How did Vauxhall's Cavalier TOPPLE Ford from their perch?!?
The Vauxhall Cavalier, along with the smaller Chevette signalled the end of British Vauxhall design and the ascendency of a series of well-put together cars from Opel’s design studio. But UK customers didn’t really mind, in fact they approved with Vauxhall going from the purveyors of rust buckets that very nearly got shut down completely to the number 2 car brand in the 80s. It’s an amazing turnaround, and a large part of it can be attributed to the Vauxhall Cavalier.
So how did this happen? What did Vauxhall and Opel do to make the much-loved Vauxhall Cavalier the 6th highest selling UK car of all time?
Shout out to Vauxpedia for their excellent mk1 Cavalier history. Check it out here: vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/
Music: "The Jam" and "Please" from the KZhead audio library.
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In Brazil we had this car in the 80’s and 90’s. It was called Monza. Mum drove me to school on one. ;-)
You were one of the lucky ones then! It was an expensive car at the time.
My dad’s first new car, in 1986! I remember it was a silver one, 4 door Monza SL/E, very beautiful and modern look...
Monza was a large 3 litre coupe in Europe. Interesting the name was used on the cavalier in South America.
@@adamw2911 One of the most Iconic cars from that era in Brazil. It has a fame for being associated with criminals back then.
@@kiq993 Never heard that, smells like bulls...
I would love it when someone brought me a FWD Cavalier or Astra for a new clutch,due to a fantastic piece of design it was a quick job done without removing the gearbox. The only special tools needed were a slide hammer and three special clips to hold the clutch in compression after pulling the input shaft out of the way,then it would drop out through a slot in the bellhousing brilliant.
A pity more companies did not follow that philosophy - would reduce the scrappage rate and benefit the environment. The Triumph 1300 clutch was just as easy
Replacement clutch kits later came with the clips included.
I've still got my Draper slide hammer which came with a Vauxhall input shaft adapter, and a set of clutch clips in my toolbox. Used once to change a clutch on my mk2 SRi back in the mid 90s. Wonder if they will ever get used again?
@@limpet7r63 I'd have my old 89 Sierra Estate over a Cav any day. The only Vauxhall I've had was a 70s Victor and that was truly awful. All down to personal preference really.
the Cavalier was designed by Carl Avalier ( A French auto designer working for GM Opel who was also my uncle ! ) which is where the name cavalier came from ( C.Avalier ) not too many people realise that to this day :-(
Cool....
LMFAO
Idiot
It was designed by Eric Clapton. Once driven, forever smitten....
@@caeserromero3013 That’s the song I most associate with Vauxhall, thanks to my 80s childhood. But, somehow it doesn’t have quite the same effect in my Grandland X.
At the time of the Mk2 Cavalier I was a Project Engineer in Opel's Body Engineering department and managed the Cavalier Estate program. This meant co-ordinating the UK with Australia from Germany in pre internet days. It frequently meant middle of the night phone calls which even on later global programs never disappeared completely.
When I first started at Robert Bosch Australia Holden were still building Family 2 engines for Vauxhall for the Cavalier, RBAU did the top end. That program did wonders for the Oz balance of payments.
❤
At last! Many thanks for this video! My first car was a 9 year old, T-reg mk1 Cavalier 1.6 GL, bought it 18 miles from home, just passed my test, my Dad, God bless him, took me to see it, I loved it, bought it and drove it home, first solo journey. BEST... FEELING... EVER!!!
My first car was a V reg mk1 Cavalier 1.6GL in green. I still remember driving it for the first time alone after passing my test. Best feeling ever!
@@SlopeRCGliders:... absolutely! No feeling like it, is there!? Mine was white, with two thin blue stripes down the side. One light blue, the other navy. Do you remember the gear lever? Came sticking straight up out of its mounting, then angled back on a diagonal instead of pointing straight up like usual. What became of yours? My girlfriend wrote mine off, bless 'er! 😂😂😂
Michael Rawson ah yes I remember the gearstick well. In fact I’ve still got some old photos of the car somewhere. I used electrical tape to make some ‘go faster’ stripes down the side and around the bonnet. Then I painted to wingmirror green to match paint. I cringe at the thought now, but at the time I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Unfortunately I only had it a few months before crashing it into a lamppost, right in the centre of the front bumper.
My first car was a 40 quid Fiat Strada. Had no reverse gear so we had to all get out and push it backwards lol. Then i had loads and loads XR3i,Orion 1.6i etc etc First Vauxhall was an Astra 1.6 took it to Belguim to smuggle a few immigrants in. So reliable it was i went again and again and got 5 in the boot once!...awesome!. Astra will still be driving around now bless it, still doing the immigrant run i presume.
Nostalgia just isn't what it was.
I was a proud owner of an Opel Ascona MK2 1.6D (not turbo) sedan 4 door. Fantastic car, 350.000 km without problem when my friends they had all VW Golf or Fiat UNO i travel across Europe with my Ascona, large and comfortable. It remained in my heart.
And I was owner of an Opel Acona 1.6 Gasoline, sedan "5 doors". Rosty, but reliable. 242,000 km at last. Have had bought ist at 198,000 km. Nowaday, PSA (former: Opel) quality became worse.
They where used as taxis in Montevideo.
My dad bought an Ascona when I was 9. We had it until I was 18, and I learned to drive on that car. Still has a special place in my heart
My grandfather was Vauxhall through & through. He worked at Luton from before WW2, made tanks & army trucks during, Dunstable plant then Ellesmere Port for start up. Guess it was in my blood. I owned in order, Kadette B rallye, Viva 1800, Kadette C coupe (converted with Manta A running gear for road rallying) Manta B 2.0 SR Berlinetta Chevette HSR, finally Cavalier mk2 estate. The Cavalier was a excellent load carrier as I was in a band and shifting sound equipment for gigs was a doddle. Mechanically as reliable as a wood burning stove, but became as rusty as a trawler.
The J platform cars were also produced in Brazil. Here it was the Chevrolet Monza, and in the mid eighties it outsold smaller and cheaper cars (like the Chevrolet Chevette, also built here). It was manufactured unchenged as a Mk.2 from 1983 to 1990, then had a major facelift in 1991, this facelift exclusive to Brazil and its export markets. The Mk.2 gave its place to the Mk.3 only in 1995, and the car was also called the Vectra, finally retiring the Monza. Only the hatchback and saloon versions were made here.
They also built and sold the chevette in the united states and canada as then Chevy Chevette and the Pontiac 1000/Acadian. My grandmother had a diesel powered 1983 Pontiac 1000 and it was a horrible little nightmare of a car, I remember being on the highway in it and being scared because the car couldn't even get to 95 k/ph without making noises that suggested the engine was about to expire.
The Monza and chevette were a terrific cars, in Brazil the chevette had the S.W. marajó, the hatchback, and the pickup chevy
E como vendia o Monza! Chegou a ser o carro mais vendido do país. Sempre vendeu mais que o Escort.
@@vitorandrade3762 nah
Fun Fact: The Mk3 Cavalier/Vectra A was sold with a Holden badge, just not in Australia, but in New Zealand. The Opel Vectra B would then be built and sold in Australia and exported to New Zealand as the Holden Vectra and even to Japan as the Opel Vectra, before the Asian Financial Crisis hit. We also had the Opel Calibra in Australia, but sold as the Holden Calibra.
Now the commodore, which is insignia in europe
And all complete rubbish.
The holden brand is dead now anyway. The og commodores were genuine aussie beasts, but yes the last of line stuff was just rebadged insignias and Astras. We even had the mk1 corsa here (nz) badged as a holden barina.
As a Vauxhall dealer attending the dealer collection of our mk2 demo cars I was astounded by the fact that they "gave" (forced us to buy a 1300 model) when we all wanted a 1600cc model. A few weeks later and we had a very early heavy snowfall that and I had a distant cross country (B roads) appointment that I didn't want to cancel. I took the 1300 cc cavalier and what an eye opener! As an ex development rally car driver I couldn't believe how that bog standard 1300 cc saloon handled in the snow, it was just so fast and controllable. Hats off to GM for insisting that we had the 1300cc car as a demo.
OHC Made a big difference from old 1.2 pushrods eh?
We had a Cavalier after a previous generation Cortina and it was amazing in comparison - the Cavalier 1800cc was stunning on the motorways, you could cruise all day at 90mph and it was quiet and very comfortable. I learned to drive in it so I know they drove lovely. At the time Cavaliers were THE reps car they were all over the motorways. If there was a car up your ass in the fast lane - 9 out of ten its a rep in a cavalier!!, the other 1 time it woulda been a tradie in a white Vauxhall van !!!!haha. Moved to Australia and bought a Holden version, WOW they were terrible, didn't feel like the UK/German Cavaliers well built solid feel. The Camira was a horrid car and it broke down on me regularly, they are reviled here in OZ as a truly terrible car, I had to litterally GIVE mine away by the end. Ford competed in rallying with the Sierra - and people grew to like them, they were way out there when launched I was 16 and will never forget seeing my first Sierra, it was the dash angled to the driver - not seen in the UK at all up to that time. Then the 4wd versions and the Cosworth versions came out and the younger gen wanted the sierras. The Cavalier was the more mature owners car at the time, due to all its good points.
I grew up in a vauxhall family. My nan, grandad, dad and uncle all worked at the luton plant. (My uncle is still there today) We had the whole range of cavalier's, 2 Mk1 1.6, a mk2 1.3, mk2 Sri 130, mk3 1.6 and mk3 2.0 Sri redtop. I learnt to drive in a mk3 astra 1.6 cd. My first car when I passed my test in 2006 was a 2000 plate vectra Sri 140. I always wanted the mk1 astra gte though, such an amazing looking car of its time!
I bet that sri cost you to insure.... :-o
What car you got now? I have Vauxhall Z20LET. Reliable it is but likes to eat coil packs and drink oil. I got insurance Quote in 1993 for an Astra GTE 16V in White, digital dash etc was lovely. Quote was 3110 i thought fook it. Now i pay 220 per year fully comp for a 225bhp Gsi.
Fair dues ...
@@andisadler2897 i had a GTE 16v in 96 (a 1.8 GTE prior to that) I was in my early twenties and paid about £600 fully comp. I had mates that had XR2s and 205 GTis when they were around 17-18 and they were paying over £1000 in the very early 90s. Hot Hatches got rogered on the insurance back then, with fast BMWs/Mercs paying way less on insurance. A lot of that was down to the better offs not wanting us 'boy racers'/'chavs'/working class having fun or even to be able to afford to drive.
@@davekennedy6315 exactly.right bud. Police didnt want us to have nice faster cars than they had at that time. Astras, escorts lol they had. Carlton Lotus the police evemntried to ban cause there was nonway to catch it unless it ran.out of petrol hahahahaha. The wonderful days of being pulled over, giving false name and producer to take all documents to local policebstation in 7 days then sell car quick and buy another are long gone. Now they taking your car if not insured.
I like the fact that the petrol engines used in the Cavalier throughout the Eighties had valve/piston clearance so that if the cambelt snapped it didn't destroy the engine - just line up the timing marks, bang a new belt on and off you go. Then they brought out the abysmal Ecotec lump with its numerous design flaws and ruined it all.
God you raised the nostalgia temperature,. Yeah, just fix a cambelt by the roadside. My mechanic owned a Rover P4 and fixed a half shaft on the roadside going on holiday.
You could replace a clutch in less than 1/2 hour, very simple to maintain...
@@vx.calibre2901 Blimey, I'd forgotten you could do that as well.
I have owned several ecotecs, and you had to let things go very very wrong for that to happen. If you don't skip services, they last forever.
In Norway we said: yes they can brake, but they dont stop. I've owned 6 or 7 of them. One of them I drove 20km to get the cambelt back in the right position after it had slipped
The ones from the 70's were used in Australia as the Holden Torana, but restyled and fitted with a Holden 6 cylinder and then a Holden v8. They were known as giant killers, as they gave the 351 cu Ford Falcons a run for their money at Bathurst in the 70's. We then got the Camira which was a universally hated car. I haven't seen one on Carsales for years, as they just went to the car crusher instead.
Yah the camira was the biggest dud. There is still love for the 2 versions of torana, and all holdens from that era but the Camira just disappeared never to be heard of again. Even the Leyland P76 is remembered more fondly than the Camira.
I had a Camira in '88. Saw sense. Got rid of it and bought a Falcon. Never looked back!
Nah the Torana was based on the Viva and started in the late 60s The LU restyle in the 70s looked like the Ascona but there was no commonality
When I think of the Cavalier !! I think of Vauxhall's best moment...I owned all three them from the MK 1 right up the MK III and the MK II SRI 130 was a beast and I travelled all over the UK in it to all the outdoor rave parties in the early 90s. That car was quick and NEVER let me down...those were the days😃🔊🎵🎶
I still remember the unbreakable Opel Ascona of my beloved father back in the eighties... so long..
Fantastic! 1988 Cav Mk2 Saloon GLi was my first car which I then put SRi bodywork and alloys on. Ah the joys of being a 19 year old!
Yep great fun ! Around 1991 ,I got myself a slightly modified '78 MK4 Cortina and proceeded to fit wheels from a Mustang . I loved that car and only got rid to buy a '76 Rover P6 that was a bag of shite lol 😂
I had an Sri and I loved that car. Felt realy solid and we'll built and was quick enough for me in its day .
When I was a kid my mates Mum had a mk3 Cavalier, it felt like a spaceship compared to my Dad's Montego!
The Montego was cooler.
@@KarlHamilton Both are uncool, Cavalier still wins though because of John Cleland.
Zero Ninety John “I’m going for first 🖕” Cleland
That's the one. John "The man's an animal" Cleland
@@Zero_Ninety bollocks.
Oh blimey, nostalgia overload. Always remember my dad's white Cavalier with the red leather interior. That was the 80s for you.
My Dad had a white SRi, with velour interior. What's wrong with a white car and red leather? My BMW M235i is white with red leather, loads of cars currently have that combination it's been back in fashion for at least 5 years.
@@whynotagain3639 Because it was more of an orangey red and looked hideous
@@mrk45 oh yeah, I remember I'd have called it orange. My Dad then got a MK1 facelift gold Carlton with gold/yellow velour which looked just as hideous. I'd have kept the Cavalier SRi if I was him but having a Carlton showed you were higher up to other reps on the M25. Lol
@Random Restoration Possibly. I was only about 7 at the time.
@Random Restoration I think vinyl seats were already finished by then I was around the same age as Mr K it was leather just GM red leather much like the Chevrolet Cavalier convertible which was basically the same car with different front and back ends.
I've always loved Vauxhall because of their reliability and character. Even though these days, they're such an under rated name, I wouldn't have anything else. Great video mate
I’m sorry, they were half decent in 90’s and 2000’s, but now they’re just boring. Ford cars in comparison are far better on handling, performance and interior build quality. I say that as an Audi owner who’s had Ford and Vauxhall’s in the past.
@@1972dsrai Codswallop. Fords might be slightly ahead on handling, but build quality? You're having a Giraffe pal. We own a '15 Corsa and a '17 Focus, and the Corsa kicks the Focus sideways on interior build quality.
@@ReValveiT_01 My mother drives an Astra and my wife a Focus and I disagree. Stalemate. I drive an Audi which is better than all of them.
The 80s were a great time for Vauxhall. I had a Cavalier Estate; a great car. I used to travel the entire length and breadth of the country regularly and it never gave any trouble whatsoever. It was comfy, cruised nicely on the motorway, held a ton of stuff and was very economical (by the standards of the day) too. Only have good memories about the Cavalier. A few years before that I had an Opel Manta (similar to the Cavalier Mk1) and loved that car too.
The estate was only sold in the UK. Oddly didn't make it onto mainland Europe
Yeah then they fucked it up with the all "new" vectra. What a sack of shit they were, my dad, 2 blokes I worked with and my uncle plus if I remember correctly, 3 people down or street all had cavaliers. They all bought this new vectra, every single one was crap, leaking sun roofs, engine problems, door locks, windows. I think the a.b.s packed in on my dads. Most of um took um back, dad got an omega instead, green 2ltr petrol. (Last 2 years till he bought the 2.5 diesel omega) they did go on to be a decent'ish car because you still see a few about.
@@michaelbamber4887 I have the impression that the incoming GM models of the late 80s had quality problems, at least compated to their rock-solid predecessors (late years Rekord vs early years Omega is a good example). Also something about a switch to a water-based paint if my memory is correct, rust problems en masse
The Cavalier in Brazil has name Chevrolet Monza.
Ok, how did they call the Monza then? (The coupé version of the Senator)
We didn't. This car was never sold in Brazil.
In south africa it was known as opel monza
The mark II was sold under the monza name in brazil And the hatch was just sold as monza hatch
Also in Colombia
Thanks for another great video! Opel/Vauxhall has always been close to my heart, my father had an Opel Ascona, then an Opel Commodore, then an Opel Omega. My mom had an Opel Tigra, and I once owned an Opel Vectra. When I was a teenager, I always wanted an Opel Calibra. This video makes me want to get an Opel again.
Really enjoyed this video! Despite being a Ford fan through and through (even if I am now driving a Toyota), and not a fan at all of Vauxhall, I do none the less have a real soft spot for the mk3 Cavalier. Far as I'm concerned, the mk3 Cavalier and Peugeot 405 were the two finest 'Sierra class' cars of the late 80s and early 90s.
My dad had an e reg mk2, he always kept cars for 3 year without fail, but the mk3 came out about 18 months into his ownership of the mk2, it looked so good he went straight out and bought a brand new one.
The Opel GT is amazing (the old one)
Back in the day I used to collect Vauxhall Cavaliers from various compounds around the UK and deliver them to different dealerships. All I had was a printed card with the chassis details, a set of keys and a compound with thousands of cars. Sure you were given a rough location but that was it. With no key fobs to blip you resorted to searching out windscreen chassis numbers which could take a while. Eventually you would find the car which by that time had been standing a few weeks, Inevitably the clutch had frozen so there was a special technique to free it off. Once started you soon realised it only had enough fuel to get to the compound entrance. I ended up driving so many new cars and occasionally I drove some of them a little hard but it was all in the game, they used to call it delivery mileage. We were paid a net amount to collect a vehicle so you could either spend your money on a train journey or thumb it across Britain. I preferred the latter. They were fun days....
Wow, memories right there. When i was a wee lad, my mum had a Cavalier Sports Hatch. Good looking car in its day, which later on became the Manta Coupel
My dad have a wine red one sure it was one of the last models. He adored it and I never seen the appeal in it till now. He gave it to my big brother who stuffed it into a wall and killed it. My dad and brother still don't talk about it 😂
😸
I grew up steeped in Ford but I drove the Opel Kadett incarnation of the mk1 Astra and was sold on it compared to a mk2 escort. Throughout the 80s I had so many Cavaliers, mantas and Astras i can’t count them all. They one that really sticks in my mind was the first 1.8 SRi cavalier I had. It felt just ‘right’. Btw the mk2 never came with a 2.0 litre motor; 1.3 75bhp, 1.6 90bhp, 1.8 115bhp and then 1.8 130bhp. At launch the key Ford Sierra variant, the 1.6L only had 75bhp the same as the 1.3 Cavalier. This was important to reps! That’s why Ford launched the 1.8 Sierra in 1985 which had 90bhp and cost the same as the 1.6.
When I moved to UK twenty years ago; I was given a Vauxhall Cavalier and that became my very first car to drive around in England. It was a beautiful, strong and smooth car to drive.. I used it for eight months until I changed my work place. Beautiful memories and thank you very much for this wonderfully crafted video.
You're welcome!
@@BigCar2 just like to add an additional comment... I moved to South Australia in 2009 and the defunct Holden factory is not far from me.. The iconic Holden Commodore was a great muscle car with it`s 4 lit petrol engine..and glad to say that I owned one a decade ago. It`s sad that Australia is no longer producing Holden cars.. or infract any other cars I think. 1000s of cars, vans etc are being imported regularly from overseas if you visit Adelaide shipping terminal. I had an Opel Astra and Corsa in India as well. So, my relation with Vauxhall/Holden/Opel are always nice to pursue.. Thank you very much again..
Been waiting on this one, and it was worth the wait 😃 I was a Vauxhall mechanic from 86 to 91. Owned a 78 Ancona that I casually dropped a 2 liter Carlton engine into, that thing used to scare the RS 2000s of the day 😃 then I moved on to a Cavalier SR ( yes, non injected early model). Did some engine and exhaust mods to that car, and it’s little 1600 pushed it along quite nicely (GGB 5X, If anyone sees it) Great cars to drive and own, and nice and simple to work on too 😃
Cool !
I had the first Cavalier SR hatch in Glasgow, (FGB401X, Blue/black) the 1600 was not the best engine!. Sadly it was rear-ended and never the same after that. I later had two Calibra Turbos which were great to drive, especially after a wee upgrade or two. Nostalgia rules!
@@BlackBuck777 my SR was GGB 5X A saloon. The light blue metallic over Anthracite. I worked at Tompkins at the time, as a trainee mechanic. So I treated that car to a few nice things including a hi lift cam kit, so it ran quite nicely.
I've said it before, but i appreciate that you always give a nod to South African motoring history! Thank you
No problem!
Nothing left now
And it won the BTCC in 1995 with John Cleland at the helm. Amazing car with so many memories for me, my Dad and both Grandads had 1 in the 90s.
Ah yes; John "Going for 1st" Cleland. What a character in the motorsport world.
@@legoferrari14 “The mans an animal” is a legendary quote from him.
I love how you always go into detail and explain the history of cars. Even ones that appear to be boring or everyday cars at first glance like a cavalier!
Thanks! Believe it or not I'm not a hardened car guy - just a casual fan - but I love a good story!
@@BigCar2 Everybody loves a good story!
owned 4 cavaliers myself, all great comfortable cars, still have my '62 Victor and a 20 year old Corsa, think i jut love old Vauxhall
Well done. Another great video. As a Ford man I loved the Cortina/Capri but always had a regard for the Ascona/Cavalier/Manta.
It looks almost exactly like an Opel Senator. The Aussies did a good job when they stuffed a V8 into it and called it a Monaro.
We didn't do that though. The steaming pile of shit that was the VB commodore was built from the Opel Rekord E / Commodore, the V8 version of that was the SL and SL-E with both the 253 and 308 "red" V8. The only commodore that became a Monaro was the LS1 powered VT Monaro that was basically a larger Opel Omega B.
When the MK2 came out in 81, the 1300 was an utter peach ! Revved like a demon and more fun to drive than the 1.6 ! (Although slightly slower) Nicer to punt around !
Fun fact. The drag coefficient for the Calibra went up to 0.29 with the red top, due to having to fit the grille with a gap for better airflow.
when the og design was better than the performance design. *slavic chuckle*
I passed my test in a Mark 2 Cavalier. Love these cars!
Had a stack of these ranging from the 1.6 l to the Sri 130 great cars
Well worth the wait for this video. No stone left unturned! This is the level of detail car buffs appreciate. I really like Fords, but I love GM cars. My favourite car of all time is a 1973 Pontiac Trans Am and I formed an affiliation with Vauxhall because my dad had a mk1 Astra 1300 S estate that I just really liked. The Cavalier was clearly a success story, though some of the earlier British designed cars were really cool, like the HP Firenza. Speaking of which, there was a one-off racing version of the Cavalier Couple called Mega Bertha which was a successor to Big Bertha and Baby Bertha.
omg! Big Car! this was my very first car! my parents had an i wanna say 82 or 84 Holden Camira SL 4 speed Manual (like this 17:17) and i painted it two tone (brown on bottom and cream on top) tinted the rear lights and put a clarion stereo in it. it was mad it had the rear windows black shade cover on the back... oh the great times... thank you so much.
Thanks so much I started selling vauxhalls 1981 it really took off with cavalier and the update to whole range manta Astra cavalier 83 model just improved sales
I've owned 2 mk2 Cavaliers, 1981 1.6 L in white with faded red interior, loved that car, sadly lost it to a terminal engine failure. Then a 1989 SRi130, in red (best colour). Honestly think the Mk2 SRi 130 was a high point for the Cavalier. The later mk3 Cav and Vectra SRi's just didn't do it for me.
Yeah, my bro had the 2ltr gsi cavalier, but alas, he wrapped it up by driving like a 18 year old does. That's why he ended up with the omega diesel. (See above).
I fancied a Carlton GSi 3000 as replacement for the Cav 130 but couldn't find one at the time.
@@stewartbrown4394 there wasn't many of them around. There was a few but most got the 3ltr senator instead because you got the power plus more toys. (Probably lots of ex police ones were around when I was a kid just starting to drive in the early/mid nineties) .I last saw one at a show. The lotus carlton was a giggle, you don't see many but they are still fast.
Although back then I was a Ford fan, I had a 1980 Cavalier Sportshatch in 1985 that I quite liked - mine was just not a good example. My next Vauxhall was a 1990 Cavalier 1.8L saloon followed by a 1992 Cavalier SRi hatch which was just great. It was an ex-company car I bought cheap from my employer and had done 97K miles when it had it's first MOT, but it was bullet-proof!
Agree. I've had 6 of the 1.6 Mk2 Cavaliers in the last 20yrs, i keep the last one off the road now when there's salt around. Drove a 1.6 Mk3; it sucked.
".. for Reps & Telephone Sanitizers..." Love it! I'm in the U.S. - so it was always fun to see what GM product, under various brand badges, was an Opel/Vauxhall. Back in the day I had a 72 Opel GT & Kadett 1900; sold under Buick moniker. Wish I still had the GT.....
It's a nice little Douglas Adams reference, at a time when sanitising is so important.
Another well researched and illustrated video from Big Car! Very informative, Thanks!
i absolutely loved the Cav.. i had 3 of them
I still have 2 MK2's, an '84 B reg 1.6 GL saloon and an '85 B reg 1.6 CDI replica. They never made a 1.6 injection, the previous owner did.
Great video 👍the 1985’s cavalier was beautiful car!
OMG a Lego Technic Daytona in the background!!! 😍😍😍 I begged for one from my parents for years when I was a child and was so thrilled when I opened the Christmas wrapper to see the box!!! Good old memories of the 90's!!! ☺️. And memories of my Dad having a Vauxhall Cavalier at the time ☺️. I miss that car 😞
We have the Cavalier here in the states as well but it was sold under the Chevy name plate. Our first and second generation Cavalier are the same as your Mark II and Mark III Cavalier however we got one more generation that ran from 1995-2005 when it was replaced with the Chevy Cobalt. We own a 2003 Chevy Cavalier Coup with 136k miles and it's been a cheap reliable car
17:18 Cavalier Estate advert was filmed on Brockham Village Green in Surrey, in case anyone was wondering. I lived nearby at the time.
There are drawings for a mk3 estate.
The better question would be “How did Ford ever become so popular?” In the post-war Opel hierarchy, they had the Kadett, Record and Kapitan in progressing size echelons.
Because people wanted an escort or fiesta rather than an astra and the nova was awful whilst the whole rover fleet were a joke. Also due to the economy people generally struggled to buy a bmw and European brands like Renault and citreon hadn't built up a track record
This is one of the best - if not The Best cars-related channel, period.
Very well researched, I really enjoy the stuff about the design and prototyping, not so much about sales. I'd like to see an episode on the Viva (especially the HC Firenza, Droopsnoot and Sporthatch which I believe were used to get the public ready for Vauxhall's change of styling direction shown here on the Cavalier). Wayne Cherry did get his Sportshatch in 1976 by adding the HPF nosecone to the Magnum Estate, and with a one-off he built called 'Silver Bullet", which he also used as his own daily drver (it still exists). Sadly only 197 Sporthatches were built, so not really a "Big Car". Very sought after now though, along with the HPF, of which just 204 were built.
I can (just) remember there being separate Vauxhall & Opel dealerships in my town.
Great video, as always! In the US this J-body was also called (Chevrolet) Cavalier, and there even was a Cadillac-Version ("Cimarron"). Looking to the J-Body today, I see a very well proportioned car with a friendly interior.
It was also available as the Pontiac Sunbird, Oldsmobile Firenza and the Buick Skyhawk.
Seems like GM did a crappy job implementing the J platform compared to U.K. (Lordstown Syndrome?). No reason they cant bring one of these back for sub $10K price range.
@@frothe42 Don't forget about the Buick Somerset/Skylark, Chevrolet Beretta/Corsica, Pontiac Grand Am/Tempest, Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais/Achieva... all J-derived. GM really squeezed that platform dry.
@@halohunter5217 Explains the Beretta's similarity to the Ascona 2-door!
We had an old A plate Sierra Estate Ghia, lime green - my favourite car of all time, before that we had the MKII Escort, had an F reg 5-door Cavalier, had a J plate Escort (2nd fave car of all time) and my best friend drove an E plate Cavalier - bloody all great cars. Although, it wasn't until I moved to Australia that I realised their was a real intensity between the fans of each make. Back home being asked if you were a Celtic or Rangers fan was one thing, but here being asked if you were Ford or Holden was odd. But, the car I went around Australia in was a Mitsubishi Magna called Rodney, the finest four wheeled friend a man could have had. But after watching this video, i've realised that I am a Ford person at heart. By god the Escort Cosworth was a machine and a half!
I loved the family 2 OHC engine. The head gaskets were prone to blowing on older engines. If you didn't replace the stretch bolts it only cost £5 for the head gasket. A cheap repair. Cams were prone to wear too and they were very easy and cheap to replace as well.
Excellent video. I remember the new Cavalier in the 70's, it was a great looking car, and through to the 80's, Vauxhall Cavalier's always appeared to be a more refined car than the Cortina and Sierra, that was always reflected in their used values.
Cracking video. Loved the cavalier, the days when Vauxhall were decent motors!!
they still are
@@CJ-zt5mr yes they are still got my astra h 100.000 miles and fuck all has gone wrong; touches wood😀
@@si4632 only just fully ran in at that I have 2 a Astra 1.6 techline 16 plate with 30000 and a Cavalier Sri with 250 thousand miles the Sri was my 1st car I got 19 years ago when I passed my test never had any problems with both of them
@@CJ-zt5mr 🤣 mine is only 1.248 diesel does 100mph no problem 60 mpg👍
@@CJ-zt5mrnice one the astra k is a nice looking car for sure
My father owned an 1.3 l Ascona C from 1982 to 2000. This car played a major role in shaping my personality. I learnt how to drive, how to become a total asshole on the road, then how to become a respectuful driver and finally how to drive safely AND quickly, all in this car. I remember a time when I managed to climb four long step of a cement stairs in Passalimani - Pireas - Greece due to an emergency situation and no other way out. I showed them to my kids the other day and they were stunned. Thankfully, I had a witness at the time, otherwise nobody would ever believe me. My girlfriend at the time which is my wife now, was in the car with me and she was terrified. It was the only car that I cried on its steering wheel the day I gave her for scrapping, and I was no kid anymore. I was 27, married and I had already a 4 year old kid. But it still felt like I was leaving some part of my childhood in the driver's seat of that car.
I had 7 cavs in total, all was brilliant cars, I'd have another but they aint so cheap anymore. Really enjoyed the video, I loved how the old adverts really throw the cars about and then diving into water absolutely brilliant.
I had a 1978 cavalier 2 door saloon with the 1256cc engine and it was a slug but it only cost a £100 so can’t complain.
Blowing the head gasket on an 80s Cavalier was virtually a rite of passage.
Interetsing after my dad had to give his mk 111 sri back it had a new engine at 40000 miles. It was fine whilst we had it so the question was never answered.
For you maybe ! I did 150K miles in them and never even had a blown lightbulb!
Wow, you could sell the Vauxhall product anywhere in the world. The Holden Camira was sold for a very short time in my native New Zealand. When I was in the UK in 1995, the Vauxhall Vectra was very popular, particularly in London. I seem to remember they were on the billboards everywhere. In NZ, Viva's , Magnum(s) & Chevettes & Chevanne s were the end of the road for Vauxhalls downunder with the exception of the CF & CF2 van & chassis cab from Bedford. Didn't realize they were also available in S.A as Chevrolet Chevair. I must do some more research of that small grilled Chevette / Cavalier front. Thanks for the presentation.
A very nice video that I enjoyed, however there was not a 4x4 V6 Cavalier as mentioned in the section around 21:05 . The 4x4 Cavalier models used various 2.0 engines depending on trim spec. Some rare 2.0 8V SRi models had 4x4, but more commonly there was a 4x4 version of the GSi 2000 16V (normally aspirated 2.0 16V "red top" engine famous from the legendary 16V Astra GTE) and the range topping Cavalier Turbo also had 4x4.
Love the cavalier my dad had a mk2 facelift cavalier saloon as his first car
Outstanding as always dude!
Great video as always on your channel!! In Brazil, it was sold as Chevrolet Monza from 1982 to 1996 (with a quite big facelift in 1991). Monza was actually the most sold car in BR in '84, '85 and '86. Also, it had a 3-door hatchback version that I believe was only sold in Brazil and that I think looks better than the 5-door hatchback. Good memories of the three my father had ('82 hatchback, '87 saloon and '93 saloon).
I remember my dad getting a MK3 company car one of the first of the production line, this car was terrible with the old 1.6 engine put in under the bonnet as a stop gap. Compared to his previous Cavalier Estate which was sharp and quick off the mark, this new MK3 had strange handling as if it was off balance and had a light rear end round bends, mid-range overtaking was abominable. His updated Cavalier two years later was a gem that my sister wrote off pulling out from a junction and not looking. Those were the days.
Superb Big Car, i've been waiting for this one. Top work as always
Thanks, very interesting as always. We adopted the Cavalier for our sales staff in circa 1984, they were very well received at a time when sales reps were very motivated by the car they drove, bit like now when only a Beemer or Audi will suffice.
That vauxhall ad at 4.00 is very trippy. Their ad guys were smoking something!
It’s really weird!
My second car was a three year old Mk II Cavalier Hatchback. I went out carhunting for an SRi. But I came back with a 1.8 CDi. I owned it for three years and enjoyed it thoroughly.
Having had both my Grandads working at Vauxhall Motors in Luton and Dunstable, Vauxhall cars were a main stay in our family. My Dads father had a Victor VX and a MK2 Cavalier Saloon. My mums father bought my grandmother a MK2 Carlton which was the last car he got her before he died. This certainly does bring back some memories. My brother inherited our grandads Cavalier as the old girl was in need of some TLC. She eventually succumbed to severe corrosion and rot after many years of loyal service. My grandads last car after the Cavalier was a Skoda Favorit as he couldn't afford another Cavalier. He hated it and was desperate for another Cavalier, but sadly passed before he could change it. Happy childhood memories.
Very fond memories of the Cavalier and me parents had a few over the years, and two of the Estates very robust indeed 👍
Back in 1981 I bought a RWD Cavalier GL2000, and it was such a nice car, in metallic bronze. I eventually sold it, but 20 years later I discovered it again locally with an owner who loved it. I knew how he felt. I also had a new generation FWD drive Cavalier later, and that was fun and practical too. But the first one had the best memories and looked nicest, imo.
A stand ovation , the best video about car history i have Ever seen
I love the Opel Calibra, especially its beasty class one touring car version that was used in mid-90's DTM.
Had the honour of watching the Calibra Turbo 4x4 Group N Rally Car tear it up around many a track in the 1990s when my Uncle would take me around the country watching BRC and BTC... Great cars, great days out, great memories...
Had the AWD version for a brief time, it was very fragile though, with the transmission being a weak point.
Strange situation at that time. Vauxhall was available next to Opel in Belgium. You could buy the cavalier or the ascona.
I never got why companies did thing like this, was there even a price difference?
@@ogkush3508 I don't know. Had no drivers license at that time and buying a car was not an issue.
@@decnijfkris3706 Fair enough.
You could in the UK in the 80's, there were lots of Opel Astras around
@@koolstup So the situation was the same on the continent and in the uk.
Excellent videos, it’s easy to see a lot of work and research goes into the content. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🏴
I had a 1978 Mk1 Cavalier GLS Coupe 1.9 in metallic blue back in the 90s. One of the best looking everyday cars you could buy imo, so pretty!
Had a few Cavaliers as Taxis, especially the 1.7D followed by the 1.7TD. They were just as popular in the trade as the Skoda Octavia is today. My favourite Vauxhall was the Omega.
Omega ! I had forgotten that car ! A friend of mine had a 4 wheel drive Omega . I have never seen another tbh. Very nice interior as I recall.
The omega was one of the best cars they ever built. The problem was it had a Griffin badge on it. Other than that, they were great cars, especially the facelift models.
@@Marco-iy7lt Omega (and Opel / Vauxhall in general) was a rust bucket :P Fun car but not really good quality... :(
Gotta love an omega, had about 10 my self. and no they never made a 4 wheel drive omega. must have been calibra or frontera parts.
@@Oystein87 omegas hardly rust.. i've had plenty and only rust they have is a tiny bit on the rear wheel arch and front subframe. they are all the same otherwise previously fixed.
Ah I remember that Escort ad with Ronnie Corbett!
When I was on my first year in high school I had an afternoon English class. Every time I was walking down the street to go there, a blue Vauxhall Cavalier MK3 4 door sedan or Opel Vectra as it was called in my country, was parked on the street. It had a blue interior trim too, as far I can remember. I loved that car. The round shape looked so balanced and well proportioned in my eyes. No fancy aggressive lines here. Just smooth and calm. I loved the interior too! It looked cosseting and well designed. it was my favorite saloon of that era, together with the Peugeot 405 pre facelift. The fact that I still remember it after 31 years, I believe says a lot!
I had loads of mk2 and mk3 cavalier great cars never let me down
This vid was Awesome👍My Grandma had Holden Camira, Camira which is aboriginal word Wind. Early designs you could see Kingswood n Torana influence. It’s unfortunate GM didn’t do more global share car in 70’s but Vauxhall like Holden meant nothing to GM with demise of both names n RHD market. I still reckon J series was best sharing GM car.
The first was really the T-car (Holden Gemini, as touched on in the video). The Torana grew from the Vauxhall Viva but wasn't fully global, even if they did also make it to Canada as the Envoy Epic.
This bloke knows his motors .
No he doesn't. He's only reading research from Wikipedia and forums. He's often apologising for mis-quotes..
@@benpatsy2076 lol
Tuve uno promediando los 90's y nos resultó un fierro..noble, económico, confortable e indestructible. Venían de Brasil y aquí se lo llamó Chevrolet Monza. Un gran recuerdo de ese auto, muy rendidor pero poco apreciado en su momento, al menos en mi país.
I wish I still had my 1990 2.0 Gsi 4x4
I had a black 1990 GSI 2000 4x4 in black !
Make one about the w140 Mercedes Benz! Love your channel! Greetings from Portugal
YES we need a Big Car episode about the Mercedes-Benz W140 series. And W124 as well. BIG CAR GUY ARE YOU LISTENING?
Only about 8,000 left according to "Howmanyleft"!! which is kind of horrifying. Down from 1.23 million in 1995.
Fascinating history. I should point out that there were three more GM North American cars based on the Cavalier J platform: the Pontiac J2000 (later Sunbird), Oldsmobile Firenza, and Buick Skyhawk - all with distinctive front and rear treatments. And that the Cimarron only lasted in the market for two years, because it got up the noses of Cadillac's traditional customers (the Chevy Cavalier would inherit its distinctive grill and four headlamp treatment). It's too bad that we never got the five door hatch. We did also get a slick two-door coupe in the next gen with a great coke-bottle design.
It's amazing how so many variants can be sold as different vehicles when only just pretending. That C-pillar treatment screams 'J-car' whatever the application!
how about story of ascona/manta , would love to see it
I always liked the Opel version. Just a personal preference.
There's not much difference between them apart from the badges. When the Vauxhall Opel dealer partnership split up, Opel cars would be sold in the Republic of Ireland, Europe and around the rest of the world under GM's various brands while the Vauxhalls would mainly be sold in the United Kingdom.
@@anthonyperkins7556 spot on maybe that is why I prefer the Opel because I grew up in Ireland. Might have something to do with it.👍👍👍👍👌
I totally went for the Vauxhaull front design.
Utterly superb. Your best video yet, so good I watched it again.
That means I've been going downhill since this one!
Had a couple of mk3 cavaliers and loved them,but also had a few Sierras at the time,loved them both. Nice video.
"In 20 years Vauxhall, with Opels help, had gone from a loss making enterprise .... into the number 2 UK car maker". That is a very British way to put it. Vauxhall did something, with Opel's help.... haha. No, Opel did it, with a few minute changes by Vauxhall, biggest of which was lending it's name. Ah, British exceptionalism, never change.
Well i have to say, the combination of the Ascona B back and the Manta B front was good looking...
Did you miss the bit at the end of that narration? "but to survive it had to give up designing its own cars and focus on manufacturing and sales"
@@MrPsychomonkey Yeah, quite illogical in view of the cited sentence, don't you think?
@@MrPsychomonkey not to mention by the end, the fact they didn't kill off vauxhall nearly killed Opel...pointing at the trade unions in Lutton for that
@@grievuspwn4g3 I never saw it that way. Thanks.