1 6 ▁November ▁ 1 9 2 5 , ▁V aux hall ▁was ▁acquired ▁by ▁General ▁Mot ors ▁Corporation ▁for ▁US $ 2 . 5   mill ion . ▁The ▁company ' s ▁image ▁and ▁target ▁market ▁were ▁g ently ▁but ▁firm ly ▁changed ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁five ▁and ▁more ▁years , ▁marked ▁particularly ▁by ▁the ▁introduction ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁of ▁the ▁low - cost ▁two - lit re ▁V aux hall ▁Cad et ▁and ▁the ▁next ▁year ▁the ▁first ▁Bed ford ▁tr uck , ▁which ▁was ▁Che v ro let ▁based . ▁V aux hall ' s ▁chief ▁engineer ▁since ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁Charles ▁Ev ely n ▁King , ▁ ▁retired ▁as ▁engineering ▁director ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 . ▁The ▁company ' s ▁future ▁chief ▁engineer , ▁Harold ▁D rew , ▁left ▁L ut on ▁for ▁a ▁spell , ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁dra ug ht s man ▁with ▁G M ' s ▁L ans ing - based ▁Old sm obile ▁division . ▁As ▁the ▁first ▁significant ▁post - ac quisition ▁passenger ▁car , ▁the ▁Cad et , ▁initially ▁ret ail ing ▁at ▁£ 2 8 0 , ▁is ▁generally ▁regarded ▁as ▁demonstr ating ▁V aux hall ' s ▁newly ▁acquired ▁interest ▁and ▁expert ise ▁in ▁cont rolling ▁production ▁costs , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁British ▁car ▁to ▁feature ▁a ▁syn chrom esh ▁g ear box . ▁ ▁General ▁Mot ors ▁continued ▁to ▁re position ▁V aux hall ▁towards ▁the ▁middle ▁of