Vauxhall Cresta PB
Six cylinders and plenty of chrome for the managing director.
The story
The big Vauxhall dropped the fins and wraparound glass of its 1950s predecessor for clean, square lines. It was a soft, roomy six-seater. The plainer version was called the Velox.
Inside
Bench seats front and rear, a column gear change and room for three across.
In period colours
Tap a colour to respray the drawing.
A bigger 3.3-litre engine in 1964 turned it into a genuine 100 mph car.
Meanwhile, in 1962
The Beatles released Love Me Do, and the first James Bond film, Dr No, reached cinemas.
Best-selling single of 1962: I Remember You by Frank Ifield
Before you buy a 1960s car
- Check the sills, floorpans, wheel arches and the bottom of the doors for rust.
- Ask for any old MOT certificates, service records and bills.
- Parts for popular cars are often available from specialists, but trim and body panels can be hard to find.
General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.
Rivals of its day
Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.
See the real thing
These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.
Today's money: the launch price adjusted for inflation to 2026, using the Office for National Statistics price index.