Wednesday 19th July 2023

Vauxhall Vectra V6 GSI | Spotted

Most old Vectras aren't fit for much these days; but this isn't any old Vauxhall Vectra...

---

The mark of any true car enthusiast is surely the care they lavish on their vehicle. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an old Shed or a factory-fresh supercar, the really committed will always ensure their pride and joy gets just the treatment it deserves. Not using too many revs while it’s warming up, keeping the maintenance on schedule, investing in decent tyres - that sort of thing. If you know what to look for, it’s almost as easy to spot something that’s been loved as something that hasn’t - this Vectra, somewhat unexpectedly, looks like one of the good ’uns.

We say unexpectedly because, well, Vauxhall’s long-lived family car wasn’t all that loved back when it was new, and we’re now 20 years on from this car’s first registration. Even as a 3.2 V6 GSI with some Irmscher goodies, it would be easy to imagine a life hacking up and down motorways as it plummeted in value and probably fell into some state of disrepair. Because how often has that happened to a Vectra, Omega, Cavalier or similar? Alas, the story is different for this one; owned from almost new by the same person (and only now for sale after their passing), it’s a beautifully preserved top-of-the-range Vectra.

It's really, really red, for starters, which isn’t always a guarantee for old Vauxhalls that once began this way, usually fading to a dusty pink over the years. It must have been garaged a lot of the time for this sort of lustre to remain. Similarly, while the driver’s seat and steering wheel inevitably show a little bit of wear, the rest of the interior isn’t far from untouched, which is some achievement for a five-seat family car of the early 2000s.

Gets better, too, as this GSI is said to benefit from a full main dealer history - for a Vectra! - and less than 60,000 miles. The MOT history is a sea of green, with just four fails in more than a decade and a half. Two of those were for dodgy springs up front, which is understandable with a chunky V6 up there. The current ticket runs until November, with just two advisories for a light misting of oil on a damper and a ‘slightly discoloured’ rear indicator. That’s the kind of condition we’re talking about.

Now it’s probably worth pointing out here that the GSI wasn’t held up as one of the greats back in the days of the Accord Type R and Mondeo ST220. What was a bit stodgy to drive back then isn’t going to have improved over 20 years. But what it will offer is the kind of experience no longer available in new cars, the combination of a big engine and manual gearbox in a family hatch having long since disappeared. A Vectra maybe isn’t what would be called a traditional classic car, but it’s starting to show the attributes of one…

Best of all, the nostalgia tax that blights so many rare old cars hasn’t made it to the Vectra. Probably because it’s a Vectra. But for £5,995 it’s easy to see why this might appeal to a Vauxhall enthusiast, to those who can remember dad having one, or simply to a person who wants to keep it in such fine condition. The least it deserves is another doting owner - could it be you?

---

SPECIFICATION | VAUXHALL VECTRA GSI

Engine: 3,175cc, V6
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 211@6,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): 221@4,000rpm
MPG: 28
CO2: 243g/km
Year registered: 2002
Recorded mileage: 58,000
Price new: £20,980
Yours for: £5,995

See the original advert here

[ads_p]

That price surprised me. As did the fact that it’s ULEZ compliant. Given the tired old tat you often see at this price point, that’s not bad value at all. It’d probably even create interest at a car show.

[Heathwood]

It’s strange as I used to really like Vauxhall in the 80s and 90s; I particularly loved the Cav GSI 2000. Indeed, I’d still love one. However, I can find no love or want whatsoever on this next generation of Vauxhall, including this one.

[mooseracer]

Definitely deserves cherishing.

[Jon_S_Rally]

That looks in great condition. Can't be many of that generation Vectra left that are that tidy. I always had a weird relationship with these. As a driving tool, they are pretty wooly things, and far inferior to a MK3 Mondeo. In terms of refinement and as a long-distance cruiser, I always thought they were a chunk better than the Ford though. A friend bought a 2.2 DTI SRI when it was a couple of years old, and later replaced it with a Mondeo Ghia X TDCI and the Ford felt like a tractor by comparison. The engine was noisy and way more intrusive. Not such an issue here of course, as a V6 petrol is going to be much nicer in either car.

Personally, I couldn't buy this over an ST220, but it's nice to see a survivor in such good condition. I hope someone buys it and takes care of it.

[Unreal]

I'd like to check just how original it is. It's being sold by a repair specialist and they seem to buy and sell quite a few damaged cars. They're not cheap either. This one for example is very strong money for a recorded car. https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/15327052

However, if the car does stack up, it seems reasonable value for what's now a pretty rare sight.

[CarlosSainz100]

How did they get so little power out of such a big engine?

[anonymous-user]

CarlosSainz100 said:

How did they get so little power out of such a big engine?

Of its time, VW/Audi’s V6 made about the same, so did Ford‘s. It’s a different type of engine to the whizz, bang, pop 2.0 turbo rubbish that followed.

[Lincsls1]

CarlosSainz100 said:

How did they get so little power out of such a big engine?

Its unstressed, very smooth and refined. Broad torque curve and lovely NASP 6 cyl sound track.
Also reliable without all the power adding tech now added to cars with smaller engines.

[Unreal]

CarlosSainz100 said:

How did they get so little power out of such a big engine?

Because that was how it was done at the time. We used to make black and white movies with thousands of extras despite mega budgets once and we also put our fingers in holes to call people on the phone. In 50 years people will ask questions like yours about current tech.

[Hub]

I clicked expecting the 90s touring car shape model... Shame! I've never had much love for this shape Vectra (as the article implies not many did!)

[LotusOmega375D]

You’ve got to hand it to Irmscher. How they ended up making a living by selling blacked-out Opel/Vauxhall grilles with just an “i” added to the corner.

[cerb4.5lee]

Lovely to see such a well cared for example I reckon. The Vectra doesn't have many fans, however I've always had a soft spot for the V6 models though.

[bumskins]

CarlosSainz100 said:

How did they get so little power out of such a big engine?

GM probably had an inkling these were going to get picked up by the police, so didn't want to give them too much power to worry about trying to handle.

[fantheman80]

LotusOmega375D said:

You’ve got to hand it to Irmscher. How they ended up making a living by selling blacked-out Opel/Vauxhall grilles with just an “i” added to the corner.

ha very true

[Darnoc95]

Imo thats only worth at best £4250. Its in great condition but its still an old big Vauxhall that was never seen as desirable even back in the day.

[7 5 7]

They make terrific sense in a bangernomic sense, been running a cooking model facelift 2008 1.8VVT for 18 months to stick my business miles on, purchased for £1000!!!

Stuck nearly 20k on it in that time, it's paid for itself more than once now, and it's given me no issues apart for a rumbly wheel bearing in all honesty.

Routinely does 1,000 miles a week at times.

Good, solid, dependable cars, think it may be the best car I've owned, and I have owned all sorts of cars over the years

[LotusOmega375D]

Why the thatched roof? Looks like a cottage in the Cotswolds.

[7 5 7]

LotusOmega375D said:

Why the thatched roof? Looks like a cottage in the Cotswolds.

Less council I thought has that been mentioned yet? Ha

[WPA]

Struggle to see how it is worth £6k plus the dash as with all Vauxhalls of this era is horrid

[Unreal]

WPA said:

Struggle to see how it is worth £6k plus the dash as with all Vauxhalls of this era is horrid

To be fair, it must be hard to value and it's a dealer and you rarely see anything from the trade that you think is too cheap. I guess time will tell but I wouldn't be surprised to see a Vauxhall fan boy buy it at that money. It surely has to be worth a minimum of £4K in the current market. Maybe they'll take that after a few weeks if it doesn't sell.