SOTW: Carlton GSi

It's fast, it's rear drive, it's bright red and it's made by Vauxhall.

The PH Maestro goes up for sale this weekend, and I hope to be able to tell you all about our profitable return next week.....hmmm. So in the meantime it's business as usual for the shed department with a theoretical £1000 burning a hole in my pocket.

As I can't get my head around the new Auto Trader (it refuses to show me any cars most of the time) I have moved over to the Exchange & Mart, and it has come up trumps.

3.0 straight six, rear wheel drive, 149mph and 0-60 in 6.6 seconds. Sounds promising eh?

The Carlton GSi 3000, overshadowed in Carlton folklore by the Lotus Carlton but still a damn good car nonetheless. Launched in 1987 it offered the company executive a chance to blat down the Motorways to business meets, drift around the local roundabout or pile in the family and head off to B&Q. Truly a car for all occasions and a relic from the days when you favoured either a fast Vauxhall or a fast Ford- I was always a fan of the former.

In true range topping style, the GSi comes loaded with kit. This car comes with adjustable comfort seats with part leather, central locking, trip computer, electric mirrors, electric windows, headlamp wash/wipe and the obligatory body kit with boot spoiler and front fogs. Annoyingly this car comes with the optional automatic gearbox. A killer for some but it could make a great, relaxing old smoker and in my opinion it still has bags of attitude and appeal.

Our early example is advertised with 106,000 miles, now this means it's only covered around 5500 miles per year over its 19 year life so maybe that needs checking out? There is no mention of a service history either but the seller is asking only £995 so I guess you can't have it all?

Advert says:

VAUXHALL Carlton 3.0 GSi 3000, 4 Doors, Automatic, Saloon, Petrol, 1988 F Reg , 106,000 miles, Red, MOT-10-2007. Adjustable Comfort Seats, Original Main Dealer Alloy Wheels, Central locking, Child locks, Computer, Electric mirrors, Electric windows, Head restraints. Insurance Group:16. £995