Tuesday 27th October 2015

Vauxhall Cavalier SRI: Spotted

A 26 year-old Vauxhall saloon for £5K? Yes it is worth it, says a very nostalgic Matt

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The Vauxhall Cavalier SRI Mk3 is a hugely significant car. Probably not for Vauxhall and definitely not in sports saloon history but for your humble correspondent. Because the car you see here, albeit in grey, was the first car I can remember my dad owning. There was an Orion around in my very early years but that doesn't register. The H-reg Cav most certainly does.

130hp and 28mpg...

Like most young lads, the old man is largely responsible for my obsession with damn near everything on four wheels. He bought me models, flicked through magazines with me and, when mum wasn't in the car, drove a little faster than he probably should have. In a Vauxhall Cavalier, with the turbine wheels, a red pinstripe and 'SRI' badges. If I was really lucky I was allowed to wind back the sunroof. When you're five years old this stuff is really important.

To this day I've never helped clean a car with so much effort because it was my dad's car and the only thing cooler than him at the time was his car. He still maintains he did 130 in it once and I remain adamant he didn't.

Enough reminiscing, because Lord knows I would do it all day on this old Vauxhall. Have I told you about the model on my desk? The car in question is a 1989 model, one year older than dad's and presumably in far nicer condition than his would be now. It probably looks better than his did in 1996 to be honest. With just 40,000 miles and four owners it must be about the best Cavalier SRI around. I appreciate that really isn't saying a lot. According to howmanyleft there are only 173 SRIs remaining, which would explain why they come up for sale so seldom.

That's one stylish griffin

To the price then. It's five thousand pounds. For a fast Cavalier that isn't even a GSI that looks a lot. From an objective point of view at least. There must be more important classic Vauxhalls and most definitely better old sports saloons for the money. But if it could ever be justified, I'd have this 26 year-old Cavalier off the dealer like a shot - hopefully for a bit less than £5K - just for the nostalgia appeal. People have spent a lot more indulging that before, surely?

Finally, if anyone has any experience of these old Cavaliers, I would love to know. At five you're not especially tuned into the subtleties of dynamic behaviour...

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VAUXHALL CAVALIER SRI
Engine: 1,998cc, 8v inline-four 
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive 
Power (hp): 130@5,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 133@4,600rpm
MPG: 28
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1989
Recorded mileage: 44,936
Price new: £N/A
Yours for: £5,000

See original ad here.

[Sources: Flickr, howmanyleft]

[Monty Python]

Had a red '89 saloon for a few years - the only things that I remember were the seats (which were incredibly comfortable) and the rust that eat it's way through the front wheel arches. Can't have been that bad as I replaced it wit a '95 SRi 16V.