In the early 1970s Vauxhall knew of no better way to inject a little flair into its drab range of passenger cars than to build and market a high-performance version of the Firenza two-door coupe. The HP Firenza ‘Droopsnoot’ - a reference to the car’s restyled aerodynamic nose - was spectacular to look at and breathtaking to drive, it being the very first road-going Vauxhall that was capable of hitting 60mph in less than 10 seconds. The car was expertly judged and quite brilliantly executed, except that it arrived in 1973 and was therefore doomed from the outset to be an unmitigated sales disaster.
Classic First Drive: Vauxhall HP Firenza

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