Canada got the HC badged as a Firenza sold through Pontiac and Buick dealers, then pulled after two years over rust complaints.
Lead trim: 1256 cc OHV · up to 112 hp
Vauxhall Viva HC1970–1979
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- 0sets it belongs to
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Vauxhall Viva HC 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.
FactCanada got the HC badged as a Firenza sold through Pontiac and Buick dealers, then pulled after two years over rust complaints.
The HC Viva (1970–79) was mechanically the same as the HB but had more modern styling and greater interior space due to redesigned seating and positioning of bulkheads. It offered two- and four-door saloons and a fastback estate with the choice of a standard 1159 cc, a tuned 1159 cc "90", or 1600 cc overhead-cam power; no 2.0 GT version was offered with the new range, although the 2.0 became the sole engine offering for Canada, where the HC became the Firenza, marketed by Pontiac/Buick dealers without the Vauxhall name. The HC was pulled from the Canadian market after two model years amidst consumer anger over corrosion and reliability issues, and it was succeeded by the Vauxhall Chevette and the Astra.
Collectors Spotted in the Vauxhall Viva Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Vauxhall Viva yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1159 cc OHV | 1970–1979 | 1.2 L Inline-4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1256 cc OHV | 1970–1979 | 1.3 L Inline-4 | 58 hp | 63 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1759 cc Slant-4 | 1970–1979 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2279 cc Slant-4 | 1970–1979 | 2.3 L Inline-4 | 112 hp | 140 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
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.
Photographs
Canada got the HC badged as a Firenza sold through Pontiac and Buick dealers, then pulled after two years over rust complaints.
The HB's coke-bottle curves came straight off the Chevrolet Impala, styled entirely in-house while Opel's Kadett B shared none of it.
Vauxhall's first small car since 1936 was engineered alongside the Opel Kadett, the two sharing much of their inner structure.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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