The Ten-Four wasn't just a budget family car — it was the first British car built with a unitary, chassisless body, and the tooling bill was so large that staff nicknamed it the "million-pound car."
Lead trim: 10-4 H-Type 1203 ohv four (34.5 bhp)
Vauxhall 10-4) H-Type10-4-H · 1937–1940
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Vauxhall 10-4) H-Type yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe Ten-Four wasn't just a budget family car — it was the first British car built with a unitary, chassisless body, and the tooling bill was so large that staff nicknamed it the "million-pound car."
The Vauxhall 10-4 is a British small family car built by Vauxhall between 1937 and 1947, launched at the October 1937 London Motor Show as the first British car with a unitary construction body (the first delivered on 1 November 1937), following the integral pattern set in 1935 by GM's German subsidiary; inside Vauxhall it became known as the "million-pound car" for the tooling investment (per Maurice Platt). Its name referred to fiscal horsepower and it was designated H Type; 55,000 10-Fours were built until production was halted in May 1940 by the war, with a two-door coupé available in 1938 and 1939 on a shortened separate chassis of the earlier DX series (heavier than the saloon and no faster). The engine is a 1203 cc ohv four making 34.5 bhp with a 3-speed manual; wheelbase 94 in, length 155.5 in, width 61 in, curb weight 2,016 lb. A light commercial version was sold as the Bedford HC, GM-H in Australia built a look-alike as the Wyvern, and General Motors Java built the 10-4 from 1939.
Collectors Spotted in the Vauxhall 10-4 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Vauxhall 10-4 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-4 H-Type 1203 ohv four (34.5 bhp) | 1937–1940 | 1.2 L Inline-4 | 34.5 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
This postwar Ten lasted barely two years before Vauxhall gave up on small cars entirely — it built no compact again until the Viva arrived in 1963.
The Ten-Four wasn't just a budget family car — it was the first British car built with a unitary, chassisless body, and the tooling bill was so large that staff nicknamed it the "million-pound car."
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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