1975 Vauxhall FIRENZA HPF Droopsnoot

The current owner, a Firenza enthusiast, bought the car through us last year after a two-year search. He’s since spent an absolute fortune on improving it, so if you think it would have made a good buy last year, you ain’t seen nothing yet…

Because the previous owner was, you might recall, another enthusiast who added the car to his extensive car collection after another long search (Firenzas aren’t exactly thick on the ground, which means good ones are like hen’s teeth…). He tweaked and improved the car in the time he owned it and only reluctantly sold it because he wasn’t using it as much as it deserved. 

So, that’s two careful, enthusiastic owners in as many years, neither of which were afraid to spend money on the car when it needed it. This almost certainly makes it the best, fully sorted example on sale in the UK today.

The Silver Starfire paintwork is in very good condition and holding up very well indeed. In fact, it is so good that it is almost certainly in a better condition now than it was when it left the Vauxhall factory back in 1975. The panel shutlines in particular are worthy of praise, likely being as tight and uniform as when it was new, something that is anything but easy to achieve on these cars if you don’t know what you’re doing. The paintwork is first-rate too, so we can safely assume that the chaps who did the bodywork are masters of their craft. 

The exterior chromework wears its hard-worn patina with a nonchalant cool; the car’s restoration was brilliantly judged and the Vauxhall has been maintained impeccably ever since. We love the fact that the owners have tried to retain the car’s history and provenance wherever possible but haven’t used that as an excuse to either mothball or neglect the car. Mechanically rock-solid, it’s been allowed to age gracefully; that we should all look this good in our forties…

The black and silver, period-style number plates look fabulous and the recessed headlights – shared with the Renault Alpine A310 – are in good order, as are the toughened glass covers.

The Avon safety wheels were properly restored three years ago; the owner went to the trouble and expense of having them properly painted and diamond cut, just like the factory did back in the day. Fitted with matching Uniroyal tyres - all of which have good tread - they look amazing and contribute significantly to the car’s overall presentation.

The brake calipers were refurbished and electroplated in 2015, and the underside of the Firenza was painted and undersealed at the same time. The restoration was as comprehensive as it was meticulous.

The only minor issue is a slight rust bubble on the offside door, which will need treating in the near future to avoid any long-term issues. Oh, and the fuel filler cap isn’t in great condition and the glass in the door mirrors is slightly tarnished. That’s really not a bad list of faults for a Luton-built performance car from the mid-seventies, is it?

The black and grey sports seats are still in very good condition, being supportive and free of damage. They look fabulous, feel even better, and we can’t believe they’ve survived four decades of use with so little wear.

The lightly patinated deep-dish steering wheel is present and correct too, as is the gearknob; while some classic car enthusiasts prefer a concours finish to their cars, we prefer a vehicle that wears its hard-won patina with pride; cars are, after all, meant to be driven and owning something that has the odd scuff is so much easier to live with and enjoy than a pampered trailer queen that exists only to gather praise from passing strangers and internet fetishists.

The boot floor is completely rust-free – and just take a look at the electroplated bracket that holds the (recently restored) spare wheel in place! Anyone that takes the time to get little details like that right can be trusted to get the big stuff right too.

Having said that, one of the heater control knobs has fallen off and needs re-fixing in place. A few of the interior screws are a bit rusty too; if it were ours, we’d be tempted to spend an evening in the garage replacing them. Doing so would be a great way to bond with the car while adding value at negligible cost.

The engine has been recently fully rebuilt at a cost of more than £5,700 after the owner discovered a cracked block shortly after buying it. A new one was sourced and it now runs very well indeed: a previous rolling road session (with the old block) showed a power output of 117.8bhp and 120lb/ft of torque at the wheels, which would be about 130bhp at the flywheel - and given the meticulous nature of the recent engine work, we would be surprised if the power output now is any less, and could even be a tiny bit more.

All that power makes this a very quick car indeed, easily capable of humbling its better known and more expensive contemporaries.

The engine bay and underside is in fabulous condition, the new engine offering a beautiful sight, and just look at those gorgeous (new?) twin Dellorto carburettors.....sorry, did you say something?

The suspension was fully inspected, and set up in May 2018, at a cost of almost £900. The owner tells us that the Firenza now rides and handles very well indeed.

The car comes with a thick folder of invoices, bills and miscellaneous paperwork and a quick calculation shows that the best part of £20,000 has been spent on it in the past decade or so.

The online MOT history check show that it did fail its MOT in 2013. For an inoperative horn. It’s current MOT runs out in February 2020. It passed. With no advisories. Need we say more? As you might have gathered, this is not your average Vauxhall Firenza. 

Please visit the ‘Records’ section of this listing where you will find photographs of these invoices along with other paperwork to support our claim that this car has an impressively comprehensive restoration and service history.

While the price of fast Fords has stabilised to a certain extent, the best examples are still beyond the reach of all but the wealthiest enthusiast - and while those who were wise enough to have bought at the bottom of the market are feeling justifiably smug, the rest of us are now wondering what the Next Big Thing might be.

Which is where we think this Droopsnoot comes in. While Ford might have captured the attention of the peripatetic motoring enthusiast market first, the fast Vauxhalls can’t be far behind; while it used to be that you were either a blue oval or a griffin man, any differences in engineering integrity, build quality or driving dynamics were largely perceived rather than real, so the enthusiast with an eye on enjoying their potential investment would do well to look at cars from Luton rather than Essex.

And the fact that Vauxhalls are so woefully under-appreciated means that the Firenza HP Droopsnoot is currently spectacular value; when you don’t have to search too hard to find Ford Capris fetching up to £60,000, the £19,000 to £25,000 we expect this car to sell for is a positive bargain. 

And this one is, you will recall, probably the best example on offer today; after considerable recent expenditure, all it needs now is a new owner to love and cherish and, above all, use it.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ in Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.