RE: PH Blog: Vauxhall - new versus old

[james28]

I can always remember the sound of a mk1 astra on a set of twin 45s popping away down the country lanes brings back some memories.such a well sorted can imo and one that has not been bettered by vauxhall to date.

[LotusOmega375D]

Didn't Vauxhall do exactly the same run with their Heritage fleet last year? They had a different selection of cars, but stories subsequently appeared in many of the motoring titles (inc. this one), so they must have been pleased with the publicity to repeat it.

[ARAF]

Dave Hedgehog said:

Riggers said:

SleeperCell said:

3 pictures is the best you could manage for that article? You can barely even see the Maloo.

Full drive story on the Maloo coming soon, as well as a couple of other treats (I hope!) complete with many pictures.

Here's one to get you started

do people really think of these auzzie made cars as vauxhalls?

i certainly don't

It would get pretty confusing with many cars, if you didn't use the badge as reference.

Besides, Vx have the nerve to bring them in (though in smaller numbers now), so they deserve some credit.

[Dave Hedgehog]

ARAF said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

Riggers said:

SleeperCell said:

3 pictures is the best you could manage for that article? You can barely even see the Maloo.

Full drive story on the Maloo coming soon, as well as a couple of other treats (I hope!) complete with many pictures.

Here's one to get you started

do people really think of these auzzie made cars as vauxhalls?

i certainly don't

It would get pretty confusing with many cars, if you didn't use the badge as reference.

Besides, Vx have the nerve to bring them in (though in smaller numbers now), so they deserve some credit.

but just imagine how much better they would be if they wernt chav branded

[stevejh]

My dad was service director for a big Vauxhall dealership in the 60's and 70's so he always had a Vauxhall company car and my mum always had a Vauxhall 'company' car too. In the '70s he mostly had Victors (or VX2300 as they were called then) and my mum had a long line of Chevettes (in which I learnt to drive).

The one car I remember particularly was a beige VX4/90 which I believe (feel free to correct me) had the standard 2.3 engine but had a Getrag 5 speed gearbox which had first on a dog-leg to the left. The one we had would constantly jump out of first gear but despite that that car always seemed a bit special. It might have been the beige tartan sports seats that did it .

I've always had a soft spot for Vauxhalls since then although I haven't had one for years. I nearly bought a Carlton GSi back in the nineties when a possible new job offered a car allowance instead of a company car but then I didn't take the job.

I always wanted a Chevette HS, all those spoilers and the 2.3 engine - lovely.

[B'stard Child]

Dave Hedgehog said:

Clivey said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

i don't want any vauxhall old or new

Not enough 'imagine' for you, Sir?

They have just never rang my bell, the mk1 astra GTE maybe, from my youth, but i would rather have a MK1 Escort RS Turbo tbh.

It's good that we are all different then

Dragged up through childhood from 60-80's with mainly Fords I never want to own another myself and I've normally an open minded chap

However I wouldn't buy a Vauxhall myself from 1999 onwards unless it was a Vauxhall badged Holden with and 8 cyl soundtrack under the bonnet and I'll probably never scratch that itch either

[M@1975]

Always liked Vauxhalls older cars, the nova ruined them for most people, the attachment of the "chav" image killed them for a lot of people, at least round our way it did, anyone who drove an astra or Vectra was labelled as a bit chavvy. Shame really.

Has to be said they now produce some excelletn cars, I'd kill for a VXR8 if I could afford to put fuel in the bugger! I also still hanker after a VX220.

[GBB]

Garlick said:

I remember Dads Cavalier SRI 130 from a time when 130bhp was worthy of a large sticker on the door.

Good times.

Back in the days when your company car had to have some connection to Britain (usually some factory presence) then company car lists were usually Rover, Ford, Vauxhall only, or perhaps a Nissan or Peugeot as well. I remember lusting after an SRi 130, though a GLi was good enough as a first company car. Prior to that my Dad had a serious of Vauxhalls, all of which were pretty good for their day, I bought myself a MK2 SRi (115 bhp unfortunately) just before I finished uni as it offered about the best insurance £/performance ratio available for the time, IIRC about half the premium of the identical engine in the Astra GTE. Happy Days.

I'd happily buy a performance Vauxhall or Ford if they matched the equivalent German offering in all areas. Unfortunately until the Insignia the Vauxhall interiors have been pants. The Mondeo is better but there is no real performance option since the older ST220 (cracking car, those).

[Porkie]

Fire99 said:

Personally, the criticisms aimed at Vauxhall can also be aimed at the other big players. Ford, VW etc. Their mainstream cars are all pretty bland. Even BMW. The 80's 3 series was a thing of class. The current 'regular model' 3 series is not exceptional in any way.

Totally disagree

[NotNormal]

Dave Hedgehog said:

but just imagine how much better they would be if they wernt chav branded

Classic badge snob statement


Anyway, I thought 4 rings on the front were classed as chav these days, I just can't keep up!!!

[PascalBuyens]

Dave Hedgehog said:

Riggers said:

SleeperCell said:

3 pictures is the best you could manage for that article? You can barely even see the Maloo.

Full drive story on the Maloo coming soon, as well as a couple of other treats (I hope!) complete with many pictures.

Here's one to get you started

do people really think of these auzzie made cars as vauxhalls?

i certainly don't

It is and will always be a Holden wtih a Vauxhall badge stuck to it... Nothing that can be "undone"


BTW: credits to you Riggers... First article about a car I see with a pic of the actual car in it LOL

[stevenr]

GBB said:

The Mondeo is better but there is no real performance option since the older ST220 (cracking car, those).

There is,it's called a Titanium X i think. It has the same 2.5 turbo engine as the focus ST.

It's the ST replacement,looks better to me too.

[Crafty_]

idiotboy said:

...I'd bet that the Mk1 Astra GTE is far smaller and lighter than today's Corsas. That's why it's harder to park nowadays - cars are too lardy...

And the rest ! A corsa vxr weighs about as much as a cavalier gsi!

LayZ said:

Went very downhill after the Vectra B imo. Cavaliers were good in their day, Omegas proper affordable RWD luxobarge, Carltons before that even better. Mighty 24v Senators loved by plod etc.

Now they still manage to sell loads of them but compared to the market generally their products seem distinctly sub-par.

Vectra B was the start of the crap, the cavalier it replaced was a far better car.
I think you should look again at the new stuff, its far from sub-par.
It all went wrong when they started using crappy siemens ECUs, 'orrible system.

Fire99 said:

Personally, the criticisms aimed at Vauxhall can also be aimed at the other big players. Ford, VW etc. Their mainstream cars are all pretty bland. Even BMW. The 80's 3 series was a thing of class. The current 'regular model' 3 series is not exceptional in any way.

+1 I also can't help but think we are comparing apples and pears here, disel luxo exec barge vs the hot hatches of the day ? Need to compare to the upcoming new astra vxr or the insignia vxr to be fair I think.

Edited by Crafty_ on Monday 5th March 18:58

[manitou]

Ex Boy Racer said:

it's easy to sneer at it now, but the Calibra would snap knicker elastic at 50 paces when it first came out. I had one for a few weeks while my Sierra Cossie was being repaired (think it was the 5th time someone tried to nick it...) when they were still quite a new release and my secretary nearly wet herself when she saw it. This didn't happen with the Cossie..
Ahhh... those were the days... Cossies, Calibras, secretaries...

agreed i had a calibra 16v myself & the ladies loved the sleek looks & leather seats

[StevieB]

I dont buy into this Ford or Vauxhall man stuff. Personally I prefer Fords, but I've got a soft spot for a few Vauxhalls as well. I remember doing 112 MPH in my cousins MK2 GTE and Keevil Airfield and thinking it was the dogs danglies at the time...Loved the Mk2 Cav SRI 130 and Senator 24 valve, what a car that was. In fact, circa 1990 vauxhall IMO had a far stronger range than Ford. The Mk3 Cav was a great car, miles better than the Sierra at the time. The Vectra was where it went wrong, ruddy awful car and absolutely creamed by the Mondeo...Think things are changing now though, the Astra is a strong rival for the current Focus....Corsa VXR Nuburgring a match for anything Ford are currently offering...

[peter450]

Dave Hedgehog said:

ARAF said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

Riggers said:

SleeperCell said:

3 pictures is the best you could manage for that article? You can barely even see the Maloo.

Full drive story on the Maloo coming soon, as well as a couple of other treats (I hope!) complete with many pictures.

Here's one to get you started

do people really think of these auzzie made cars as vauxhalls?

i certainly don't

It would get pretty confusing with many cars, if you didn't use the badge as reference.

Besides, Vx have the nerve to bring them in (though in smaller numbers now), so they deserve some credit.

but just imagine how much better they would be if they wernt chav branded

Yep i think they made a mistake badging the Holden as a Vauxhall, they would have been better off leaving it with it's original badge, just sticking the vauhxall badge on it probably lost them sales to be honest

[Dave Hedgehog]

NotNormal said:

Dave Hedgehog said:

but just imagine how much better they would be if they wernt chav branded

Classic badge snob statement


Anyway, I thought 4 rings on the front were classed as chav these days, I just can't keep up!!!

no 4 rings is a giant cock

i would prefer it if they had left it at holden

[rtz62]

Having spent my formative late-teens in the early-80's (if that makes sense) I've owned XR2's, XR3, XR3i's, RS Turbo (mk 1&2) Sierra 4x4, 2 Cosworths and an RS500.
Regrets?
Never owning a mk1 Astra GTE or a Droopsnoot.
Solution? Ask she who must be obeyed if I can have one when I sell my WR1 Impreza.
Perhaps I'm looking with rise-tinted specs, but 80's cars had more..... character?

[redvictor]

jamespink said:

I father had old Vauxhalls (Victors) new Vauxhalls from the HA Viva through all the models up to late Victors and Ventora, I spent ages in the car trade buying and selling Vauxhalls and I can honestly say they are the most forgettable cars I have ever traveled in. Not one excites me, not one. Ghastly!

I have one, and i bet i could make you excited just seeing and hearing it.
It's horses for courses though. Vauxhall are now realising that performance sells the whole range. Ford knew this in the 6o's and is why Ford have a sportier image from the past.
Programmes like the Sweeney,Professionals etc had the good guys screaming around in Fords because they gave them to the production companies to use.Superb marketing strategy from Ford.On the other hand Vauxhalls almost always ended up crashing,or burning because obviously they got bought for a tenner, and not given away.
Now it's the other way around...

[Dave Hedgehog]

redvictor said:

jamespink said:

I father had old Vauxhalls (Victors) new Vauxhalls from the HA Viva through all the models up to late Victors and Ventora, I spent ages in the car trade buying and selling Vauxhalls and I can honestly say they are the most forgettable cars I have ever traveled in. Not one excites me, not one. Ghastly!

I have one, and i bet i could make you excited just hearing it.
It's horses for courses though. Vauxhall are now realising that performance sells the whole range. Ford knew this in the 6o's and is why Ford have a sportier image from the past.
Programmes like the Sweeney,Professionals etc had the good guys screaming around in Fords because they gave them to the production companies to use.Superb marketing strategy from Ford.On the other hand Vauxhalls almost always ended up crashing,or burning because obviously they got bought for a tenner, and not given away.
Now it's the other way around...

it was funny when the top gear boys where taking the piss out of audi for there product placement lol