Noses are important. If it weren’t for noses, those of us who wear glasses would have to have a painful wood screw inserted into our faces to hold our glasses on, and that’s no fun. Noses are also important for cars, and a great and I think relatively unfamiliar example of this is the Vauxhall Firenza HP, with its fiberglass proboscis known as the “droopsnoot.” I suspect most of our American readers don’t know that much about these car, which is too bad, because they’re strangely cool.
In a way, this is similar to how Mopar made the Superbird so distinctive, by essentially slapping a face mask onto the B-body’s normally flat face. For the Firenza HP (the HP stands for High Power or perhaps Healthy Prostate), Vauxhall got their designer Wayne Cherry to make a new fiberglass nosecone for the Magnum/Firenza, pretty dramatically altering the look:
I’m not sure I think the droopnose is exactly attractive, but it is distinctive, and for slapping one basic part on a car to change the look, you have to admit it does that job very well.
Anyway, here, watch one zip around a track!
Honestly, maybe there should be more of an aftermarket for alternate car faces? Something easy to pop on and off, at will. And I mean more than angry Jeep faces, too.
Jason HP would be healthy proboscis the prostate would be the other end
“Mom, can we have Mad Max’s V8 Interceptor?”
“No, we have Mad Max’s Interceptor at home.”
Mad Max’s Interceptor at home:
Was this not the car that the Mad Max Interceptor got it’s nose from?
The Interceptor nose was a fibreglass ‘Concorde’ nosecone designed by Peter Arcadipane, who was a designer at Ford Australia. He originally hoped Ford would use it on locally produced Falcon hardtops to create an aerodynamic GT model similar to the Plymouth Superbird. Eventually he produced them himself as an aftermarket accessory, and a lot were used on Falcon panelvans as the Australian vanning craze was hiting its peak around that time. Supposedly the Firenza nose was part of the inspiration for the design.
The “Millbrook” footage is interesting in that it was built as a Vauxhall/Bedford owned proving ground and was then sold into the commercial world. I understand it’s still used for new vehicle development but is also available for commercial use. The “hill course” is a great course to drive around.
There was also the Vauxhall “Sportshatch”, an estate with the same nose. I think it was because they had nosecones left over…. In black with red stripes it is very much ‘of its time’. I thought the Magnum estates looked fairly good despite huge long back windows like a mini hearse.
“Honestly, maybe there should be more of an aftermarket for alternate car faces?”
Why Yes – and alternate posteriors too.
It should be easier than ever now with computer modeling, urethane fascias and 3D printing – assuming one can get one’s paws on an industrial printer that’s large enough, a finishing outfit including a paint-to-order program to match factory finishes, some oversized boxes, and a substantial Fed-Ex account.
My immediate and most urgent suggestions?
In no particular order….
C7 and C8 Corvette rear fascia: Because only round taillamps belong on a Corvette.
Honda Civic 10th Gen Type R Front and Rear: Because all those black plastic faux vents not only look incredibly stupid, but they increase aerodynamic drag, weigh more, and cost manufacturers (and therefore consumers) more to design, build, sell and repair.
Nissan Altima: Because half of the Altimas here have left their front bumpers on the side of the road someplace…
BMW: ALL OF THE NEW ONES
I have just submitted these to The Sentence Hall of Fame:
“Noses are important. If it weren’t for noses, those of us who wear glasses would have to have a painful wood screw inserted into our faces to hold our glasses on, and that’s no fun.”
Droop snoot?
The snoot, drooped.
The snoot drooped.
Ah yes, there was still a few of these on the roads when I was a kid. I think that’s what caused my life-long dislike of Vauxhalls.
My second car was a 1974 Vauxhall Viva HC 2-door, which was craptastically craptacular in all its 1256cc glory. I’ve never owned a British car since and never will. The only upside was I learned how to wrench on cars.
The racing version of this car was called ‘Baby Bertha’, raced by the man, the legend Gerry ‘only here for the beer’ Marshall. And yes there was a Big Bertha and Mega Bertha as well…..
Baby Bertha was out competing at the Historic Sports Car Club Silverstone last month. Overall second, and looked great.
Yeah, get down turn around go to town droop snootin’ boogie.
You have my vote for COTD.
Is that Dean Wormer’s wife getting into the car?
Seems like non-paired (I’m sure that’s not the word) creases can be tough to pull off, design-wise. This really works, but my mind is drawn the less successful attempt on the Buick Skylark from the late ’90s.
BTW anyone know the name for these particular wheels? I’ve always found them quite fetching.
JBW Super Lites
Thank you! I appreciate how there’s always someone here from whom to learn!
While the superlites do have a similar design, the ones on the Vauxhall are the factory alloys. The same wheels were also used on the Vauxhall Chevette HS/HSR and the Chevy Vega Cosworth.
Interesting – I always enjoy it when OEMs produce stuff on their own that’s similar to the aftermarket. (I’ll admit a fondness for the recent Mustang wheels with the the Torque Thrust D look)
Vauxhall had an innovative press day for these;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORHKHYTrL9c&t=200s
Don’t forget the alternative hoods for Beetles. Oh look, I have a baby Rolls Royce.
“Excuse me Good Man – Do you have any Grey Poupon?”
“Ow Now, Guvnuh! Thisis jast one of them Snoot Nouse Beat-Ls, it is!”
Boy, they really wanted us to know where the various areas at that proving ground were! Long time focused on the signs!
“Something easy to pop on and off, at will.” Something like a Mr. Potato Head then? “Where’s my racing nose?” “We’re going out to dinner, I need my formal nose.”
“Where’s my nose?”
–Michael Jackson
Looks better than the original. Also better than the ‘79 Firebird.
Yes. The Firebirds were dead to me after they started to screw with the nose.