[7] The first 30–98 was constructed at the behest of car dealer and motor sport competitor Joseph Higginson, inventor of the Autovac fuel lifter.

He won the Shelsley Walsh hill-climb motoring competition on 7 June 1913 in his new Vauxhall, setting a hill record in the process, having in previous weeks made fastest time of the day at Waddington Pike[note 1] and Aston Clinton.

Although the 30-98 was designed as a fast touring car for long journeys, in racing trim the manufacturer guaranteed its ability to lap the Brooklands circuit at 100 mph (160 km/h).

[note 2] The camshaft was given a new chain drive at the front of the engine, high lift cams and new tappet clearances.

[1] Before war intervened only 13 30-98s were made and they were for selected drivers, the last in 1915[note 3] for Percy Kidner a joint managing director (CEO) of Vauxhall.

[1] When production began in 1919 an electric starter would be supplied for an extra £50 though it was standard on Vauxhall's 25 hp car.

But Vauxhall made no separate charge for: electric lighting, a clock, speedometer, spare wheel and tyre, full tool kit and number plates.

[10] Though of extremely light construction the wood frame on which the metal panels are laid are contrived to give sufficient strength.

The featherweight Velox coupé displayed at the (Scottish) Motor Show painted dark blue below "water line" and black above had nickel fittings and a polished aluminium bonnet and a walnut instrument panel with companion lockers.

The coupé was upholstered in blue Morocco leather with head lining, carpet, silk cords and laces to match.

Described in its advertisement[12] as "an ultra-sporting body" a factory-built boat-tailed open two or three-seater with flared wings called the Wensum was introduced at extra cost in 1924.

In November 1922 it was announced the engine was updated, fitted with overhead valves and detachable cylinder head and renamed OE.

[4] For 1923 with the OE engine the straight cut back axle gear was replaced by a spiral bevel with a higher 3.3:1 reduction ratio.

The transmission brake—given a slight lead when front brakes were fitted—in a drum behind the gearbox might have been adequate but it was usually full of oil that had leaked from the rear bearing.

Back brakes, expanding shoes in enclosed drums, are applied by rods from the hand lever outside the body on the off-side (to the driver's right).

Automatic adjustment is made by the action of a friction ring fitted in a recess in the plunger of the operating system.

[15] "A power of acceleration, amazingly swift and smooth, yet perfectly controlled ... the thrilling characteristics of a racer in a machine tamed to behave in mannerly fashion ... the engine which gives 100 brake horse power on the bench and which will propel the car at over 80 miles an hour on the level can be throttled down until the vehicle is running smoothly at 12–15 miles an hour."

Rather than following the frequent pre-1914 pattern of ever larger engines for competition results, its success depended less on brute strength (size of engine—and that was always 4 cylinders) and more on overall excellence of design and sturdiness of construction.

The last cars were made in 1927 and these engines were given a balanced crankshaft allowing them to be tuned to 120 bhp (89 kW) at 3,500 rpm.