Thursday 7th March 2013

Vauxhall Cavalier GSI: PH Ad Break

Vauxhall's performance saloon of the 90s walks on water. Don't try this at home, kids...

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As was discussed heavily in the forum post resulting from our last Ad Break, these days a car advert is expressly not permitted to show a sporty car doing anything... well... sporty. Fortunately, things weren’t quite so strict back in the early 90s.

The Cavalier heads off road...

So enjoy these gratuitous shots, set to a rousing classical score, of a brand new Mk3 Cavalier GSI 2000 4x4 - a car in contention for the 'longest badge of the early 90s' award - barrelling down an alpine pass, its tarmac sodden despite the blissful blue skies to highlight the grip offered by the drivetrain. But wait... what’s this? There’s a queue building. How will the happy Cavalier driver deal with this? Well, isn't it obvious? He turns off the road, plunges down a bank and dives into an adjacent lake to continue his journey. Naturally.

The reason becomes obvious as the voiceover comes through – the Cavalier, of course, is so good in the wet that it can drive across open water, neatly avoiding the queue and allowing the driving enthusiast behind the wheel to continue his journey unhindered. Erm... quite. But we can’t fail to be smitten – as the tagline suggests – by this ad, and not just because a mint, standard Cavalier GSI in black today looks a rather handsome thing, especially in this setting.  It’s simple, amusing, memorable and effective – all things a good car ad should be; and the sort of thing Vauxhall was good at before it resorted to using disconcerting shouty stuffed toys. Oh, and listen out for the fantastically over-dramatic orchestral snippet of Eric Clapton’s ‘Layla’, Vauxhall’s standard jingle in the early 90s, at its close.

 

 

 

[astrsxi77]

Ah, the long forgotten art (and market segment) of the handsome three-box saloon.

[Loplop]

One of my all time favorites.

Even if it is a 'rep mobile'

[tomoleeds]

Is that Dynamo driving

[Rochellc01]

Ahh the council estate-super saloon of its day, many a burberry capped dad has dreamed of a GSI.

[mattnunn]

Dad had one of these and a Mk2 SRI 130, top car both of them.

[tomoleeds]

The cavaliers WERE good cars,i had a 2 SRI"s does anyone know 0-60 times of the SRI and the GSI ?
Not sure if it was same 4x4 sytem as calibra did GSI have a turbo like the Calibra? The sri has 115 and 130 BHP

[Rawwr]

There's something particularly pleasing about its front-end which I can't quite put my finger on.

[exgtt]

Brilliant cars! What was Ford offering at the time, the Sapphire 2.0 twin cam? The Cavaliers engine was well ahead of the game, no other multivalve engine came close (in family saloons anyway)

[Loplop]

tomoleeds said:

The cavaliers WERE good cars,i had a 2 SRI"s does anyone know 0-60 times of the SRI and the GSI ?
Not sure if it was same 4x4 sytem as calibra did GSI have a turbo like the Calibra? The sri has 115 and 130 BHP

The 4wd System is the same as on the Cavalier and Calibra Turbo

[Steamer]

I love this ad break series!

I forgot just how good Vauxhall were at this all those years ago.

Not wanting to go too far off OT - but the Sri MK2 advert is even better!!

Its got wheelspins, skids & jumps!! (check out the bounce when it hits the ramp!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOZbO-nROFg

...I also seem to remember a nova GTE taking a short cut through a building site too.

[NotNormal]

Rochellc01 said:

Ahh the council estate-super saloon of its day, many a burberry capped dad has dreamed of a GSI.

Not sure the word chav was in existance in the early 90's

[Greg 172]

Rawwr said:

There's something particularly pleasing about its front-end which I can't quite put my finger on.

Um, it looks a bit like a Carlton? Or is that just me?

[NotNormal]

Loplop said:

The 4wd System is the same as on the Cavalier and Calibra Turbo

Not quite true if you want to get geeky.

The GSI has a 5 speed F20 gearbox mated to the transfer box. The turbo uses a 6 speed F28 Getrag gearbox and a stronger beefed up transfer box.

[Loplop]

NotNormal said:

Loplop said:

The 4wd System is the same as on the Cavalier and Calibra Turbo

Not quite true if you want to get geeky.

The GSI has a 5 speed F20 gearbox mated to the transfer box. The turbo uses a 6 speed F28 Getrag gearbox and stronger beefed up transfer box.

Outbearded. Damn.

Strong want for a Cavalier Turbo though.

Stupendously good value all in for someone my age (19) and the performance you get.

[Steamer]

[Correct me if I'm wrong]

The GSi pumped out 150bhp in N/A mode didnt it? That seemed alot back in 1990...

Ummm white ones looked bloomin' ace!!

[exgtt]

Would love a Turbo, there is a blue one being driven daily round Leeds - they hold their value suprisingly well, seems £3k+ is needed for a reasonable one.

[666 SVT]

exgtt said:

Brilliant cars! What was Ford offering at the time, the Sapphire 2.0 twin cam? The Cavaliers engine was well ahead of the game, no other multivalve engine came close (in family saloons anyway)

The Sierra XR4x4 ?

[excel monkey]

exgtt said:

Brilliant cars! What was Ford offering at the time, the Sapphire 2.0 twin cam? The Cavaliers engine was well ahead of the game, no other multivalve engine came close (in family saloons anyway)

Yep. For five years from 1988-1993, the Cavalier Mk3 had its time in the sun. Then the Mondeo was launched, and Vauxhall never caught up after that.

[exgtt]

Steamer][Correct me if I wrong said:

The GSi pumped out 150bhp in N/A mode didnt it? That seemed alot back in 1990...

Ummm white ones looked bloomin' ace!!

Yeah 150 bhp and a bloody healthy torque curve. This and the fuel economy is what i love about these engines.

[Clamjouster]

Owned one many years ago. It was a joy to stick your head out the window and watch the wheels spinning while planting it in 1st around a mini roundabout.