Monday 6th November 2023

Vauxhall Astra GSI 1.8 16v | Spotted

Feast your eyes on a hot Vaux time machine

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Let’s be grateful for the car carers. Those people who cherish and dote on their vehicles, even if they aren’t exactly bonafide classics worth enough to retire on. In recent years it’s become all too easy to part with old cars and switch them for newer, shinier ones; some iffy old-school build quality won’t have helped survival rates, either. While it has brought benefits for many, it’s hard not to bemoan the chronic lack of variety now on our roads in regular use. Even to an eagle-eyed enthusiast, everything can feel quite samey. 

Which is why this Mk3 Astra GSI is such a great find. They’re never, ever seen nowadays, and it’s hard not to raise a smile at red 16v badges, a twin exhaust and racily pinstriped upholstery - the old hot hatch hallmarks are present and correct. By rights, it really shouldn’t have survived all this long; even by the less-than-stellar standards of the early 1990s, this wasn’t a class leader. Moreover, this is a 1.8-litre GSI, introduced after the more powerful 2.0-litre red top - presumably because it was a more insurance-friendly way to get the handsome GSI look at a time when joy riding almost killed off the hot hatch entirely.

Despite all that might have ended the GSI - there will have been many years when it was down to Shed money, too - it’s still here 30 years after first registration. With just 70,000 miles, too. And, most importantly, it looks terrific. We’re used to saying cars have been lavished with love and affection over the years, but this old Vauxhall really seems a very special one indeed.

There’s inevitably a bit of wear (let’s hope the headliner is repairable), though it all seems commensurate with considered, careful use. The exterior in particular is superb, with wheels and paint in fantastic order. It’s hard to stop going through the pictures again and again, because here’s the first GSI for sale on PH in yonks - and a belter to boot. 

Even more encouragingly, the ad states it’s had a lot of parts recently renewed, which should mean less to do for the next owner. The work included a cambelt, water pump, springs, dampers, brake pads, discs and lines - a chunky spend, surely. That’s on top of a comprehensive service history, lots of receipts and the original GSI brochure. They just really don’t come up like this any longer. 

Like so many of the hot hatches, saloons and sports cars that were once quite common and are now never seen, the Astra must be one a few will regret selling on for a grand not long ago. Nobody could've imagined the days of a £15k GSI, yet here we are. Whether it’s worth that will probably depend on how fond your memory of the 1990s and old Vauxhall Astras is. But whoever you are and whatever you pay, please keep this GSI as good as it is now - we need survivors like this to be bringing a smile for years to come. 

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SPECIFICATION | VAUXHALL ASTRA GSI

Engine: 1,799cc, 16v four-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 125@5,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 123@4,800rpm
MPG: 30ish
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1993
Recorded mileage: 71,000
Price new: £15,600 (2.0)
Yours for: £15,995

See the original advert here

[Sion111R]

Initially huge want from me - then realised it’s the 1.8. I had a 2.0 GSi new in the early 90’s which I adored. Of course, being the 90 ‘s it was stolen, trashed and written off. I am still not over it. I loved that car!

Edited by Sion111R on Monday 6th November 12:41

[ChrisCh86]

It's a handsome thing!

Pretty slow by modern standards, but I've always liked this generation of Astra and this is surely one of the ultimate examples. It's worth the money to the right person.

[Jazoli]

Nice, but not £16k nice, they weren't 'that' special to begin with.

[itcaptainslow]

I hope the prospective buyer checks the MOT history before proceeding!

[V12GT]

itcaptainslow said:

I hope the prospective buyer checks the MOT history before proceeding!

It’s not pretty. You just hope that all those things have been properly fixed.

The surprising thing for me is the mileage - it’s been used regularly until last year.

[Rich Boy Spanner]

I had a mk3 Astra, a 2.0 16v Sport. It was a brilliant motorway car. Had the best straight line stability of any car I have ever owned. The only negative was the unreliable ecotec engine management system. I kept it 7 years and 100K miles. About 4 years later and once MOT's went online I checked to see if it still lived and it had lost 40K miles.

[C5_Steve]

itcaptainslow said:

I hope the prospective buyer checks the MOT history before proceeding!

Indeed, the optimist in me would like to say all that rust was sorted properly and then undersealed for protection in the three days between MOTs........I'd certainly want it up on a ramp to have a good poke around the areas mentioned.

For anyone thinking of buying probably best to head over to the eBay auction for this car and take a punt there. As for the price, it's the wrong GSi but I guess it's a case of "find another". Might be worth this to the right person.

[ScoobyChris]

Advert also seems to list a load of equipment that is clearly not fitted. I especially like the performance tab too:

Performance
Power 92 bhp
Torque 168 lbs/ft
Top speed 204 mph
Acceleration 0 to 62 in 9.3 s

Chris

[damonbill]

Lowe classics are a top outfit too.

[J4CKO]

Its ok I suppose but with 16 grand in my pocket spare it wouldn't be going on a fairly slow old Astra, we had a later 1.8 Sri and was a bit mundane, one for the faithful.

[Frimley111R]

One to buy with rose-tinted spectacles...

[Robertb]

What a great colour.

I have a hankering for a pre-facelift 16v Calibra. There are occasionally some gems in the classifieds.

[LotusOmega375D]

I was given that generation of L reg. Astra 1.7D Merit as a company car back in the day. No turbo, no air conditioning, in fact I don’t think it even had power steering. It was the absolute bottom of the barrel of the company car hierarchy. I tried to write it off and hope for something better, but it was too slow to crash, so it got rear-ended instead.

[TerryFarquit]

Could buy a good Chimera from the same vintage for that money!

[Jon_S_Rally]

What a great looking car. Obviously not the most desirable with the 1.8 engine, but still a nice looking thing and in the best colour. Can absolutely see why someone would buy that as a toy to relive their youth.

I know people get very excited about 205s and MK2 Golfs, but I think the early-to-mid-90s hot hatches are where it's at for me. These Astras, the bulge bonnet RS2000, 16v Golf, Ibiza Cupra, Clio Williams - what a great era.

[mooseracer]

LotusOmega375D said:

I was given that generation of L reg. Astra 1.7D Merit as a company car back in the day. No turbo, no air conditioning, in fact I don’t think it even had power steering. It was the absolute bottom of the barrel of the company car hierarchy. I tried to write it off and hope for something better, but it was too slow to crash, so it got rear-ended instead.

I had the dubious pleasure of driving a pool car 1.7D down to an office in Cullompton a few times. We had a bit of a competition to see who could get the "fastest" speed out of it on the M5 from Bristol.
I think I won, hitting an indicated 110 after miles and miles of foot to the floor.

[IanJ9375]

They had the 1.8 and the 2.0 for sale at the same time - there was also a mention that they put the 2.0XEV (Ecotect) in some of them which was about the same power as the 1.8, both less power than the 2.0XE.

I had a white L plate which is still going L59BRY - I'm in contact with the current owner via the power of social media, it's had a tough life and beeen through many an engine (3rd engine when it left me) and rebuilds.

I had it running on Speedline Alessio 2's which has to be the best wheel ever fitted to an Astra, 300mm Wilwood 4 pots from Hi Spec Motorsport and some Koni suspension which was firm but not crazy. I'm so glad the car is still going although it's a miracle!

[Baileyk]

LotusOmega375D said:

I was given that generation of L reg. Astra 1.7D Merit as a company car back in the day. No turbo, no air conditioning, in fact I don’t think it even had power steering. It was the absolute bottom of the barrel of the company car hierarchy. I tried to write it off and hope for something better, but it was too slow to crash, so it got rear-ended instead.

Now that made me chuckle.

[rallycross]

If it’s not the 2.0 gsi with 150 bhp it’s a complete waste of time and this model is never going to be worth £15k.

[Eeyoreish]

I had a mint 2.0 redtop GSI with less miles than this, which I only sold 5 years ago for about half what this is on at! Another one I should have kept...