Vauxhall 20/60
| Vauxhall 20/60, R-Type, T-Type, 80, Silent Eighty | |
|---|---|
| Production period: | 1927-1933 |
| Class : | upper middle class |
| Previous model: | Vauxhall 14/40 |
| Successor: |
Vauxhall Big 6 Vauxhall 27 |
The Vauxhall 20/60 , also Vauxhall R-Type , or Vauxhall T-Type , Vauxhall 80 , Vauxhall Silent Eighty , is an upper middle class car that Vauxhall Motors produced from 1927 to 1933. On September 28, 1927, the four- or five-seat touring cars , limousines , Pullman limousines and convertibles with six-cylinder in - line engines and four-speed transmissions were presented. This was a cautious attempt by Vauxhall to offer a cheaper automobile: For the first time, a six-cylinder Vauxhall cost less than £ 1000. The 2.8-liter engine initially offered was replaced after twelve months by a model that had been bored to 2.9 liters.
The car with six cylinders, four gears and four-wheel brakes, placed at the lower end of the luxury market, replaced the Vauxhall 14/40 with four cylinders. The 20/60 had a displacement increased by only 465 cm³, but for tax purposes it was classified as 20 hp instead of 14 hp. This tax hike was evident. Construction of the car was already complete when General Motors took over Vauxhall in late 1925. Thus, the car was considered "British in design and layout".
The 20/60, which was given a 3.3-liter engine from October 1930 and was renamed the "80" and later "Silent Eighty", remained until the introduction of Vauxhall's first really large car, which was designed under GM direction was in the program. The latter, the Big Six , was announced and presented in October 1933, but was only available from August 1934, when the first mid-range cars, the Cadet type , designed under GM direction , had long since been on the market.
This gap in Vauxhall's passenger car program could explain the failure of the very expensive Type 25/70 with valve motor .
General Motors took over Vauxhall on November 16, 1925.
R-type and T-type
| 20/60, R-Type / T-Type | |
|---|---|
 Vauxhall 20/60 T-Type (1930) |
|
| Production period: | 1927-1930 |
| Body versions : | Touring car , limousine , Pullman limousine , convertible |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 2.8-2.9 liters (-40 kW) |
| Length: | |
| Width: | |
| Height: | |
| Wheelbase : | 3124-3302 mm |
| Empty weight : | Chassis: 1143 kg |
Construction and details
engine
The engine has a displacement of 2762 cm³ (bore × stroke = 73 mm × 110 mm).
The cast iron engine block forms a unit with the crankcase . The crankshaft has nine bearings and ensures that the engine runs smoothly, even at high speeds. The overhead valves have double springs and the rocker arm bearings are lubricated with oil that is pushed through the rocker arms. The aluminum valve cover is easy to remove. The crankcase has a vent on the cap on the oil filler neck. The camshaft with three bearings and the built-in alternator are driven by a chain. The ignition adjustment is manual. The distributor is in the middle of the engine.
The intake manifold and exhaust manifold are located on the right side of the engine block. The intake manifold is preheated with the exhaust gases. The engine is equipped with an air filter. The gasoline is transported from the 64 liter tank in the rear of the vehicle to the carburettor via an Autovac storage tank on the dashboard.
The clutch and transmission are interlocked and connected to the chassis at three points. The engine designer was Charles Evelyn King .
Power transmission
The single-plate dry clutch has an external release bearing. The gearbox has a center shift lever with a hidden gate. To the left of this middle shift lever is a brake lever with which a band brake on the cardan shaft directly behind the gearbox can be operated. The band is adjustable with a threaded rod. The engine power is transmitted from the gearbox through a drive shaft with three Hardy disks to the differential gear of the spring-mounted banjo rear axle .
landing gear
The front and rear axles are suspended from semi-elliptical leaf springs; the rear ones are below the axis. The front springs are flattened and eccentric, their fixed bearings are at the rear. Shock absorbers are attached to both axles. The four-wheel brake is operated via cables. The steering is designed as a '' Marles '' worm steering.
Bodies
The 20/60 has been available with a variety of different bodies over the years. Numerous bodies came from the independent body manufacturer Grosvenor .
Driving report
The Times motoring journalist said he liked the car, although he said the chassis could be improved; the springs on the rear axle were too hard for him with two people in the car. Otherwise it had nothing to complain about: the engine was balanced and made no noise, the controls were smooth and uncomplicated and they worked perfectly. He thought the four-wheel brake was one of the best he had ever seen, especially considering the fact that it did not require power assistance.
The limousine body, he wrote, offers enough space for five people. The two front seats are adjustable, the car has four doors and four cranked windows. The displays on the dashboard are backlit and easy to read. The battery sits under the vehicle floor in front of the passenger seat and the tools are in a box on the running board. There is a sufficiently dimensioned luggage net at the rear of the vehicle. The spare wheel is attached in front of the driver's door.
gallery
R-type sedan
Open R-Type two-seater with jump seat from Grosvenor (1928)
R-Type Cabriolet (1928)
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Improvements for the 1929 model year
The engine was drilled out from 73 mm to 75 mm, which resulted in a displacement increase from 465 cm³ to 2916 cm³. The cylinder head, intake manifold, camshaft and exhaust silencer were redesigned. The pistons were now made of aluminum and the main bearings were reinforced to adapt them to the higher engine power. The power of the new T-Type engine was given as 54 bhp (40 kW) at 3000 rpm. The steering has also been revised.
Vauxhall only made this one model that model year. The luxurious Type 25/70 and Type 30/98 had been discontinued.
The cars had a taller and narrower radiator (50 mm higher); the top of the radiator and the bulkhead were almost level. The body was also slimmer and had wider front fenders. Larger, nickel-plated headlights were mounted high on a nickel-plated crossbar. The engine power had increased by 25%, acceleration, intermediate sprints and braking were better and there was a reinforced chassis and better springs.
Controls
The position of the handbrake and the gear lever have been changed. A redesigned handbrake lever was fitted to the right of the driver, but allowed entry through the driver's door. The gearshift lever was now exactly in the middle of the vehicle, was flexible and had a hidden backdrop. It was very short, so three people could sit in the front.
Superstructures offered from October 1928
- Princeton 5-seat touring car: £ 495
- Bedford limousine: £ 520
- Closed Bedford saloon (inside handlebars): £ 545
- Melton two-seater: £ 525
- Velox cloth sedan: £ 555
- Grafton Coupe Cabriolet: £ 630
- Kimberley sedan: £ 650
- Enclosed Kimberley sedan (inside handlebars): £ 675
- Kimpton limousine: £ 675
gallery
Grosvenor Carriage Co. limousine body (1929)
Saloon (1929)
Improvements for the 1930 model year
The crankshaft received seven main bearings with a larger wing and the crankpins were hollow to save weight. A better air filter was installed. A mechanical gasoline pump driven by the camshaft replaced the previous Autovac storage tank. The engine was mounted in rubber. The exhaust collector was one-piece and directed the exhaust gases to the rear of the engine. The chassis was reinforced, the rear axle had longer springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. The cardan shaft was equipped with metal joints instead of the hardy discs so that it could turn faster. The headlights received dual-filament lamps with high beam and there was an automatic reversing light. The light switch was in the middle of the steering wheel. The front fenders were given a streamlined shape.
The Hurlingham , a two-seater sports car, was equipped with an engine with higher compression and a “shorter” rear axle (4.18: 1 instead of 4.73: 1).
Hurlingham two-seater (1930)
Hurlingham two-seater (1930)
Vauxhall 80 and Silent Eighty
| 80, Silent Eighty | |
|---|---|
 Vauxhall 80 VX Coupe (1932) |
|
| Production period: | 1930-1933 |
| Body versions : | Limousine , Pullman limousine , coupe |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 3.3 liters (44 kW) |
| Length: | |
| Width: | |
| Height: | |
| Wheelbase : | 3124-3302 mm |
| Empty weight : | 1727 kg |
80
The Type 80 was announced for the opening of the 1930 Motor Show on October 20, 1930 - presumably overshadowed by the only two-week-old Cadet model - with two new bodies, the “Richmond” sedan and the “Westminster” Pullman sedan with seven seats. The new 3.3 liter machine had a number of refinements.
Modified engine with higher power
The enlarged six-cylinder, type T80 , was classified as 23.8 bhp for tax purposes. The bore was enlarged by 5 mm to 80 mm, so that the displacement rose to 3317 cm³. The power increased by 15% and was given as 60 bhp (44 kW) at 3000 revolutions per minute. The valve diameter has been enlarged and the valve train has been made easier. A triple roller chain drove the camshaft. The alternator had been moved to the left side of the engine and was now driven by a V-belt over the pulley of the fan. The four-point suspension of the engine in rubber has been improved and the starter has been reinforced because of the resistance from the higher compression of the engine.
The entire power transmission had also been reinforced. There have been minor changes to the brakes.
Superstructures offered (October 1930)
- Richmond sedan: £ 495, previously £ 540, sunroof: £ 10 extra.
- Kingston Sports Coupe: £ 535, previously £ 595.
- Grafton Coupe: £ 575, previously £ 660.
- Grosvenor Pullman sedan, 7 seats: £ 650, formerly £ 695, as Westminster.
- From early 1931: Velox cloth sedan: £ 495.
- Westminster Pullman sedan, 7 seats (in addition to the Grosvenor): £ 695.
Driving report
"The engine was exceptionally pleasant, quiet, well balanced at all speeds, flexible with nice acceleration (...) the lower gears could be quieter (...)", wrote the Times motor journalist, "the four-wheel brake was beyond imagination (...) The car drives smoothly, the steering is even very easy. "
Silent Eighty
On October 14, 1931, Vauxhall announced its new Silent Eighty model with a quieter engine, synchronized third gear and quieter transmission. The bodies were now mounted on rubber blocks, the radiator was given a chrome-plated frame, the larger wheel carriers had chrome-plated axle caps and there were new superstructures.
Superstructures offered (October 1931)
- Richmond sedan: £ 485, previously £ 515 with sunroof as standard.
- Kingston Coupe: £ 495, previously £ 541.
- Partially faired Velox sedan: £ 535.
- Kimberley sedan: £ 595
- Newmarket sedan, 7 seats: £ 685
- Grosvenor Pullman sedan, 7 seats: £ 695, sunroof: £ 310 surcharge.
Driving report
The former Times correspondent, long an enthusiastic proponent of the Model 30/98 , commented, “The sedan isn't particularly fast (...) but it does reach a top speed of 70 mph (112 km / h) (...) the lower corridors are usually free of buzzing noises and the 'quiet third' is really quiet. ”He also repeated his compliments from February 1931.
Individual references and comments
- ↑ a b c d e f g New Vauxhall Car in The Times , September 28, 1927. p. 11.
- ↑ Shaw & Kilburn in The Times , March 6, 1928. p. 21.
- ↑ a b c d e f g Cars of 1929 in The Times , September 14, 1928. p. 9.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Cars of To-Day in The Times , January 17, 1928. p. 7.
- ↑ Display advertisement: The Future of Vauxhall Motors by managing directors L Walton and PC Kidner in The Times , November 26, 1925. p. 10.
- ^ A b David Culshaw, Peter Horrobin: The Complete Catalog of British Cars, 1895–1975 . Veloce Publishing, Dorchester 1999. ISBN 1-874105-93-6 . P. 332.
- ↑ see photos of the engine
- ↑ a b The gasoline from the main tank is sucked into the Autovac storage tank on the dashboard with the help of the vacuum from the intake. From there it runs through gravity into the carburetor.
- ^ Vauxhall Motors Ltd in The Times , September 13, 1928. p. 9.
- ↑ Display advertisement: Vauxhall Cars in The Times , October 10, 1928. p. 9.
- ^ A b The Motor Show in The Times , October 22, 1929. p. 22.
- ↑ a b c d e The Olympia Show in The Times , October 20, 1930. p. 20.
- ^ A b Cars of To-Day in The Times , February 17, 1931. p. 7.
- ^ A b Cars of To-Day in The Times , April 5, 1932. p. 12.
- ^ Vauxhall in The Times , February 26, 1931. p. 9.
- ↑ General Motors Ltd in The Times , March 26, 1931. p. 13.
- ^ A b Vauxhall Silent Eighty in The Times , October 14, 1931. p. 11.
