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VAUXHALL 94000 - HC
SPORTSHATCH
Vauxhalls
Design Deprtment had been playing around with various styling
variations on the "hatchback" theme as far back as the HB Viva.
Several hatchback HB prototypes were built and evaluated and were
internally known as “Kamback” and “Sportshatch”, nothing much came
of these ideas until the T Car Chevette project got under way in
1971 when Vauxhall were made the lead division within GM to design
the hatch version of the T Car. With the advent of the HC Viva
2300, also available with a fastback 3 door estate body, the idea
of a sporting estate in the mould of the Reliant Scimitar GTE
(Grand Tourismo Estate) found favour again in the Luton Design
centre. In any event the HC Estate had been styled in a way that
deliberately sacrificed absolute practicality as an estate in
favour of a much nicer looking, sporty fastback rear end treatment.
There were several prototype HC Estates made with additions such as
spoilers and uprated engines and wheels. A completely separate
project, which Wayne Cherry was heavily involved, was trying to
enhance the appeal of the slow selling Firenza coupe, the style of
which had been compromised by relying so much on the standard HC
saloon body. Cherry and his team came up with what we now know as
the Droop Snoot Firenza and was launched at the 1973 Motor Show as
a 1974 model range topper. Initial plans were for annual production
in excess of 20,000 but for a multitude of reasons, not least the
fuel crisis, this was wildly optimistic and in the end sadly only
204 were built. The model was still being listed for the 1975 model
year yet surprisingly at the October 1974 London Motor Show
Vauxhall displayed, as a last minute addition, an HC Estate with
the Firenza Droop Snoot front end called the Firenza Sportshatch to
gauge public reaction and therefore prospects for production, and
it was
supposedly intended as a sister model to the
Firenza Coupe. Fate intervened, yet again, and by the end of 1975
the Droop Snoot Firenza disappeared from the price list and no
single Firenza Sportshatch was ever sold to the public.
THE ONE OFF HP FIRENZA SPORTSHATCH ON THE OUTSIDE VIEWING AREA OF THE LUTON DESIGN CENTRE 08.74, THIS SAME CAR WXE939M, BECAME THE BASIS FOR THE PROTOTYPE 2300 SPORTSHATCH
THE ONE OFF HP FIRENZA SPORTSHATCH SHOWN AT THE LONDON MOTOR SHOW IN OCTOBER 1974 SUPPOSEDLY TO "GAUGE PUBLIC OPINION" WITH A VIEW TO PRODUCTION
A CLOSE UP OF THE
SPORTSHATCH SEAT TRIM WHICH WAS NOT THE SAME AS THE HP
FIRENZA
None of these setbacks prevented Wayne Cherry from conceiving
another Design study based around the Sportshatch theme, this time
called “Silver Bullet”, and featured a 6 headlamp version of the
Droop Snoot nosecone, a potent prototype fuel injection version of
the 2.3litre slant four engine and some wild Tartan trim for the
interior, a theme that would continue through to the late 70s for
Vauxhall. By
the end of 1975 Vauxhall had two problems, amongst many others, one
was a surplus of Magnum & Firenza Coupe body panels. The Magnum
Coupe had been dropped from the range by this time. The other
problem was a surplus from the initial order of fibreglass Droop
Snoot nose cones and Avon safety wheels.
Ford decided to launch a stripped down version of the Mk2 Escort
called the Popular & Popular Plus to boost sales, in
response Vauxhall launched a special edition version of the Viva
called the Viva E and used up all the remaining panels for the
Coupe body.
The Design department came up with the solution for the remaining stock of HP Droop Snoot front nose cones, with a Griffin badge & Cibie hologen headlamps with Triplex covers, Wayne Cherry’s team put together a package that combined the Magnum Estate body with a standard specification 2279cc engine, recently reduced to single carburettor but with the revised head from the VX Series producing 108bhp, combined with the normal Magnum seating & trim but in the much favoured wild red tartan with matching Huntsman red carpet including the load area along with the HP Firenza steering wheel. The interior was finshed off with Onyx headlining, sun visors and spare wheel cover.
The Sportshatch retained the HP Droop Snoot’s Avon Safety wheels
with 185/70 tyres but used the standard HC Magnum suspension. The
package included a laminated windscreen, Extra Dark Wine paintwork,
which was then reserved only for the top line VX2300GLS, with
Volcano Red window trimmings, red colour coded bumpers with rubber
inserts and twin bold red stripping along the sides, 2 matt black
door mirrors. It was given the name Sportshatch and carried a decal
on the rear tailgate, the HC Magnum sill strips were deleted. A
limited production run of 195 were made around April to May 1976.
These were all built at Ellesmere Port using the production code
9155NFX and were hand finished in a special area of the factory at
the rate of about 20 per
week.
The car was never advertised and no brochure or price list was ever
printed, the reason being they were specifically sold to dealers to
run on their own demonstration fleets, as did Vauxhall themselves,
and then to sold on to the public as ex demonstration models. In
any event Vauxhall had created another instant classic and the few
remaining are highly prized today. The name Sportshatch went on to
be used on the Mk1 Cavalier as well as the Astra H.
WXE939M IN 2300 SPORTSHATCH PROTOTYPE GUISE ON THE DESIGN DEPARTMENT VIEWING TERRACE. DASC86A-Bk2-002_Wayne Cherry_87468 © GM ARCHIVE
The car was never advertised and no brochure or price list was ever
printed, the reason being they were specifically sold to dealers to
run on their own demonstration fleets, as did Vauxhall themselves,
and then to sold on to the public as ex demonstration models. In
any event Vauxhall had created another instant classic and the few
remaining are highly prized today. The name Sportshatch went on to
be used on the Mk1 Cavalier as well as the Astra H.
TWO
FACTORY PICTURES OF THE PROTOTYPE VAUXHALL 2300 SPORTSHATCH SHOWING
THE DOOR AND REAR LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT
TRIM
Production: April to May 1976
(approx)
Prod No’s Total = 195
Factory: Ellesmere Port (plant code E)
Model ID: 9155NFX
Chassis No: Between 9155NFX119000
to 122000 (approx)
Engine: 2279cc = 108bhp (net) @ 5000rpm 140lb-ft @ 3000rpm (Comp Ratio = 8.5:1)
Wheels: Avon Safety Wheels 6J rims & Michelin XVS 185-70HR 13 Tyres
Colour: Extra Dark Wine
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