubishi Outlander , Pajero Sport , and the Peugeot 308 and Citroën C4 . From 2018, the Peugeot Expert and Citroën Jumpy are built on site. The joint venture with Iran Khodro was established in 2016 and produces some Peugeot models and imports other models in CBU for Iran market. IKAP is a 50–50 joint venture with the Iran Khodro, based in Tehran . In 2020, PSA Aftermarket, the post-sales division of
3248-566: The Vauxhall A-Type . Four distinct types of this were produced between 27 October 1908 and when mass production halted in 1914. One last A-Type was put together in 1920. Capable of up to 100 mph (160 km/h), the A-Type Vauxhall was one of the most acclaimed three-litre cars of its day. Two cars were entered in the 1910 Prince Henry Trials, and although not outright winners, performed well, and replicas were made for sale officially as
3360-660: The Vauxhall Viva small family car commenced, with the new car being aimed at the like of the Ford Anglia . The German version of the car was sold as the Opel Kadett . The locally assembled Vauxhall Viva was launched in Australia in May 1964. In 1966, Vauxhall's Slant Four engine went into production – the first production overhead camshaft inline-four to use a rubber timing belt . Also,
3472-668: The executive car market with the launch of its all-new Carlton saloon and estate, which were facelifted versions of the German-built Opel Rekord . A year later, a more upmarket saloon model, the Senator , was launched under the Opel brand, and finally became available as a Vauxhall from 1983. By 1979, Vauxhall had increased its market share substantially; it was still some way behind Ford and British Leyland, but had overtaken Talbot (the Peugeot -owned successor to Rootes and Chrysler UK ). By this time, GM had decided to withdraw
Vauxhall VXR8 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3584-579: The "sport coupé utility" market was only a niche on the British market. In 2013, the VXR8 GTS (based on the HSV GTS Gen-f) was introduced with a 577 bhp (430 kW) supercharged Gen IV 6.2 litre LSA engine, also used in the second generation Cadillac CTS-V and fifth generation Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. In 2017, the VXR8 was discontinued due to the closure of Holden's Australian factories and discontinuation of
3696-509: The 1.6 Prince engine . PSA also sells their engines, gearboxes and other parts to small independent manufacturers such as De La Chapelle and PGO . This PSA Peugeot Citroën 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine has received the International Engine of the Year awards a total of eight times, from 2007 to 2014. Process Conception Ingénierie (PCI) is a French-based manufacturer of machine-tools for
3808-476: The 1908 RAC and Scottish Reliability Trial, held in June that year. The cars were so successful that Pomeroy took over from Hodges. Pomeroy's first design, the Y-Type Y1, had outstanding success at the 1908 RAC and Scottish 2000 Mile Reliability Trials – showing excellent hill-climbing ability with an aggregate of 37 seconds less time in the hill climbs than any other car in its class. With unparalleled speeds around
3920-516: The 1920s), wrap-around front and rear screens, large chromed bumpers and an exhaust tailpipe integrated into one of the rear overriders. A year after launch the Victor would also provide the basis for Vauxhall's first factory-built estate car . The new P-Type Velox/Cresta models were announced in October 1957. Like the Victor these essentially featured updated versions of the drivetrain (and running gear) from
4032-505: The 425 bhp (317 kW) VXR8 Bathurst and supercharged 552 bhp (412 kW) 'S' editions were offered using the same Gen IV LS2 V8 but with a Walkinshaw Performance supercharger in the Bathurst S. They were named for the famous Bathurst race in Australia. A rebadged version of the Maloo pickup ( coupé utility ) was also offered under the Vauxhall brand but only a few were ever sold as
4144-555: The AS-type Light Six . With an all-steel body and a refined and modern overhead valve inline-six engine, the Light Six was produced in 12- and 14- 'tax horsepower' variants. Modernisation and expansion of the Luton factory meant that the Light Six was sold for £195 for the standard four-door saloon, which was significantly less than many of its older rivals with four-cylinder engines and less interior appointments, and Vauxhall made
4256-639: The British Sunbeam (1901–1976), Humber (1868-1976), Singer (1905–1970), Commer (1905–1979), Hillman (1907–1976), Karrier (1908–1977), the French Simca (1934–1977) and the Spanish Barreiros (1959–1978). Cycles Peugeot produced bicycles from 1882 until 2005. In 1987, ProCycle of Canada acquired the rights to distribute French-made Peugeots in North America and in 1990, Cycles Peugeot sold
4368-714: The C-type, but now known as the Prince Henry . During the First World War, Vauxhall made large numbers of the D-type, a Prince Henry chassis with derated engine, for use as staff cars for the British forces. After the 1918 armistice, the D-type remained in production, along with the sporting E-type . Pomeroy left in 1919, moving to the United States, and was replaced by C.E. King. In spite of making good cars, expensive pedigree cars of
4480-586: The Cavalier range by 1978, but there never was an estate version. The Cavalier helped Vauxhall regain lost ground in this crucial sector of the market, while the Chevette proved to be hugely popular in the growing supermini sector, as more buyers turned to smaller cars following the oil crisis of 1973. The Chevette range later evolved into a three-door estate, as well as saloons with two or four doors. Both models were based on models produced by Opel, GM's German subsidiary,
4592-786: The Chevette being based on the Opel Kadett , but with a distinct front end. Along with the Chevrolet Chevette in the US and Canada, the Chevette and Kadett were built on GM's T-Car platform . Similarly, the Cavalier was based on the Opel Ascona , but featured the front end of the Manta , as did the Chevrolet Chevair in South Africa . This marked the end of a long and gradual process by GM to consolidate its two European subsidiaries with preference for
Vauxhall VXR8 - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-421: The E-Type Wyvern was a significantly larger car than its direct competitors. The new car would be launched for 1957 alongside new Velox/Cresta models which could, correspondingly, be slightly enlarged since their body no longer had to be shared with a model in the class below. The small model, named the F-Type Victor was announced first in February 1957. Although its engineering followed familiar Vauxhall lines -
4816-558: The E-Type models in a new, larger and much more flamboyantly-styled body. American styling cues were again much in evidence, this time being heavily influenced by a 1954 Cadillac concept car called the Park Avenue. Both the new Vauxhall models continued the success of their predecessors. The Victor achieved new sales records for Vauxhall and in the late 1950s was Britain's most exported car, being sold in most right-hand drive car markets such as Australia, New Zealand , South Africa , India , Pakistan , Thailand and Singapore . The model
4928-465: The FD Victor was launched at the Earls Court Motor Show , considered by many to be one of Vauxhall's finest all-British styling efforts. During the 1960s, Vauxhall acquired a reputation for making rust-prone models. The corrosion protection built into models was tightened up significantly, but the reputation dogged the company until at least the early 1980s. In 1967, Vauxhall became a Royal Warrant Holder : Motor Vehicle Manufacturers to HM The Queen –
5040-414: The French government each took a 13% stake in PSA, in a financial rescue operation, reducing the Peugeot family share from 25% to 14%. Following Dongfeng and the French government each acquiring stakes in Groupe PSA, various cost-cutting measures at the company turned its fortune around and gradually reduced PSA's debt, until the company began to turn a profit beginning in 2015. A new CEO, Carlos Tavares ,
5152-429: The GSe sub-brand. Significant former Vauxhall production cars include the Victor , Viva , Chevette , and Cavalier . Vauxhall is set to close its Luton plant in the future due to Government incentives for plug-in electric vehicles adversely affecting ICE vehicle sales, despite the plant readying a 2025 transition to a new all-electric Vauxhall Vivaro 3 line. Scottish marine engineer Alexander Wilson founded
5264-470: The Indian market in early 2021, with the launch of the C5 Aircross SUV manufactured at a plant in Tiruvallur , India . The manufacturer of Peugeot , Citroën and DS Automobiles -branded cars and vans, 100% owned by PSA Group and formed from the combination of Automobiles Citroën and Automobiles Peugeot. Automobiles Citroën, Automobiles Peugeot, and DS Automobiles remain in operation in relation to specific retail operations in various countries but not in
5376-521: The Luton factory as well as a significant expansion of Vauxhall's engineering and design staff. The first of the new models was released in September 1937. This was the H-type 10-4 (the model number referring to its 10 tax-horsepower, four-cylinder engine). This was the first truly small Vauxhall in many years. As well as its advanced unibody structure - a first for a British saloon car - the 10-4 also featured an overhead valve engine, fully hydraulic brakes and Dubonnet front suspension. Other features included
5488-475: The North American rights to market bicycles under the Peugeot name to ProCycle. In 2001, ProCycle discontinued the Peugeot bicycle brand. In Europe, the licence to produce Peugeot-branded bicycles was sold to Cycleurope , a company making bicycles under different names, on condition that it would be reconsidered in 2004. That license was later withdrawn for Europe, though production of bicycles for export continued for another year. Peugeot Motocycles manufactures
5600-463: The PSA Group, expanded its operations in the circular economy by acquiring B-Parts , a platform specializing in the sale of used car parts. This move aligned with the group's "3R" strategy—repair, reuse, and remanufacture—focusing on sustainable automotive solutions. The acquisition also aimed to support PSA Aftermarket's goal of tripling its revenue from circular economy initiatives between 2018 and 2023, aligning with its sustainability goals. In 2008,
5712-465: The Peugeot family, with a holding of 7%. The alliance was intended to enable $ 2 billion per year of cost savings through platform sharing, common purchasing and other economies of scale. In July 2012, a union official said that PSA Peugeot Citroën would cut as much as 10 percent (8,000-10,000) of its French workforce of 100,356 employees on permanent and temporary contract. The jobs cut was more than previously announced. On 24 October, PSA said it
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#17330862143395824-453: The Royal Mews. The warrant of HRH The Prince of Wales was added in 1994. By the late 1960s, the company was achieving five-figure sales on its most popular models, including the entry-level Viva and the larger Victor . In 1970, the HC Viva was launched, which went on to become Vauxhall's best-selling car of the decade, featuring among the 10 best-selling cars in Britain each year until after 1976, with production not finishing until 1979, when
5936-422: The Second World War, car production at Luton was suspended to allow Vauxhall to work on the new Churchill tank . Despite a bombing raid in August 1940, in which 39 employees were killed, it was taken from specification to production in less than a year, and assembled there (as well as at other sites). More than 5,600 Churchill tanks were built. Luton also produced around 250,000 lorries for the war effort, alongside
6048-419: The UK, respectively. He assured the leaders that jobs would be safeguarded and that Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant was to be used by PSA at least until 2021. Tavares announced that he wants Opel to keep its German brand identity and to embrace it, and that he would leverage Opel's pedigree of German engineering and Motorsport and use the company's heritage to reach markets and customers that may not consider
6160-429: The Vauxhall badge still being built in the UK. The introduction of the Opel-based Vauxhalls marked a significant improvement in both the design and build quality of Vauxhall cars, which were now considered strong rivals to their Ford competitors. By the end of the 1970s, Vauxhall had boosted its market share substantially, and was fast closing in on Ford and British Leyland. In 1978, Vauxhall strengthened its position in
6272-522: The Vauxhall brand from most other European markets in favour of Opel. This saw an end to the export of Vauxhall models, as exports to Continental Europe had fallen from 32,000 units in 1970 to 12,900 units in 1978. By 1981, these were largely confined to Chevettes sold in Germany. While Opel-built cars were exported to the UK and badged as Vauxhalls, no Vauxhall-built cars were exported badged as Opels. It would not be until 1990 that Vauxhall would resume left hand drive production for export. Similarly,
6384-416: The Vauxhall brand more than doubled. This was complemented in 1983 with an estate , based on the Camira produced in Australia by Holden , with the tailgates for the Vauxhall version being built there and shipped to Luton. It was Britain's second-best selling car in 1984 and 1985, and spent most of its production life vying with the Ford Sierra for top place in the large family car market. The Cavalier
6496-508: The Viva nameplate was finally discontinued after 16 years and three generations. In 1973, the Vauxhall Firenza "Droopsnoot" coupe was unveiled at the Earls Court Motor Show, introducing the public to Vauxhall's new aerodynamic look for all of its subsequent 1970s models. By 1973, the Victor was losing sales in a market that was becoming increasingly dominated by the Ford Cortina . This was not enough to keep Vauxhall from being well behind market leaders like Ford in sales, and most of its range
6608-411: The Wyvern and Velox were still competitive despite being considered small and cramped alongside the likes of the Morris Minor or the A40 Devon of Austin. The Velox especially, with its smooth and powerful engine in a relatively small car, offered strong performance and good reliability to compete against the V8-powered Ford Pilot . The L-Types were replaced by a truly new model, the E-Types, in 1951 with
6720-495: The automotive and aircraft industry. PSA owns 57.43% of automotive supplier Faurecia , a company created by a 1997 merger between Bertrand Faure and PSA-owned ECIA. It provides various components to Peugeot, Citroën, DS and significant interior and exterior parts to companies such as Audi , BMW and Mercedes-Benz . Gefco is a large international logistics company, established by Peugeot in 1949 and named Les G roupages E xpress de F ranche- Co mté. In November 2012, PSA sold
6832-416: The bigger, heavier E-Type models these gave very poor performance, especially the Wyvern with an engine all-but unchanged since 1937. The new engines, both slightly larger than the existing design, were fitted to both models during 1952 and brought performance up to a competitive level. In terms of price and production the E-Type Vauxhalls were now full contenders in the mid-size car market in Britain, alongside
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#17330862143396944-413: The company at 90–92 Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall , London, in 1857. It was founded as Alex Wilson and Company, and from 1897, the company built pumps and marine engines. In 1903 the company built its first car, a five-horsepower single-cylinder model steered using a tiller , with two forward gears and no reverse gear. About 70 were made in the first year, before the car was improved with wheel steering and
7056-449: The company into an electric-car-only brand using the platform of the Opel Ampera-e for a wide range of models. GM agreed to continue to supply PSA with Ampera-e and other electric vehicle technology. In August 2017, PSA completed the acquisition deal of Opel and Vauxhall. GM reported a loss of US $ 257 million from its European operations in 2016, sixteenth consecutive loss-making year for GM in Europe, bringing its amount of losses on
7168-408: The company investigated the option to buy Mitsubishi Motors but a deal could not be concluded and was called off in 2010. One outcome of the talks resulted in the Mitsubishi Outlander and Mitsubishi i-MiEV to be sold as Peugeot and Citroën in Europe. The head office of PSA Group is located in Rueil-Malmaison. The group has been renting the building since 2017, right after its construction. It
7280-420: The company's designs were more austere. Much of Vauxhall's success during the early years of Vauxhall Motors was attributable to Laurence Pomeroy . He joined Vauxhall in 1906 at the age of 22, as an assistant draughtsman. In the winter of 1907/8, the chief designer F. W. Hodges took a long holiday, and in his absence, the managing director Percy Kidner asked Pomeroy to design an engine for cars to be entered in
7392-542: The continent since 2000 to more than US $ 15 billion. Some expressed concerns about what this major acquisition might do to PSA's bottom line. However, due to this amount of debt, it is likely that GM may give the brands to PSA, or sell Opel and Vauxhall at a highly reduced price. Tavares expects synergies a decade after the takeover. PSA CEO Carlos Tavares met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May at separate meetings where he toured some of Opel and Vauxhall's operations in Germany and
7504-476: The development or manufacture of vehicles. PSA PowerTrain is a manufacturer of petrol and diesel engines for a range of companies including BMW , Ford , Jaguar , and Land Rover . It was founded by Peugeot in 1898 in Lille and later named Compagnie Lilloise de Moteurs (CLM). In 1992 SCM-CLM as it was then known became Peugeot Citroën Moteurs. The company has had a partnership with Ford Motor Company since 1998. PSA and BMW have an agreement to develop
7616-467: The domestic French market for the first time in 1983. In 1987, the company dropped the Talbot brand for passenger cars when it ceased production of the Simca-developed Horizon; the Samba and Alpine/Solara had been discontinued a year earlier. What was to have been the Talbot Arizona became the Peugeot 309 , with the former Rootes plant in Ryton and Simca plant in Poissy being turned over for Peugeot assembly from October 1985. Producing Peugeots in Ryton
7728-522: The early 1980s, the Vauxhall brand was withdrawn from sale in all countries apart from the UK. At various times during its history, Vauxhall has been active in motorsports, including rallying and the British Touring Car Championship . After 92 years under GM's ownership, Opel /Vauxhall was sold to Groupe PSA in 2017. Vauxhall has major manufacturing facilities in Luton (commercial vehicles, IBC Vehicles ) and Ellesmere Port (passenger cars). The Luton plant employs around 1,100 staff as of 2024 and has
7840-422: The failing Chrysler Europe (which had been Rootes and Simca ) from the troubled US parent firm for a nominal US$ 1.00, plus assumption of outstanding debt, leading to losses for the consortium from 1980 to 1985. Further investment was required because PSA decided to create a new brand for the entity for the disparate French and British models, based on the Talbot sports car last seen in the 1950s. From then on,
7952-426: The floorpan which served to trap moisture and dirt once it became chipped or cracked and the fact that the Victor was built in quantities and rates that the Luton plant had not previously dealt with. A manufacturing plant at Ellesmere Port , Cheshire, was opened in 1962, initially making components to supply to the production lines in Luton, before passenger-car production began there in 1964. In 1963, production of
8064-423: The kind that had served the company well in the prosperous prewar years were no longer in demand; the company struggled to make a consistent profit and Vauxhall looked for a major strategic partner. On 16 November 1925, Vauxhall was acquired by General Motors for US$ 2.5 million. At the time, the purchase was not popular among senior U.S. GM executives. Vauxhall was only making seventeen cars per week and
8176-570: The larger, and in terms of both absolute sales and market share, more successful Opel, which sold 925 000 vehicles to Vauxhall's 143 600. Since the early 1960s, Vauxhalls, whilst being designed and built in the United Kingdom, increasingly shared their general specification, engineering features, and styling with Opel counterparts (the Viva with the Kadett and the Victor with the Rekord , for instance) even if
8288-453: The last all-British Vauxhall. Following the introduction of the Chevette and Cavalier, virtually all future Vauxhalls would be lightly restyled Opels, under what was described by the company's management as "Opelisation". The exceptions would be based on models from elsewhere in the GM organisation. However, Vauxhall retained its two British factories at Luton and Ellesmere Port, with most cars wearing
8400-544: The latest engineering developments. Vauxhall and GM management planned a completely new three-model car range which would use cutting-edge unibody construction instead of the traditional body-on-frame design. The first mass-production unibody car, the Citroën Traction Avant began production in 1934, the same year that design work on the new Vauxhall range began. As well as designing an entirely new car body, this change required major expansion, renewal and investment in
8512-712: The likes of the Ford Consul / Zephyr and especially the increasingly old-fashioned Hillman Minx . By 1953 Vauxhall was building 110,000 E-Type models at Luton per year, with around half of production going to export - mostly in the Commonwealth markets which still maintained preferential tariffs for British-made products. For 1955, the E-Type Vauxhalls received a facelift with new frontal and interior styling and minor mechanical refinements. Most importantly, Vauxhall returned to offering three car models (albeit all still sharing
8624-421: The limiting factor for Vauxhall sales had been production, sometimes leading to lengthy waiting lists for customers. While the Luton factory had been expanded and modernised in the early 1950s, the main restriction was the lack of capacity for building the unitary bodyshells. Expansion of the body shop would require large investment that GM was reluctant to release and this was the main reason for Vauxhall relying on
8736-463: The merger and the deal was closed on 16 January 2021. The Peugeot, Citroën and DS Automobiles brands retain separate sales and marketing structures, but share common technology, development and assembling assets. Jean-Martin Folz was PSA's CEO between 1996 and early 2007, when he was replaced by former Airbus head Christian Streiff . Streiff was sacked on 29 March 2009, a day after the company posted
8848-406: The middle of the British car market, aiming to produce higher volumes of more conventional cars that, using GM's large engineering, design and production resources, would offer modern technology and high levels of equipment at a reasonable price with competitors being the likes of Wolseley and Humber. The Cadet had been the first step in this process, which gathered pace in June 1933 with the launch of
8960-426: The new Bedford Dunstable plant , which was opened in 1942, with Bedford designs being common in British use. As a morale booster for the company employees, on 23, 24, and 25 February 1944, Adelaide Hall appeared in concert at the factory in Luton, where she entertained the employees during their lunch break. In all, she performed in front of more than 10,000 workers; this was the first time that Vauxhall had contracted
9072-532: The new 1948 L-Type Vauxhalls consisted of just a pair of models, both using the body structure, floorpan and many running gear parts of the H-type/Ten model. However Vauxhall's director of styling, David Jones, managed to fit brand new exterior panels to the front, rear and rear-quarters of the old body centre-section to give the L-type a modern look which shared its basic shape and features with GM's Chevrolet Fleetline of
9184-488: The new cars having been in development since 1948. GM was still restricting Vauxhall to a one-body policy and the range still consisted of two models differentiated mostly by their engines – the four-cylinder EIX Wyvern and the six-cylinder EIP Velox . While they were designed at Luton they drew a lot of influence from styling developments made in Detroit , especially the revised 1951-model year Chevrolets . The E-Types continued
9296-410: The new widespread availability of high octane fuel and so made more power. Stylistically the Victor followed the familiar Vauxhall trend of following American styling trends, although the Victor took this to a new level by closely resembling the famous 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air , complete with tailfins , prominent 'flutes' on the bonnet (a modern evocation of a familiar Vauxhall styling cue dating back to
9408-465: The rear axle retained leaf springs but also with the addition of telescopic dampers. The transmission and steering remained little-changed from the existing design. Vauxhall planned and developed a new range of short-stroke overhead-valve engines for the E-Types but financial and production constraints meant that the first new Wyverns and Veloxes were launched with the same engines as the outgoing L-Type. In
9520-522: The same quantities as the entire E-Type range had, but over 180,000 were built between October 1957 and July 1962 with over 100,000 of those cars being exported. Both the Victor and the Velox/Cresta received criticism for their overtly American styling, which many reviewers saw as gaudy against more conservative British tastes. Both models had their styling revised in 1959 to remove some of the more extreme styling details. Both models also quickly developed
9632-735: The same year, albeit at a much smaller scale. The new models were the Wyvern (using the four-cylinder engine previously used in the Twelve) and the Velox using a new wide-bore development of the six-cylinder engine from the Fourteen. Otherwise, the L-Types reused the three-speed transmission (albeit with a switch to a column gear change , hydraulic brakes and Dubonnet suspension of the pre-war models essentially unchanged. Those predecessors had been advanced for their time so
9744-460: The terms of a binding $ 50 billion merger. On 16 July 2020, both companies announced the new name for their merged operations, Stellantis . The deal closed on 16 January 2021. As of 2022 , Stellantis is the fourth largest automaker by sales behind Toyota , Volkswagen Group , and Hyundai Motor Group . Peugeot was the largest PSA brand. PSA was listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and
9856-596: The three-model range (H-, I-, and J-type unibody designs) that had been launched just before the outbreak of war in 1939. However, they were now renamed simply as the Vauxhall Ten, Twelve and Fourteen respectively, were each available in a single body and specification (four-door saloons to what had been the Deluxe trim level) to ease production and had minor internal and external trim differences to account for shortages or extra costs of various materials. Government regulations of
9968-502: The time meant that 75% of production had to be sent for export, so very few of these revived models reached buyers in the United Kingdom. Further rationalisation occurred in 1946 when the Twelve ceased to be a distinct model and now shared the body of the Ten but with the larger-capacity engine. These models were superseded by 'new' cars in 1948. GM management had dictated that Luton should only utilise
10080-698: The two cars were distinct, with few to any interchangeable parts. From the late 1960s and into the early 1970s, increasing economic turmoil in the UK, declining build quality, and increasing strike action throughout British industry (and in stark contrast, the Wirtschaftswunder or economic miracle of West Germany during the same period), plus the entry of the UK into the European Economic Community in 1973, made maintaining two parallel model lines serving similar markets increasingly undesirable. The FE Series Victor , launched in 1972, would be
10192-479: The unusual decision to offer both 12 and 14 models for the same price. Two-door saloon, coupe, tourer and cabriolet bodies were also available for extra cost, plus a range of other body designs from coachbuilders . The Light Six was an immediate sale success, surpassing all previous Vauxhall products by a large margin with 26,000 examples being sold in just over 12 months and with the Luton factory moving onto 24-hour shift work to meet demand. Vauxhall had suddenly become
10304-499: The use of Opel brand on the UK market would be confined to sporting models, and with the success and wide range choice of the new Vauxhall products of the early 1980s, the Manta was the only Opel-badged car being imported to the UK by the end of 1984. When the Manta was finally discontinued in 1988, Opel models were no longer officially imported to the UK. Its successor, the Calibra, was badged as
10416-435: The use of unibody construction, but of a brand new and much larger design with full-width ' pontoon ' styling. They offered significantly more cabin and luggage space and a great deal of effort was put into both the styling of the interior and the reduction of vibration and noise. The complicated Dubonnet suspension system was replaced by more conventional design using coil springs and twin wishbones with telescopic dampers, while
10528-508: The vanguard of automotive engineering for the mass market in Britain. However the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 greatly restricted the sales of all new cars just as the new Vauxhall range was entering the market and production was reaching full flow. Car production was ceased entirely in May 1940, by which time over 50,000 10-4s, 10,000 12-4s and 15,000 14-6s had been built. During
10640-505: The whole Chrysler/Simca range was sold under the Talbot badge until production of Talbot-branded passenger cars was shelved in 1987 and on commercial vehicles in 1992. All of this investment caused serious financial problems for the entire PSA group; PSA lost money from 1980 to 1985. There were some bright spots, however: mainly thanks to the success of the Peugeot 205 and in spite of Talbot sales withering away, PSA surpassed Renault in sales in
10752-529: Was a GM patent, also used on Chevrolet and Pontiac models in the US and on Opel cars in Europe. The D-type Light Six was priced at between £205 and £245 for the standard saloon depending on the exact specification, which was still a lower-than-average price for a car of the new Light Six's size, power, equipment and technical specification and this was another successful model for Vauxhall. The overall strategy for Vauxhall continued to be to make smaller models with
10864-588: Was a constituent of the CAC 40 index. Beginning in 2016, PSA began to outline a strategy which entailed the rapid expansion of the company, through both geographic expansion and acquisitions of other car companies. PSA announced plans to enter the Indian , American , Canadian , South East Asian , and other markets in the coming years. Headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison , PSA, with sales of 3.88 million units in 2018,
10976-551: Was also sold in left-hand drive form by General Motors in Canada (under the specially-created Envoy name and under the original Vauxhall Victor name through Pontiac dealerships in the USA. Nearly 400,000 F-Type Victors were built at Luton between the start of 1957 and the end of production in mid-1961. With the Victor taking the place of many previous Wyvern sales, the P-Type models did not sell in
11088-544: Was close to an agreement with creditor banks on €11.5 billion ($ 14.9 billion) of refinancing and had won state guarantees on €7 billion in further borrowing by its Banque PSA Finance. On 12 December 2013, General Motors announced it was selling its 7% stake in PSA Peugeot Citroën to Padmapriya Automobile Investment Group. In 2014, Dongfeng Motor Group , the Chinese partner that builds PSA cars in China, and
11200-522: Was engaged and began to implement various cost-cutting measures and expanded the model range of all three core brands, alongside the creation of a new brand, DS Automobiles . In early 2016, PSA unveiled a roadmap detailing its plan to re-enter the North American car market for the first time since 1991. On 10 February 2017, PSA announced a 50:50 joint venture with the CK Birla Group , the owner of
11312-623: Was established as a subsidiary of Vauxhall in 1930 to manufacture commercial vehicles. It was a luxury car brand until it was bought by General Motors, who thereafter built mid-market offerings. As Opel made vehicles, they branded under Vauxhall often. From the time of the Great Depression Vauxhall became increasingly mass-market. Since 1980, Vauxhall products have been largely identical to those of Opel , and most models are principally engineered in Rüsselsheim am Main , Germany. During
11424-405: Was established in 1978 and is equally owned by PSA Group and Fiat . As a result of this, two factories have been built assembling three ranges of vehicles, Sevel Nord and Sevel Sud . Peugeot and Fiat's Argentine operations were also joined under the name of Sevel Argentina S.A. ( Sociedad Europea de Vehículos para Latinoamérica ), although Fiat withdrew from Sevel in 1995. Currently Sevel builds
11536-401: Was founded by Alexander Wilson in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer. It was purchased by Andrew Betts Brown in 1863, who began producing travelling cranes under the company, renaming it "Vauxhall Iron Works". The company began manufacturing cars in 1903, and changed its name back around this time. It was acquired by American automaker General Motors (GM) in 1925. Bedford Vehicles
11648-467: Was in a financial mess. The company's image and target market were gently but firmly changed over the next five and more years, marked particularly by the introduction in late 1930 of the low-cost two-litre Vauxhall Cadet and the next year the first Bedford truck, which was Chevrolet based. Vauxhall's chief engineer since 1920, Charles Evelyn King, retired as engineering director in 1950. The company's future chief engineer, Harold Drew, left Luton for
11760-516: Was later produced at the Vauxhall plant in Ellesmere Port. In 1981, the company released the Mk2 Cavalier , the first Vauxhall of this size to offer front-wheel drive and a hatchback bodystyle. Built at the Luton plant, it really boosted Vauxhall's fortunes, with the Cavalier's sales for 1982 almost trebling its total for 1981, and peaking at more than 130,000 by 1984. During that time, sales of
11872-412: Was noted for its excellent fuel economy of over 40mpg when touring due to its efficient modern engine and lightweight body. The 10-4 was considered to be the finest small car in the world at the time of its launch and initial demand greatly exceeded production capacity. Just six months after the 10-4's launch, the 10,000th example left Luton - a production record for the Vauxhall at the time. The H-type 10-4
11984-503: Was only the first and smallest in the proposed trio of similarly advanced unibody cars. The I-type 12-4 (essentially the same as the 10-4 but with a longer wheelbase and an enlarged engine) was introduced in September 1938 and the J-type 14-6 , replacing the old Light Six, was introduced the following month but sales did not begin until early 1939. This advanced three-model range was very well received by critics and buyers and placed Vauxhall in
12096-557: Was relaunched in 1988, an all-new format that won praise for its sleek looks and much-improved resistance to rust. PSA Group Peugeot S.A. , trading as Groupe PSA ( French pronunciation: [ɡʁup pe ɛs ɑ] ) (formerly PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles and motorcycles under the Peugeot , Citroën , DS , Opel and Vauxhall brands. On 18 December 2019, PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced that they had agreed to
12208-548: Was significant, as it signaled the first time that PSA would build cars in the UK (car assembly at Ryton stopped in 2006 and the plant was closed). The Talbot name survived for a little longer on commercial vehicles until 1992 before being shelved completely. From 1987 to 1995, the Ryton plant also produced the Peugeot 405 saloon. On 29 February 2012, PSA announced the creation of a major alliance with General Motors (GM), as part of which GM became PSA's second-largest shareholder, after
12320-614: Was struggling even to keep pace with Chrysler UK (formerly the Rootes Group ). Vauxhall's sales began to increase from 1975, with the launch of two important new models, the Chevette , a small three- door hatchback that was the first car of its kind to be built in Britain, and the Cavalier , a stylish four-door saloon designed to compete head-to-head with the all-conquering Ford Cortina. A two-door coupe and three-door "sport hatch" had joined
12432-505: Was the third-largest Europe-based automaker, distantly trailing industry leader Volkswagen's 10.8 million and just a fraction behind Renault . In 2019, Groupe PSA was the ninth largest automaker in the world, after Volkswagen, Toyota, the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance , General Motors , Hyundai Motor Group , Ford Motor Company , Honda , and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles . In December 1974, Peugeot S.A. acquired
12544-634: Was upgraded to the Gen IV LS3 6.2 litre V8 with 425 bhp (317 kW), shared with the Chevrolet Corvette C6 and the Chevrolet Camaro SS. The Vauxhall initially mainly competed with other large sport sedans such as the Audi RS6 , BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E55/E63 AMG , and although it was somewhat bigger in almost all dimensions than them, was not enough to touch luxury territory . In 2009,
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