Vauxhall continued their tried and tested policy of updating their body shells on their family saloons every two to three years by dropping their Victor FB series in 1964 introducing the FC in its place.

The bold new styling also offered another significant upside – the Victor 101 was offered one of the most enormous trunks in its class, more interior space and class-leading ride quality.

Vauxhall Victor FC was third-generation VX4/90 was launched on the very eve of the 1964 London Motor Show, in October.

Originally known as the "101" the Victor FC’s arrival came as no real surprise, as the previous model, the FB, had failed to capture the imagination of the car buying public was looking like a strong candidate to be dropped, despite only being on sale for three years.

As before, the FC came with the choice of a four-door saloon, a five-door estate car, later to be followed by the VX4/90, a more powerful and luxurious version of the same that came with a four-speed all-synchromesh gearbox as standard., boasting a power output of 85bhp, compared to the standard version’s 76bhp.

The FC VX 4/90 was available as a four-door saloon only.

Also marketed as the 101 series, the FC, in the new top of the range Victor format, had a sleeker shape than its predecessor the FB, although technically it was very much the same car, powered by the familiar 1594cc unit, but had been slightly improved.

The choice of transmission was either a three- or four-speed manual, along with a two-speed Powerglide automatic gearbox, available from 1966.

From June 1965, GM's own Powerglide automatic transmission became the third transmission option.

Front-wheel disc brakes were still an optional extra, and though drums were standard, they were at least self-adjusting.

This time around, 13in wheels were fitted as standard on all models while the FC's body was smoother than before, with slightly convex sides.

Along with the use of curved window glass, this made the interior four inches wider, without having to alter the platform or the monocoque.

The bench seat that was also a feature in the early FBs had also been confined to history, with all of the versions coming fitted with separate front seats.

The Vauxhall Victor FC series remained in producti