Vauxhall 14-6
Vauxhall Fourteen-Six 1938-1948
unitary hulled six-light saloon
1947 example
Overview
ManufacturerVauxhall (General Motors)
Also calledVauxhall Fourteen-Six
Vauxhall Model J
Production1939 to 1948
AssemblyUnited Kingdom
Australia
Body and chassis
Body style4-door saloon
2-door coupé (Australia)
2-door roadster (Australia)
2-door coupé utility (Australia)
2-door roadster utility (Australia)
LayoutFR layout
RelatedBedford JC
Powertrain
Engine1,781cc I6
Dimensions
Wheelbase105 in (2,700 mm) [1]
Length168 in (4,300 mm)
Width63.5 in (1,610 mm)
Curb weight22.5 cwt
Chronology
PredecessorVauxhall Light Six
SuccessorVauxhall Velox

The Vauxhall 14-6 is an automobile produced by Vauxhall in the United Kingdom from 1939 until 1948.[2]

Announced in early October[3] for the 1938 Earls Court Motor Show the 14-6 was offered as a six-light, four door saloon[2] and was powered by a four bearing, OHV, 1,781cc Straight-six engine.[4] It had a top speed of 70 mph and could accelerate from 0-50 mph in 18.2 seconds.[5]

Engine, transmission and suspension

The previous engine was retained but with compression ratio raised from 6.25 to 6.75:1 and revised timing increasing the output to 48 bhp at 3000rpm.[5] Other features included independent front suspension using torsion bars in place of the previous Dubonnet system with semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear, Lockheed hydraulic brakes and a three-speed all-synchromesh gearbox in place of the four-speed "silent third" gearbox.[4]

Unitary chassis-body

1938-1939 saloon
serving in France 1940

The car now had a unitary hull which had a 4 in (100 mm) longer wheelbase and 1 in (25 mm) wider track than its predecessor which made it larger than the 12-4 model announced at the same time. Previously the 12 and 14 hp models had shared the same body. Interior features included individual leather front seats and a rear seat with fold-down arm rest, a rear window blind and a sliding sunroof.

Post-war models can be distinguished by bonnet-louvre and grille changes.[2]

45,499 examples were produced,[4] including 30,511 in the post-war period.[2]

Australian production, Vauxhall Senior

A Vauxhall 14 J was built by General Motors-Holden's in Australia without unitary construction[note 1] which was beyond the capacity of local presses but sharing much of the English car's styling.[6][7] The separate chassis allowed the Australian firm to provide open and utility bodies. Commencing in 1939, the 14 was offered in sedan, coupé and roadster body-styles.[6] and as in UK but in a Holden version, a light utility.[note 2] The Australian Vauxhall 14 used the same frame as the Bedford JC, which was also built by Holden in Australia. A roadster utility was also available.[8]

A 14 sedan was the first civilian car to be produced by GMH in the post-war period, leaving the Fishermans Bend assembly line on 21 May 1946.[6]

Notes

  1. ↑ "The husky frame has an X-shaped cross-member and the deep side rails . . ." Truth, 4 June 1939
  2. ↑ Four models, a business roadster, sports roadster, convertible coupe and saloon. The Sun

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vauxhall Fourteen-Six.
  1. ↑ Norm Darwin, The History of Holden since 1917, Ford Publications Pty Ltd, 1983, pages 87-89
  2. 1 2 3 4 Michal Sedgwick & Mark Gillies, Vauxhall J-Fourteen-Six, A-Z of Cars 1945-1970, Haymarket Publishing Ltd, 1994, page 212
  3. ↑ Cars Of 1939, Vauxhall 14 changes. The Times, Thursday, Oct 06, 1938; pg. 17; Issue 48118
  4. 1 2 3 Michal Sedgwick & Mark Gillies, Vauxhall J-Fourteen-Six, A-Z of Cars of the 1930s, Haymarket Publishing Ltd, 1993, page 208
  5. 1 2 Culshaw; Horrobin (1974). Complete Catalogue of British Cars. London: Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-333-16689-5.
  6. 1 2 3 Norm Darwin, 100 Years of GM in Australia, January 2002, pages 130-133
  7. ↑ Motoring, photograph—Vauxhall 14 Sydney Morning Herald, page 6, 2 May 1939
  8. ↑ "Bedford roadster utility".
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