1956 Vauxhall Cresta E

I have always firmly believed that if you keep almost anything long enough it will become a valuable antique. And the 1956 Vauxhall Cresta E pictured here is no exception. Of course, the condition is everything. This one is better than new after a £50K restoration that took two years and a great deal of blood, sweat and tears to go with that heavy hit on the owner’s wallet.

For me, the curvaceous lines are very reminiscent of pre-wing-fin American cars of the fifties, such as those produced by DeSoto and Oldsmobile and such. And those exterior curvilinear lines are perfectly complemented by the art deco dash inside. Design-wise, everything about the Cresta seems to be very well resolved and easy on the eye, unlike the later finned cars which I find visually jarring. This classic then, is something of a beauty.

‘The restoration took two years with sourcing of parts sometimes proving impossible and bespoke engineering also having to be sought, the cost is something he would prefer not to think about to achieve this level of finish with not a single corner cut in the strive for perfection.’

‘This included being completely stripped out to a shell and a total rebuild of the engine and gearbox, steering box, heater box and back axle. Stripped and repainted with all brightwork re-chromed, New white wall tyres, new exhaust and a completely retrimmed interior in leather, including door cards, new headlining, new carpets and over mats and boot carpet (all bespoke). Also new old stock sun visor, new wheel trims and hubs, new badges the list would go on. The car itself was sourced from New Zealand for reasons of finding a strong rust-free starting point but even this was not good enough when the project started with 3 months’ work carried out on the chassis alone before the body was set to.’

‘According to records, there are only four roadgoing E series Crestas and three on SORN in the UK. This is a car that you couldn’t recreate for less than £50,000 or more, in near Concours condition displaying all the chrome and American flair of the 50s and truly has to be seen to be believed and appreciated.‘

In 2020, the car was sold by Historics Auctioneers in Ascot for £56K, which was not far off what the cost of the restoration was. However, for sure it was restored as a labour of love rather than to turn a profit.