Dealer Team Vauxhall under the helm of Bill Blydenstein is synonymous with Gerry Marshall and the Special and Super Saloon machinery he piloted in the 1970s. From Viva GTs, through Vauxhall Firenza ‘Old Nail’ and Ventora ‘Big Bertha’, to Firenza-based ‘Baby Bertha’, all are part of British racing folklore.
But, while those cars’ nicknames helped earn them almost mythical status, Old Nail in particular was not entirely unique. A handful of similar chassis were created in Blydenstein’s Shepreth workshops. One, like Baby Bertha under Joe Ward’s guardianship, continues racing regularly to this day, half a century later.
