Just how British is the Vauxhall Astra?

The Vauxhall Astra has become one of Britain’s most common cars - and something of a British point of pride, being produced in the Ellesmere Port factory in Cheshire. But rather than being more British than bubble and squeak, the first Astra marked the start of a German dominance in the Vauxhall/Opel partnership, and every one of the 8 revisions would be designed outside the UK. But the car, and the Astra name would become a British export success story. So, how has the Astra fared since it launched in 1979, and what’s next?
Optional Extra Astra video: • Vauxhall Astra - Optio...
Music (from the KZbin audio library):
American Idle - RKVC
Mirror Mind - Bobby Richards
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Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Ka...
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Ka...
vauxpedia.net/
www.drive.com.au/news/obituar...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vauxhal...
int-media.opel.com/en/07-28-8...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecotec
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_As...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Za...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_A3
web.archive.org/web/201008111...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_G6
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_V...
www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-rev...
www.cnbc.com/2019/02/07/why-c...
www.automobilesreview.com/aut...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vauxhal...
carsalesbase.com/europe-opel-...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OnStar
gb-media.vauxhall.co.uk/en-gb...
gb-media.vauxhall.co.uk/en-gb...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSA_EMP...
#bigcar

[@Iskelderon]

Vauxhall, the art of slapping a Union Jack on German cars.

[@MaximilianvonPinneberg]

And now French cars.

[@biponacci]

Mind you, the current Mini literally has the Union Jack in the rear lights

[@massmike11]

@@biponacci or on the roof

[@Tourist1967]

They were all American cars, really. Up until recently, anyway.

[@mikeblatzheim2797]

@@Tourist1967 They weren't designed in the US, and Opel having been a GM subsidiary doesn't make the cars they designed American.

[@sleeksilver]

I just wanted to comment before a million other people came in and say that I really appreciate your videos and look forward to every one that you put out! You've got amazing content, keep it up!!!

[@BigCar2]

😀 Thanks!

[@hexgraphica]

I second it

[@DaveSCameron]

Always the best shouts, I value these one line gratitude posts like finding a fiver, best wishes*

[@jamesengland7461]

What they said!!!

[@1971wizzard]

I feel the same…I can’t wait till the next video…. BIG CAR Is brilliant!!!

[@johanwejedaldesign]

Thanks for another very interesting video! Btw, in 2007, I worked on the development of the Astra "J" (2010-2015), doing Alias 3D modeling on some wheels and the Opel logo on the rear hatch (the wheels shown at 25:15 was actually my first job at GME Design). :)

[@robert4you]

Hello from Sweden. This was a brilliant video in every way, shape and form. What a great presentation! My father worked for GM here in Scandinavia, mostly Sweden, in the 1970s and 80s. I remember when the family went on many car holidays to Hungary (my parents native country), always in an Opel Kadett, Ascona, Rekord or Commodore. My father passed away last year, he would have loved this presentation. Thanks!

[@anthonylewis2080]

Sorry for your loss: I've been interested in cars ever since I was a youngster (I'm in my late 40s) and that's not changing anytime soon - I started as a trainee car mechanic - and have seen a good few models of the car you're talking about. General Motors did this to save time and money to cater for customers worldwide - Monza, Carlton, two-door Viva Hatchbacks/Saloons and other models using the Griffin emblem or the Opel badge. Reportedly the most reliable branch in the GM company is Buick and it's strange how that particular one wasn't sold in the UK - looks like General Motors missed a trick in making much-needed profits there.

[@ruscador1]

surpirised they got there without it breaking down

[@robert4you]

@@ruscador1 Not a single one of his cars broke down. Some minor thing happened with the air condition in the Commodore one time, but an auto shop fixed it in an hour in a small town in the southern part of Germany. Not the best cars regarding comfort, but extremely reliable back then.

[@andypre1667]

This was my first car (an 82 Kadett 1.3 bought in 92 in Germany). I went to England a few times around that time, got all Vauxhall badges down to hubcaps and rebadged my Opel. Having recently returned from the US, I moved the parking lights to the turn signals so that they would glow amber in typical yank fashion. Friends borrowed the car once, where pulled over by Polizei for "malfunctioning turn signals", but they dryly told the officer that this was not an Opel, but a Vauxhall, the American version. Hence the amber parking lights. They got away with it. I loved that car. I was able to move twice with it as a student, it was so roomy.

[@AL-PAKA]

people used to do the opposite in uk

[@the.internet]

@@AL-PAKA yes, was always funny seeing Opel badged cars here but some of them were legit UK Opels during that time both brands existed side by side. You still see self-badged Opel's in the UK today! Btw, did we get the MK3 Astra in saloon form here? I don't ever remember seeing them after the Belmont. I have, however, seen a few in Poland (who seem to keep cars going a lot longer in general).

[@AL-PAKA]

@@the.internet yeah we got the mk3 and mk4 not mk5 though

[@patryqoo]

@@the.internet Astra F (mk3) was in production at the polish Opel factory in Gliwice up until 2002 (the name was Astra Classic then). So this and because it was cheaper than the newest Astra G (mk4 in production from 1998), made it very popular in Poland at the time. Also the saloon body was very popular in cars at the time in there. Astra F It was a good, simple car with cheap parts and cheap and easy to convert to lpg so virtually they have been everywhere for a long time. Btw I am Polish and I am driving in UK a Zafira currently. And gues what, I've changed the badges to Opel ;-) But in fairness she have been built in Germany so it's not that much of a lie;-) In the past I had a two Astra's and Omega here and I have kept the Vauxhall badges on ;-) Btw I remember back in 2004 seeing in polish Opel factory Astra's G on the same production lane with Opel, Vauxhall and Holden badges. The last two of course being a RHD. It was really bizarre for me to see it back then, both the Vauxhall and Holden badges on and the steering wheel on the right.

[@RUfromthe40s]

@@the.internet in Portugal you find real colection cars but not because of their value but because people don't have money and still runing, i myself when in my 20's went camping and had bought a Bmw and because i liked it when i was a kid bought cheap two both ready to drive all legal but with some parts from one made the other look and drive as if it was new ,i remenber after a day at the beach i arrived to the camping and lots of young boys and girls surrounding my precious bmw and started running because i thought something bad hapened to it ,i had made the entire electric system because the original wws giving me problems and i was studying electronics so i did it and the car even started to run faster but afraid of having done something bad i thought that maybe it caught fire but none , i couldn't be more wrong , they were looking because they had never seen one and one asked me if it was really a Bmw , i just cleaned the brand that had the colour a bit faded and replyed its more Bmw than others this is the old brother of those new and they asked me to see it inside and in the engine , i proudly said , it has 32 h.p. , some really liked it and ask to take photos by the car wich i told them no problem only have to pay me 20 escudos that was our coin before the € , and today is....almost 10 cents. but wgen they wanted to pay i said its free i was joking the laughed but with the wallets in their hands , then apears a guy maybe in is 40's saying if i wanted to sell it , i replyed that had just fixed it and lot of work to do a entire new electrical system , he started to say , it works ? i replyed , if it doesn't work it slided for 250kms , the distance from my home ,but i notice he had a more modern Opel senator , a dream car for me and told him if you want we trade your car by mine , he replyed ,the value is close but i need it to travel back to germany with my family , when he said this i asked for a same value car working properly , he replyed , i can give you a Bmw 2000 i was like not giving away my feeling of happy and said Ok if you give me a newer bmw 2000 i will trade car for car and the next day i saw him arriving to the camping with the car and portuguese plates or registry i was like if i won the lotery, but after changing ownership he tells me , do you want to say good bye to it , its the last time you'll see one of this , i replyed that i had another runing but with a litle rust on the bottom part of the bumpers , he was like almost not believing that i could have another , but again will you sell it to me , i told him that if he stayed more two weeks in Portugal we could drive to my city wich is very nice and it had various monuments since before the Romans and so he did went to my city and bought with money the other car, the Bmw looked just like a Vw that was kind of a sedan sold at the same time as the beetle but tinyer but the body was similar i even thought the first time i saw it that it was a mini version of the vw sedan

[@BigCar2]

Errata: Stellantis was formed by the merger of PSA & FCA (Fiat Chrysler). It wasn't a takeover by PSA. It's not a "droop snout" nose, but a "droopsnoot" nose. Don't ask me why it's called this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Droop_nose_(aeronautics)

[@TA_Plus_Hemi]

They didn't take over but they did ensure themselves a definite control position in Stellantis. As a lover of the awesome yet still flawed Gen 3 Hemi, this makes me nervous.

[@danielrussell446]

Stellantis is the BL of the future I worry about what will happen

[@alanwayte432]

@@danielrussell446 nonsense

[@marianocipriani5645]

All togheter now. Kiss from an Italian FIAT supporter. In the past FIAT delibererà the JTD diesels, tried ti approched the still breathing Rover Group giving the "Stilo chassis"...I hope that waukhall brand goes on and on with the Stellantis group

[@druginducedfeverdream1613]

@@TA_Plus_Hemi PSA is good! My little Citroen van is amazing. You'd start laughing if you had a look at how simple and well built it is. No turbo 1.9 Diesel, mechanical injector pump with a hand pump also next to the fuel filter. Both clutch and throttle are cables, nice and heavy! I just had my steering rack changed at 135k miles and it feels like a new van! No more jerky steering wheel.

[@ydnallah1541]

I had a 2001 Astra coupe, it was a brilliant car, comfortable, handled well and was pretty nippy.

[@aaaaplay]

I think the Astra G through K were the most interesting. The Astra G sold like crazy in Australia, we even had Sydney Olympic Editions. The Astra H was just as successful. Unfortunately they have a very poor reputation for reliability and the clear coat quality, it could possibly be blamed on the Australian sun. We got the Astra J briefly as an Opel and then the coupe as a Holden again. Many don’t know but the 2020 Facelift of the Astra K was Holden’s last new model before they shut down.

[@JakePetrolhead]

I'll always have a real soft spot for the Astra Coupe - the BTCC version of that was absolutely unrivaled at the time, and James Thompson was my favourite driver, so naturally I wanted one as a kid.

[@AlexTenThousand]

I've always liked the sheer simplicity of the Astra. Here in continental Europe it was the most common model of Opel you could see, and I'm excited for the new model coming out. Fun fact: Opel was known for its bizarre ads in 90s and 2000s, featuring anything from bagpipes to the music of Evanescence.

[@Romiman1]

And also the ad with Louis Armstrongs "What a wonderful world", the first car commercial without showing any vehicle.

[@SantiagoAntonutti]

This video couldn't had come in a better time for me since I'm getting a mk3 Astra GSI in a couple of days. Here in South America the astras we got (mk3 mostly) came with a 2.0 8v or a 2.4 16v in the GSI model. Same engines were on the Vectra and the astra mk4 (also named Vectra). Very thirsty on gas but good quality and reliability. Most of the cars that came from GM's Brazilian operations were reliable, mostly the ones that shared platforms with Opel/Vauxhall. Their 1.6 -1.4 - 1.8 and 2.0 engines are bulletproof

[@emir4707]

c20xe nice engine btw

[@thedoctorjess8626]

@Mark fergy I drive a red 1996 mk3 diesel

[@ilSySTeMli]

I Still have my Astra F from 1995 ,Its a 1.4 But with a bit of Tune , Still love it .(I hope to find a C20XE for it some day) Working on the car is Super easy engine swap is an 6-8 hrs Job...

[@reitsmaassociates]

My Sister and I both had New Astra’s in 1999, they were slick. Thanks for the trip back - cheers from Brisbane

[@GRAHAMAUS]

I had a Mk1 GTE. Bloody brilliant car, probably the best I've ever owned overall. After a string of Vivas, Magnums and Firenzas it was a quantum leap in refinement and performance.

[@Assimilator1]

Very cool cars, I'd always wanted one. They were fairly rare in their time, I bet their aren't many now! I wonder how much they go for now?.....

[@Renegade666]

my mum had a Mk1 Astra (the Kadett version) and a Mk2 which she kept well into the 2000s, even after a T-bone shunt which replaced the entire left side panels before the engine finally imploded. Nice, reliable cars, i kinda miss them as it was pretty much my entire childhood spent in them

[@tng2057]

The 80s Astra / Kaddett lived on as Daewoo LeMan / Racer / Cielo, also re-badged as Pontiac / Chevy, for another 10+ years

[@maxant4285]

Opel Astra H was the best car I have ever owned. Made in Bochum, Germany. Z18XE engine with Aisin automatic. Perfect.

[@SXI1972]

I have an 07 plate 1.4 astra h, I've owned it for 12 years, its only broke down once and it was the coil pack 😂 anything else that's happened has been easy to sort, I also have a 66 plate astra 1.6 diesel that has driveshaft seal issues, creaky steering and a clutch pedal whose biting point is different almost every time I press it 😂

[@dezmondwhitney1208]

Thank YOU. In 1979, as a mark 1 Escort owner, I saw the first Astras which were well received, I was a new driver then and appreciated the Astra, the Chevette and the Viva too as really worthy cars. The Astra was obviously the future fir Vauxhall even back then I thought.

[@JBFlytography]

Cracking video again! Gotta disagree with one thing though, The 2004 Astra looked nothing like the previous 1999 model😂

[@TOMLINBISH]

I'm very happy with my UK 2002 Astra G 1.6 16V petrol automatic & it was a big step up in quality over the previous model. I recently had to get the intake manifold fixed at 119,000 miles as the baffles had come loose & were rattling about. I saw a KZbin video by VauxRez on this & my regular garage resealed the baffles & the total bill was only £150! 🙂

[@Stuartrusty]

Had an early MK1 (1980) 1300 GL in metallic brown with beige interior, a late MK2 (1987) 1200 Merit and a mid run MK3 (1995) 1400 Merit both in red (of course!). Easy to maintain, cheap to run and any issues were easy to fix. All 3 were reliable if a little drab, but they always did the job well with no complaints.

[@Sailfire1]

Great video! I had a right hand drive 1983 Opel Kadett 1.3S in the early 1990s when I was a student. I have such fond memories of that car. It cost me £600 with 32000 miles on the clock. It was such a lovely car, so reliable and a right little bomber for the engine size. Also had the grille-mounted spotlights Someone had pinched the Opel badge off the front (as was the trend with that era of Bros fans - along with Grolsche bottle top fasteners in lieu of shoe laces). It even had a name. I still have one of the original Belgian number plates in my man cave (the car was bought from an Opel dealership in Antwerp and imported by the first owner). What a difference it was to the Chevettes I had driven as company "pool cars" we had in the early 1980s - though perhaps they weren't looked after by the numerous cubs working for the company. I also owned an Astra G - another great car from GM. Both were revolutions in design in my opinion. Amazing how many Astra Gs are still running around. Owners seem to like to hang onto them. Apparently, the G's were better than the H that replaced them. Even up until about seven years ago the local community plod still ran an Astra G - the police loved them.

[@Dark_Flame_Master]

Yep, where I live in Germany there are still loads of Astra G. We own one too and I absolutely love it, it’s actually one of my absolute favourite cars of all time, alongside with the Opel Calibra. When I get a license one day I think I want the Astra G to be my first car. Maybe I can get the one we already own, and if not, I‘ll buy one.

[@Sailfire1]

@@Dark_Flame_Master It will be a good choice. GM/Opel reinvented that model. Perhaps the best of the Kadett/Astra range. Good luck with getting your license and your first car. Good choice and a future classic. 1.6 16v was surprisingly fast - and they went beyond that.

[@rickybryan1759]

Your series is really reconfirming just how long car parts hang around - 30yr old engines, 20yr old chassis hard points…

[@leskouts2]

One of your best documentaries thank you. Would have been good to mention the Astra's heavy involvement in Motorsports, German DTM and BTCC.

[@BOABModels]

I'd always assumed that the names ending in the -a suffix (Vectra, Corsa, Frontera...) was completely an Opel trend but the Astra was originally the Vauxhall name! Interesting video!

[@jamesforge8107]

I don't think there was an Opel NovA either. I'd be more inclined to say it was more of a throwback to Vauxhall calling their models names starting with either V or C for a fairly long time.

[@DMJ52]

@@jamesforge8107 I understand that Nova means ‘no go’ in Spanish ! So the Opel version didn’t get that name.

[@laserjet2000]

The GM Kadett (Astra) GSi convertible was the car of my childhood dreams!! Nowadays, my impression is that the new Astra looks like a rebadging (with some minor differences) of the 308... Cheers from Brazil, my friend! Great video! I watched drinking a fine beer! LOL

[@user-zr7ws2lp6q]

You forgot to mention that once a new (opel) astra appeared, the previous generation continued to be produced. They were being branded as astra classic and sold in eastern and some central european markets alongside the current generation for a lower price. For example my uncle has a 2009 opel astra g (the 1998-2004 model year) produced in poland. And until a few months ago, the astra j (2009-15 model year) was available in macedonia only as a sedan for 12950 euros! No matter if it's outdated, that's a bargain for a brand new sedan. I think it was a good strategy by opel which most probably won't continue.

[@Kampfmesser89]

That’s a pretty typical GM move. They did that in the states as well.

[@worthlessdollar1]

Sounds like exactly the same strategy used by Renault-owned Dacia. Build brand new models of old designs. Dacia's engines are basically identical to 20 year old Renault power plants. No need for new patents - just use tried and tested 20th century technology. Most people don't need luxury cars with complicated electronics. We need simplicity, reliability and *affordable* transport. And the most hilarious irony of all..... Dacia was recently voted the most reliable car brand in the UK!

[@zepter00]

@@worthlessdollar1 it oś not tej same sińce opel sold older models in non changed apearamce (the same look)

[@BrateTebra123]

1.4 benzinka druze sa 140ks. Odlicna motorizacija za samo 12950euro !!!

[@Dark_Flame_Master]

⁠@@worthlessdollar1I‘m not really a fan of Dacia, but mostly because I don‘t like their design. But it’s true that many people actually don‘t need all that new luxury stuff and rather want a priceworthy and reliable car without all that electronics stuff. I prefer simple cars (but still with a radio and maybe air conditioning) over complicated ones with a giant Tablet in the middle that is going to be very expensive if it needs to be replaced. If Dacia‘s designs were more appealing to me, I would probably find them very cool.

[@ronmccullock1407]

I worked for Vauxhall at Ellesmere Port, Astra production did not commence until 1981, the factory was still building the Vauxhall Chevette. The clutch on a Mk1 Astra could be changed in less than one hour.

[@thesandero2454]

15 minutes if you'e done it regulary. I owned and drove all Astra Mk1,2,3,4 models. Great cars. Newer models weren't as good

[@arigato7788]

I have good memories driving my parents' 2008 Astra Sports Coupé. It was using the 1.7 125hp diesel so it was nothing to write home about on that front, but it had the panoramic windscreen which was truly fantastic. We owned it for only three (literally trouble-free) years, which makes me wish we had kept it longer, but we needed something bigger.

[@JJVernig]

That panoramic windscreen was really delivered? In the Netherlands I never saw it, and after waited a few months our dealer said that it didn't work, because when it broke it was very expensive to replace...

[@arigato7788]

​@@JJVernig We didn't really look into getting a new one, but it was a showroom car from our local Opel dealership here (France), it was nearly new (a couple hundreds of kms on the odo), but because it wasn't technically new, it was a deal compared to an actual new one. I can assure you it definitely had the panoramic windshield, and it might not have been my own car, I've still chauffeured by parents with it for several thousands of kilometres in it, so I would know. Windshield replacement never crossed my mind back then, but yeah I would expect getting a replacement for such a big piece to be quite tough, price no object. Quite glad ours never had a crack during our ownership in retrospect, for sure. And I've seen other ones on the road besides ours (hard to spot when the big fat sliding sun-visor is on, especially on dark-coloured cars). Still a rare sight though, I would admit. I mean it was only available on the top trim level and therefore quite expensive, especially for just an Astra. Now, a dealer dissuading or turning down potential customers on buying one to save them the hassle of a windshield replacement? That's rather unusually reasonable and honest coming from a dealer lol

[@recumbrider643]

Great summary of a very confusing history. And there were even more models: the Vauxhall Astra MK2 or Opel Kadett E was also sold as Daewoo Nexus or Daewoo LeMans starting 1986 and even as Pontiac LeMans in North America starting 1988. And the Opel Kadett A and B were also sold as Buick Opels in the US. Astra and Buick have a long history.

[@The_Lawnmower_Man]

The Daewoo-built version of the Kadett E was also sold in Canada (in 1988-1991) as the Passport Optima, then later (in 1993 only?) renamed to the Asüna SE and Asüna GT. (The 1997-2002 Daewoo Lanos was also based on the same 1979 GM T platform as the D through -F- (edit: actually G) generations of the Kadett/Astra.)

[@fosterfuchs]

Thank you for mentioning this. I came here to bring up the LeMans, and don't need to. Obviously the car was built in South Korea, after the body style was given to Daewoo.

[@the.internet]

We also got the Daewoo Nexus here in the UK (I don't think it was very popular and they must have all rusted away pretty quick) and the saloon version of which the name escapes me right now. They were the 'winning car' on Family Fortunes (Les Dennis) and probably loads of competitions and gameshows and what not during the 90s. I always assumed this was good marketing on Daewoo's part but in reality they were never named by hosts and it was just my car-obsessed child's brain that knew what they were. I wonder if any are still around today? I found a Nexus with low mileage owned by an older gentleman this year, had been kept well. I mentioned Family Fortunes but he didn't remember the connection lol. When the Nexus hatch and saloon was available in the UK, probably around the mid 90s (defo N reg) the MK3 Astra was already years into production. Daewoo made it shiny and sort of brought the old mk2 look up to date but I guess it had limited appeal.

[@tomaszproblem2684]

@@the.internet I saw one last year.

[@PaddyOutback]

I had a 2002 Holden Astra! Was a good car overall with a few annoyances- mainly the 60,000km timing belt interval on the 1.8 litre engines. Otherwise, it never let me down despite living a hard life in the Northern Territory!

[@RomanJockMCO]

Excellent video, as usual, but I don't recall if you mentioned that the US got a Kadett E for the 1988 MY as the Pontiac LeMans. It was built in South Korea by Daewoo which finally replaced the Chevette and 1000 for the American market. Pontiac resurrected the hallowed LeMans name which offered a 7.5 liter V8 in the '70s for a measly 4-cylinder. The Astra/Kadett truly was a world car.

[@BigCar2]

Check the "Optional Extra" video!

[@lohatrons1353]

Mate just a little suggestion To get more views you should publish the little car video exactly at the point from the big car video release when the video ends. Publishing 2 videos at once is just asking for no views. Thanks for these videos. Keep up the good work!

[@DaveSCameron]

I'd hope this channel is in this for enjoyment and a hobby Rather than clout and cash but who am I to say, good luck all anyway*

[@BigCar2]

That would be hard, as some people watch with adverts, some pay to not have adverts. Some people watch on 1x speed, some on 1.5x speed, so people would be finishing at different times, and of course very few people start watching the video the second it's released. I'm still experimenting with this "Optional Extra" thing. I could just add it to the end of the Big Car video, but it would make it very long (and I know I hesitate before clicking on long videos as I don't want to invest the time).

[@aaronleverton4221]

The Gemini was originally badged as "by Isuzu", from memory. Also "Gotta getta Holden Nova!"

[@aaronleverton4221]

@@steffbiesinger6339 An Opel Kadett and not the point.

[@aaronleverton4221]

@@steffbiesinger6339 In order: Japanese (Toyota), Japanese (Datsun), American (AM General), German (BMW). I had ten Japanese bikes before I bought an (classic) Italian scooter.

[@Tiger351]

Yep they were originally badged as "by Isuzu" and later (TD) models as "Holden-Isuzu", it wouldn't be until the facelifted TE model that they would be simply badged as Holdens only.

[@Jay_Speed]

I worked on the Twin Top in the factory in Antwerpen in 2006/07. We had badges of Opel, Vauxhall, Holden and some other ones. The plumbing for the roof gave problems a long time, it came from a German company. The roofs also easily dented when people didn't take care closing the boot. It was not a model that I ever would buy, the estate was the niceness model for me.

[@gladiammgtow4092]

I have a Holden 2007 H/AH SRI 2200cc made there - W0L0AHL4875215104.

[@Jay_Speed]

@@gladiammgtow4092 A Holden was the first red one that I worked on. Not a lot of red ones came along. Which is your colour ? The left side panel on the back seat always gave problems as well, the clip for holding it down was slightly off and did not align with the hole. I made a tool to quickly release the back seat rest, still have mine. Otherwise it was a lot of hassle to release that one.

[@nathanha8760]

In South Africa the Astra in Opel form also had a 200ts model which made just over 200 horsepower from the 2.0 liter C20LET

[@SherwinR89]

Legendary car 🇩🇪🇿🇦💪

[@I_hate_Vegemite]

The Holden Astra TS (G series), relatively speaking a good drive with passable performance that made it a pleasing new car. Not quite so good when it aged and reliability problems started to show, not least a timing belt that could snap well before 60,000km, electrics that suffered from the Australian heat, and effing soft brake discs that needed replacing with the pads and put brake dust all over the garage floor. It didn’t take long to wish you’d bought a super reliable and low maintenance Corolla or Mazda 323 instead. Not anywhere as bad as the Barina (Corsa) or Vectra from the same period, two of the biggest POS ever sold in Australia.

[@DaveSCameron]

I grafted installing plant in Ellesmere Port in the 1990s and as with all UK plants the threat of closure and redundancies was prevalent. Found the locals were more than loyal when compared to all of the other European factories I have had the pleasure to have worked in but as we saw at Dagenham loyalty is not valued whatsoever anymore. Good luck to them and Bedford x🙋

[@tomhoward4905]

Grew up in Ellesmere Port until mid-2000’s and all I heard was that it might close! Pleases me to know it’s still going though.

[@CodewortSchinken]

Same in Bochum. It was the constant thread of closure that kept local buying Opels. At the end it didn't help. The british government was willed to subsidize local production while the german one was not.

[@jonathansmythe6273]

I had an 81 German built Astra, loved it, good quality build. Then a maestro then an escort, all in the 80's. Astra was my favorite, needed a camshaft replacement after 40k. There is a Daewoo chapter too.

[@tng2057]

My 25 year old Mark 7 Corolla is already 350k on the clock and only needed 2 preventative timing belt changes and two clutch plate changes plus other usual wear and tear items with nearly everything else original. That explains why Japanese cars beat the European cars worldwide and Astra / Kadett despite their commercial success in Europe are no match to that of their Asian peers worldwide.

[@AL-PAKA]

@@tng2057 but its a piece of crap old banger though

[@tng2057]

@@AL-PAKA scenario 1 - the 90s Astra /Kadett already in the scrapyard. Scenario 2 - the Asian peer of the 90s Astra / Kadett still providing cheap and reliable run. Which is better?

[@AL-PAKA]

@@tng2057 none both shit, any car will last if you service it properly, toyota owners look after their cars more, thats why they last longer, its a fallacy.

[@tng2057]

@@AL-PAKA Toyota makes car repair easier and cheaper, and uses proven design solutions in the first place. No wonder at harsh environment like Thailand, Philippines, Sudan, Afghanistan etc Toyota is king. I personally have used both European brand cars and Toyota cars and I know the differences. No jingoism involved.

[@SonofthePhantom]

Always liked the Astra, seemed an honest, decent car. Was popular over here in Australia but Holden kind of dropped the ball with the last generation sold here.

[@seventysevenfiji]

It was an even bigger story with the Isuzu and Daewoo connection

[@orys]

The mark III was made in Uzbekistan as Nexia as long as up to 2016. And also you can buy mark II ones as Pontiacs. My friend in Poland had one.

[@seventysevenfiji]

@@orys yep, the LeMans. People don't realize how much shuffling of parts GM really does. I even forgot the original Hyundai, that would belong in here as well, it was another relative of the Gemini/Kadett/Astra Schlamassel Hey @bigcar, perhaps a video about Ford/Mazda/ Nissan/ Alfa Romeo

[@Computercontrolled87]

In some coutries like Portugal we also had an 1.3 SR (75hp) and an basic model 1.0 (44hp)

[@herseem]

How timely as I just bought a secondhand Astra Mk4 just a week ago - my second one. They are extremely well put together and seem to go on for ages. No rattles or squeaks, and comfortable seats, unlike the hideous seats of the Focus of the same age. Just remembered it's the third Astra I've had as I also had a Mk2 Astra Belmont CD 1.8 that a friend gave me. I loved that car, the seats were the best in any car I've ever owned. I managed 50.1 mpg on a trip from Dunstable to Mid- and North-wales and back, brim to brim, after I'd tweaked the K-Jetronic fuel injection a bit, which is quite impressive for overall fuel consumption of a 1.8 litre car.

[@johnmoruzzi7236]

I borrowed a friend’s Mk4 with a decent trim spec once and rode in it a few times... I was impressed with the quality feel and driving performance.

[@jerkopatrik]

G Astras while not looking great (though the Bertone coupes do look amazing) are ridiculously reliable, especially the 1.7 Isuzu Diesels. Those just seem to run forever

[@williamstopford1211]

Always a pleasure to watch. Just one note: the Holden Astra replaced the Nova, a rebadged Corolla offered for two generations. But the Nova replaced the Astra which, as you correctly noted, was a rebadged Pulsar; it was also sold for two generations.

[@KarlAdamsAudio]

Good point. Also of note, the second (LD) generation of Pulsar-based Astra had a Holden powertrain, so may have had at least some commonality with the Opel/Vauxhall Astra of the same era.

[@gladiammgtow4092]

I have a 2.2l SRI.

[@ruscador1]

the nova was a bucket of $hit

[@NatsukiMogiIsBestGirl]

Great video as always! And thank you ever so much for putting subtitles in each and every video.

[@richardhalliday6469]

Absolutely first class content and production, informative and interesting - I liked the additional summary of production notes and personal view of the Vauxhall evolution. Marvellous viewing.

[@darylsummers89]

Your videos are so well produced and researched I really enjoy watching them. So informative! Excellent content 👍

[@chrislea1000]

Love the longer format, keep 'em coming

[@stefanmathys3272]

As usual: competent, complete and convincing format! Well done, Big Car! ;-)

[@wordsmith52]

You might have mentioned that the 80s Astra h/back and saloon lived on (with some mods) as the Daewoo Nexia from 1994-97.

[@nimamojtahedzadeh1568]

Sold as Pontiac Lemans as well.

[@wordsmith52]

@@nimamojtahedzadeh1568 They were ok until the rear wheel arches started to rust and the engine fire wall started cracking up after 5 to 7 years!

[@mattgreen9507]

Thanks for another interesting video :-) I had a Vauxhall "shove it" as they were sometimes called in the late 80s and then my parents had a couple of Astras in the 90s. One thing that struck me with the Astra in the 90s was the move from calling the models things like 1.6L to giving them names, I think my parents model was "Starlight". That trend seemed to move across the industry to a varying extent (at least in as much as it became less popular to put the engine size on the back of the car). I don't know if Vauxhall were leaders in this trend but it was the first time I saw it and I don't think it touched the Cavalier as I seem to remember buying one of those in the late 90s and it was a 2.0GLS.....

[@obadafaraji9173]

Great content as usual I really appreciate it. An episode about Vauxhall/Opel executive cars would be great!

[@zucods]

Brazilian here. That VectrAstra was a big failure comparing to the previous generation. Great video, very informative. Thanks for the content, top notch stuff! Cheers!

[@seanhershey3390]

An extra long edition..amazing work as alway..& you managed to mention Ford Sync ...;)

[@BigCar2]

I'll always manage to find a reason to mention Ford SYNC! Weirdly, I never worked on it.

[@MrStabby19812]

The Mk2 was still getting sold as a Daewoo until the late 90s

[@sharpfalcon6196]

The Daewoo Nexia.

[@skrrrr129]

@@sharpfalcon6196 I think it was Daewoo Racer or LeMans

[@robsmall6466]

@@skrrrr129 Nexia in Europe

[@Georgije2]

And apparently in Uzbekistan until 2016

[@jroch41]

Currently drive 2021 Opel Astra wagon w/1.3L 3-cylinder 155hp & CVT automatic, produced in Ellesmere Port. Love it. Great performance & fuel economy & this Astra cost less to purchase than my 2017 Astra hatchback.

[@fatersaadatniaki]

Another excellent tour thanks For the dedication and effort 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@starcrash1750]

I remember when my family had Opel Kadett E and it's was amazing car. it's damn good looking car and i have so many memories of it. i loved 😍

[@williamegler8771]

My father was a engineer at Opel when these were in production. Vauxhall Astra's are just a market specific production variation of the equivalent Opel. How British are the Opel/Vauxhall Astra's produced in Belgium or elsewhere on the Continent? Vauxhall hasn't designed a vehicle since the Viva .

[@ronmccullock1407]

Vauxhall did design the hatchback version of the Chevette

[@TheShinyShow]

Do Vauxhall owners care if it's British? I'd say they might care if their was made in Britain more than if it's designed in Germany/elsewhere. A Honda made in England is still and English car, by Japanese design and brand.

[@jemimallah2591]

@@TheShinyShow im pretty sure most people who buy vauxhall corsas or insignias (or whatever bullshit compact suv trash they make now) think theyre made in britain too.

[@jpq6257]

@@ronmccullock1407 of the what ?

[@nw8000]

Viva the Viva!

[@BITTYBOY121]

Very good video and very well explained !... I enjoyed watching as always ! Well done :)

[@ianpotter5840]

Really enjoyed thank you rekindled my happy Mk 1 Astra memories. I think the Chevrolet Lacetti Hatchback (sold in the UK until 2010)was also part of the Astra story. I had one of these from new and remember being told it was based on the mk 2 Astra (although the engines were not the same). Thanks again

[@progd4v3]

Just want to say,I’ve just seen the notification on phone,so instantly liked it and started watching to see the same 2.0 8v white mk2 GTE I had in the brilliant intro.had to turn it off and watch and like on girlfriends account and big tv to enjoy it properly.love your channel,very insightful.top class👍🏻

[@sidstevens9035]

To like before watching is totally idiotic !

[@jakethreesixty]

I've seen an Astra in the states, except it was called the Pontiac Lemans, and built by Daewoo. From what I understand they're pretty close to "extinct" these days in the US.

[@stephenphillip5656]

Daewoo, when they launched as a stand-alone brand in 🇬🇧 in 1995 offered a "warmed-over" MK2 Astra as the Nexia & similarly the earlier model Vauxhall Cavalier as the Espero I believe before introducing the Matiz & further updating the range in the late 90s. Daewoo stopped trading as a "stand-alone" car company in 🇬🇧 in the early 2000s, being rebranded as Chevrolets.

[@jakethreesixty]

@@stephenphillip5656 we actually had a Daewoo dealership in the area which was replaced by in the same building by, get this, Suzuki 😂 those guys didn't catch a break. I also had a Daewoo branded VCR back in the day

[@TassieLorenzo]

The Opel Astra came back to North America later as a Saturn Astra! :)

[@martbeth5490]

I'm not a great Vauxhall/Astra fan, but this video held my attention to the end. Brilliant stuff!

[@Biffatheriffa]

Absolutely awesome video!! Just how much research went into it?? Thank you so much I loved it! Time for that Carlton/Omega/Vectra/Signum follow up I hope....!

[@schanche1965]

Quite a surprise to notice you make no mention at all of Izuzu and Daewoo within the Astra story with the Izuzu 1.7 turbo Diesel being a virtual rocket ship within the Mk2 lineup as well as the Daewoo Nexia being a GM offshoot of the Astra..

[@RachaelSA]

South Africa!! w00t. When I was a kid they were called Opel Kadett's and then in the 90's they changed to Opel Astra. In the early 2000's my mom had a white GSi Superboss and which is one of the fastest cars I have ever driven without a turbo, and for a while it was my daily driver, until I somehow managed ripped the tread off both the front tires in one day and then I wasn't allowed to drive it anymore, even though the tire shop said it was a factory fault and replaced both tires for free.

[@SherwinR89]

South African here too! 🙂. Kadett GSi is a legend here in SA. 200is too and 200ts. And OPC models 💪🔥🇩🇪🇿🇦. I always wanted a Kadett D as a modern classic to drive around in. The Kadett D 1.8 GTE is a super rare car here now and a big collector's item.

[@RachaelSA]

@@SherwinR89 My dad had a 200ts that he brought home from work, for free, cause a rep destroyed the gearbox (only 3rd didn't work) and it sat in his driveway for 4 years before he sold it to someone for almost nothing.

[@SherwinR89]

@@RachaelSA Nice story. Must have occurred in the 90s I guess? The car must have been a few months old. I have read that the gearboxes were too weak for all that power haha 😂

[@SherwinR89]

@@RachaelSA A 200ts for free though...🥺

[@RachaelSA]

@@SherwinR89 It would have been in early 2000's, cause I was living in Natal at the time and I saw it a few times when I visited in JHB. It was "free" because it was a company car and already paid off but insurance wouldn't cover it and they didn't want to keep paying insurance on it or replace the gearbox or leave it standing outside the office, so he just brought it home. I think it was originally one of the other partners cars that they used for a company car after it was "old", but it wasn't that old, other than the gearbox it was in perfect condition.

[@vanvinos]

Great content, well-presented. Thank you.

[@jorgemelide6005]

Such a great story! Was long but entretained,good job!

[@tng2057]

The Daewoo Cielo, a clone of the 80s bubble Astra/ Kadett, was a surprise hit in Australia in the 90s thanks to a combination of the original bubble Astra/ Kadett not being available in Australia, sharp pricing, Australian public’s gradual acceptance of Korean made cars, and the smart use of an Australian Blue Heeler Dog in the TV ads.

[@jamesforge8107]

"what does three barks mean?" was bloody brilliant. I believe the dog was named Kain in real life as he was somewhat of a star.

[@tng2057]

@@jamesforge8107 I think his name is Kane. I miss the dog.

[@jamesforge8107]

@@tng2057 I found it. The ad was for the later Lanos but still brilliant. Enjoy: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3LFen9jpNeFe5Y

[@tng2057]

@@jamesforge8107 Thanks. Please enjoy this one as well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6awqKqhf6uGasU

[@I_hate_Vegemite]

Interesting. I Hadn’t realised there was any Opel association at all to the late 70s/early 80s Holden Gemini. I thought it was pure Japanese Isuzu with a little bit of Australian styling. The engine/drivetrain was pure Isuzu and was very reliable for its day.

[@alanwayte432]

Absolutely love your content, keep going it’s excellent

[@ilSySTeMli]

To this day I still have my 1995 Opel Astra F ,Used to take it to the track when I was younger but now shes retired ,Looking forward to a day I have the time to Fully restore it ,hopefully soon . Awesome Video BTW , Thanks

[@MOSSFEEN]

Vauxhall is all but a Badge now for the past 30 years. The Opel Astra Saloon was available here in Ireland up to 2015 driven mostly by OAPs much like the Toyota Corolla saloon 🤣😂

[@Markcain268]

I'd say longer, the mk1 cavalier was just an Opel ascona with a different front panel

[@TassieLorenzo]

Could be worse, Holden is not even a badge anymore! I am not sure why General Motors didn't want to sell the Holden trademark and the Holden dealer network to PSA (PSA has a very limited dealer network in Australia whereas the Holden dealer network was very extensive), but they didn't for some reason.

[@gavc6442]

That was fascinating, thank you very much, so many memories. I noted a section re the naming of the Vauxhall range. How about a video about the Omega? A very handsome and missed car by many.

[@TheHaywireStory]

I agree, my dad had an omega and it was such a wonderful car to travel in, very quiet and relaxing, not to mention quite fast. When I learned to drive my first 2 cars were both astras, the astra G from 2000 and the beautiful Astra j GTC from 2012 and I will always argue that the GTC was one of the best looking modern cars ever. Shame the VXR was very unreliable

[@drinimene9126]

Wonderful video. I am just hungry to see more works from you.

[@andyroid7339]

Wow! What a history! Yes it was a long video but interesting all the way. Thanks!

[@nadeemchaudhry6585]

My fav time of the day!! MK1 and MK2 Astra's where the best looking models, shame that Vauxhall's are so boring looking these days. And alas what would a 1970's British car video be, without Unions!! Glad to see you keeping to your contractual obligations!!

[@robertandrewbaptie3006]

MK 1 & MK 2 what????? I think I know but the MK 3 GSI 16V was class aswell & the last of the great cars from Vauxhall

[@robertandrewbaptie3006]

All so the MK2 & MK3 Cavaliers were class aswell, saloon & hatchback, don't know why but I liked the look of the MK3 Pre compared to the MK3 face-lift,

[@meandmyvelo6380]

The first car I drove after passing my test in the mid eighties. Not what I’d call exciting but it was comfortable and reliable everyday transport.

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

Have you seen the video of the gibbon swinging through the tree canopy? It's mesmerising.

[@gillesesterhuizen7721]

In South Africa we got a Kadett Super Boss to compete with the 325is bmw of the time. It was a potent little machine.

[@ca9968]

The Astra and Kadett 200TS were also only ever sold in SA...Brutal car for the time!

[@gillesesterhuizen7721]

@@ca9968 I remember that.. you don’t see any around anymore.. im sure alot of people took themselves out in those back then.. they were proper wicked

[@ca9968]

@@gillesesterhuizen7721 I had one of each, absolutely bonkers cars, so much torque steer it was crazy, great fun to drive though. If memory serves me right they only made about 500 of each and at least half of those were written off, a few more modified and destroyed, the rest, and they are out there are now in the hands of guys in enthusiast clubs like The Opel Owners Club of SA and are worth a small fortune now, saw one selling about a year ago for 200k...

[@gillesesterhuizen7721]

@@ca9968 i had a 200is what a great little car but nothing like the ts.. sheesh i would love to see one again.. I haven’t driven Opel for a long time.. now i have a little 1M bm and its a fantastic little car fun as all hell

[@ca9968]

@@gillesesterhuizen7721 The 200is was a great car, I bought my missus at the time a 180is, that was an 1800 16V and actually put out more kilowatts than the 200is, great car for long distance drives from Jhb to the South Coast As for owning a 1m...Sir, I am green with envy, that is a true drivers machine!

[@Rouxenator]

I love it. I am on my 5th Opel (2015 Astra J Sedan) and loving it. Although not as much as the Peugeot 407 coupe I had prior.

[@banpeinet]

Thanks for the great video Andy! It's funny to see the whole Astra from the eyes of a Brit. I think for the British in the mid 1970s Vauxhall still had it's higher class shine from the Cresta times. On the continent Opel already established itself as a brand for the labour class. In the mid 1980s this meant my stepfather refused to drive an Opel Ascona Mk2 (Cavalier) as his company fleet car because he deemed him a class above that. He ordered a Ford Sierra instead. As a stopgap car he got an Opel Kadett E (Astra mk2) that had electric issues every other day. He was ranting about that car many times a week and I remember the tears in his eyes when he finally received the Sierra. I did drive with him a few times in that Kadett and I remember it being much quieter and softer sprung than the Sierra. But I had to agree with my stepfather: the Sierra was definitely much more reliable.

[@BigCar2]

Been waiting to post a comment in case I replaced the video before it went public? 😉 Thanks for the kind words as always!

[@banpeinet]

@@BigCar2 no, I'm sorry but I simply didn't have the time to leave a comment at Patreon. On the other side it should be good for your KZbin stats when a subscriber watches the video within the first 20 minutes after publishing😉

[@Psych0technic]

Great video. My only gripe is that there's no mention of astra j gtc version. That car looks cool and have some serious performance in opc/vxr version.

[@afonsolamy8099]

Great long video, thanks for this.

[@benlambley6423]

Really good been waiting for a astra story loved the bit about the mark four bertone i have one and love it.

[@ian_morg]

My first car was a mk1 Astra boot lid/saloon model (very second hand) I had a couple of mk2s including a 1.6SR model (stolen) and also more recently a Mk5 Sri200 XP as well as a mk2 cavalier, a couple of mk3s and a 1.2 nova oh and 2x Zafiras 😂😍😎👍🏻

[@heitorbernardes7977]

Perfect... Just as i'm 30min of going to see a 98 kadett to buy, perfect timing!

[@bumfluffmcregor3730]

Why would u buy that

[@heitorbernardes7977]

@@bumfluffmcregor3730 cuz it's the last year and somewhat collectable.

[@Flankerski]

98? Wasn't the Astra produced from 1991 replacing the Kadett?

[@heitorbernardes7977]

@@Flankerski here in Brazil the kadett holded up to 98

[@rakido7388]

My $0.02 is that GM missed a trick. They could have used Vauxhall branding for mass-market models, to compete with Focuses etc, and retained Opel as an upmarket German brand, to compete with Audi/Mercedes etc, with luxury and performance models. Vauxhall have historic links with performance engineering firms; the Mk2 Astra had engineering input from Cosworth, and there is no forgetting the legendary Lotus Carlton.

[@145ruda]

Thanks for this video, it's nice see video about car what is part of my life. In my family we have 25 years Opel Kadett E stufenheck LS (Vauxhall Astra MkII Belmont Merit) from 1991 with 1.4 engine equipped with fuel injection and catalic convertor, mileage 280 000 km (moustly drived in city). Still all mechanicals works perfectly without big repairs (like rebuilding engine or somthing like that). Only one weakness is rust on body parts, in past was repaird but stil need few improvments. Meny times was fully loaded and tow trailer in same time, stil works strongly even today.

[@rizaanjappie]

South African opel kadett legends: 2l 8v kadett (boss) 2l 16v kadett (big boss) 2l 16v kadett (superboss) 👑 2l 16v monza (cd 16v) 200ts astra/kadett OPC Astra (G) OPC Astra (H) OPC Astra (J)

[@mafiousbj]

I would literally listen to you narrate food being heated in a microwave. Love your style!!

[@BigCar2]

That would be very odd! "The food is getting warmer!"

[@KarlHamilton]

@@BigCar2 Big Plate lol

[@richardgregory8964]

Great video! Your content keeps me entertained on the drive Into work, thankyou 😊

[@BigCar2]

While you're driving?!? Pay attention to the road!

[@richardgregory8964]

@@BigCar2 I do? I just listen instead of watching?

[@dhauch]

Fantastic video! Your research ja impeccable! Please talk about the Meriva.

[@Berven-gf9jq]

Thank you for yet another great car story :-) My head is still spinning................... Can you please see what you can dig up about Norwegian car history? LOL :-) That would be a non informativ 17 seconds long video. Best regards from a fan in Norway.

[@BigCar2]

😂

[@paulharper4196]

About 10 years ago I bought myself a mega low miles green mk1 Astra, was a 1983 1600s L, it still held its own on the motorway and drove pretty nicely for what was a 30 year old car. It got a few favorable comments at petrol stations and when I showed it my uncle he commented that he never thought he would see one of those again.

[@Assimilator1]

Nice :), still got it?

[@paulharper4196]

@@Assimilator1 no it's long gone. Enjoyed it for about 18 months then sold it on. I did check about a year ago on the dvla and it's still taxed and mot'd

[@TheNerd]

The main reason why I never bought an Opel / Vauxhall was simply that I thought that all of them had a cheap feeling / look on the inside compared to VW / Audio and the Golf doesn't cost that much more especially on the used market.

[@savanbekal4209]

Absolutely love your content!

[@MrMarty77]

Interesting, I always thought that the Astra H looker nothing like the hideous Astra G.

[@sos10]

Psa didn’t buy Fiat. Stellantis biggest shareholder is the old owner od Fiat

[@danielrussell446]

Correct John Elkann and the agnelli family

[@ldarm]

This is free, this video was free; I can't believe it! Awesome stuff!

[@boisegameshowguy]

The Astra washing up on American shores excited me a bit, not so much because I felt it would stand a chance here, but because I love oddball European hatchbacks 🚗