Makes › Vauxhall › Firenza HP 'Droopsnoot' · Rare production Extremely Rare
Vauxhall
Firenza HP 'Droopsnoot'
High-performance Firenza with aerodynamic nose
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 204 Built
- Years
- Not yet verified
- Engine
- 2,300 cc / 2.3 LFactory: 2.3 L
- Power
- 97.7 kW / 133 PSFactory: 131 hp · converted
- Top speed
- 193 km/hFactory: 120 mph · converted
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Not yet verified
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Firenza HP, known as the Droopsnoot, was Vauxhall's high-performance coupe with a Concorde-like nose. It is remembered mainly for its link with the Dealer Team Vauxhall 'Baby Bertha' racer and for its very short run, which fell far below the planned 1,000 cars.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Vauxhall Firenza HP 'Droopsnoot' (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Vauxhall Firenza HP 'Droopsnoot' (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionbuilt during a two-year lifespan | 2041,2 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
The Firenza HP was based on the Magnum Coupe, itself a higher-specification Firenza. It received an aerodynamic nose a few years before the Mk2 Escort RS2000 got a similar treatment, and the design team's interest in aerodynamics came partly from the earlier SRV concept.
Its 2.3-litre engine had hand-finished combustion chambers, inlet tracts and valve throats. Production was cut to 204 cars from a planned 1,000 because of the oil crisis. The name is tied to the Firenza-derived 'Baby Bertha' run by Dealer Team Vauxhall, tuned by Bill Blydenstein and raced by Gerry Marshall.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Firenza HP 'Droopsnoot'.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | 2,300 cc / 2.3 LFactory: 2.3 L1 Independently researchedThe source calls the engine a 'flat-four'; the same article calls the related Magnum/Chevette HS engine a slant-four, so the layout is not recorded here. |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 97.7 kW / 133 PSFactory: 131 hp · converted1 Independently researchedSource states bhp. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | 193 km/hFactory: 120 mph · converted1 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| 0–60 mph | 7.6 s1 Independently researched |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
12 brilliant Vauxhalls Level B Classic & Sports Car
- Just 204 were produced from a planned 1000-car run
- a 2.3-litre flat-four featured hand-finished combustion chambers
- to liberate 131bhp, 0-60mph in 7.6 secs and a 120mph top speed
- 120mph top speed
- 0-60mph in 7.6 secs
-
2
Goodwood Road & Racing – Classic first drive: Vauxhall HP Firenza Level B
- 204 built during a two-year lifespan
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