Vauxhall has confirmed the date for its 2016 Heritage Centre Open Day as Sunday June 12, when the company will again mark its 113-year history by allowing the public to peruse its collection of 73 vehicles central to its history. This year’s event will mark two other anniversaries as well, 50 years since the first Viva HB rolled off the production line, and 30 years since the last Bedford commercial vehicle was manufactured.
Two new additions to the collection will also be shown. The first, a 2009 VXR Nürburgring, will complete a set of the first five sporting Astras by joining two GTEs, a Mk. 3 GSi and a Mk. 4 888 Coupe on display. At the other end of the spectrum, a 1949 Wyvern L-type will also make its debut, returning to the town of its birth after 67 years of service on the roads of Portugal and Holland.
Most of the cars in Vauxhall’s Heritage Collection are roadworthy, maintained by a small team led by Andy Boddy, Senior Vehicle Restorer. A majority of the cars were also built in Luton, at the famous Kimpton Road plant. Vauxhall’s Heritage Centre Open Day will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Refreshments will be available throughout the day, and parking is free. The Heritage Centre is situated behind Vauxhall’s Head Office on Park Street, Luton, UK.
