RE: Vauxhall Cavalier 1.6L: Spotted
Discussion
No no no, my dad had two as company cars, the first had the old Vauxhall 1.6 in it because the new engines were not ready. It handled like a dog t..d. The second always gave me back ache because the lumber support was in the wrong place. Hateful car.
The model before this one wasn't bad though.
The model before this one wasn't bad though.
PSRG said:
My Mum had a 1.6 L hatch in that colour; an early one - ‘Y’ reg! I think it was called parchment. With a beige / brown tweed interior. I learned to drive in that, well, that and the driving instructors Metro. A Vanden Plas no less 
She must have liked the cavalier as it’s replacement, shortly after I passed my test, was a bright red ‘new shape’ cavalier - an ‘F’ reg 1.6 L hatch. With optional green tinted glass!
I forgot all about that weird green tint you used to see. As soon as I thought of it I pictured the alarm sticker you used to see in the windows of these She must have liked the cavalier as it’s replacement, shortly after I passed my test, was a bright red ‘new shape’ cavalier - an ‘F’ reg 1.6 L hatch. With optional green tinted glass!
This thread made me think, that a simular Opel Vectra must be going for a lot more on the German market.
Seems I was wrong. Opel sales really hit a historic low overhere:
https://www.autoscout24.de/angebote/opel-vectra-gl...
1650,- Euro !
Seems I was wrong. Opel sales really hit a historic low overhere:
https://www.autoscout24.de/angebote/opel-vectra-gl...
1650,- Euro !
I was jealous of my colleague who managed to join a company 8 months after me and collected a brand new 2.0Gli Cavalier in 1989, whilst I was stuck with a Rover 216SE...although he did lend it to me for a weekend for a house move (Kent to Somerset).
Those cars were just better than the competition in nearly every way - power steering as standard, central locking, electric windows with funky ring or spot illumination on the buttons, a shelf you could fit an A4 pad into above the glovebox, plenty of room, etc etc and decent build quality. They felt better than the Montego (though that was a roomy ship too) and much more modern than the Sierra (rwd being seen as a throwback to days of yore) and better built than the 405. Even the door shut sounded better (slightly metallic but not hollow).
Changes were coming in fast though - within 18 months I'd moved on to a Rover 416GTi and never sampled a Cavalier again, nor felt I'd missed anything.
Those cars were just better than the competition in nearly every way - power steering as standard, central locking, electric windows with funky ring or spot illumination on the buttons, a shelf you could fit an A4 pad into above the glovebox, plenty of room, etc etc and decent build quality. They felt better than the Montego (though that was a roomy ship too) and much more modern than the Sierra (rwd being seen as a throwback to days of yore) and better built than the 405. Even the door shut sounded better (slightly metallic but not hollow).
Changes were coming in fast though - within 18 months I'd moved on to a Rover 416GTi and never sampled a Cavalier again, nor felt I'd missed anything.
The Don of Croy said:
They felt better than the Montego (though that was a roomy ship too) and much more modern than the Sierra (rwd being seen as a throwback to days of yore) and better built than the 405.
Deffo WAY better than a Montego (that was a very odd-looking thing and felt a bit thrown together). Probably much better made than a 405 although I much preferred the chassis on the Pug. Tremendously controlled, long travel, great damping).
The other 4 door rep-mobile would have been the Rover 620 GSi. I never drove one but they had double wishbones all round and Honda twin cams IIRC.
However I did spend most of my time grumbling that I hadn't been able to spend the Cavalier money on the car i really wanted at the the time - the 3 door Renault 19 16v. In Blue. b
ds.
Renault 19 in blue you say? My first ever company car, brand new when I worked for a bank. 7000 quid with central locking on the key. My manager had a 320 BMW, ten thousand new and he had to pay extra for the mats and radio! He was jealous of the Renault as it was faster, higher spec and had a sun roof as standard. Great car as the GTX model.
However I also had a Montego and Cavalier whilst at Kelloggs and the Cavalier was way better. Thrashed the nuts off it and never let me down. Smelt of fags from the last rep who had it but was brown inside so didn't show....ah happy days! No matter how hard I tried couldn't break it or make it break down. As someone said, it's all we knew and was an innocent time to drive. No phones, cd and other crap to disturb the act of driving. And Simon Bates at 11am on Radio 1 doing Our Tune............ Ok, time I really shut the f..k up now!!!
However I also had a Montego and Cavalier whilst at Kelloggs and the Cavalier was way better. Thrashed the nuts off it and never let me down. Smelt of fags from the last rep who had it but was brown inside so didn't show....ah happy days! No matter how hard I tried couldn't break it or make it break down. As someone said, it's all we knew and was an innocent time to drive. No phones, cd and other crap to disturb the act of driving. And Simon Bates at 11am on Radio 1 doing Our Tune............ Ok, time I really shut the f..k up now!!!
petersuper said:
Renault 19 in blue you say? My first ever company car, brand new when I worked for a bank. 7000 quid with central locking on the key. My manager had a 320 BMW, ten thousand new and he had to pay extra for the mats and radio! He was jealous of the Renault as it was faster, higher spec and had a sun roof as standard.
Excellent. In a previous job one of the consultants had one. He moved to a place near me in the Ladbroke Grove/Notting Hill area in about 1990 and it was on bricks the first night.LOL.
They were great cars. Just re-read a group test in Car which it won.
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