Hatch Heaven

The 1987 Vauxhall Cavalier SRi 130 MK2 had a 2.0 liter fuel injected engine, controlled by the Bosch Motronic management system which monitored injection and ignition timing 400 times a second. This high compression unit produced 130 HP making it the most powerful Cavalier to date. It was front wheel drive and came with alloy wheels and low profile tires. It also boasted a superb security coded 4-speaker stereo radio/cassette. It had an MSRP of £10,740.

Even the red, yellow and red stripe on the hood and rear of this Limited Edition of 500, 1985 Vauxhall Nova Sport was cool. But don’t be deceived by the pristine appearance, with its 5J rims and low profile tires, color-coded flush wheel trims and stiffened suspension , its 1.3 liter engine delivered 93 HP making it more than a passing resemblance to the car that contested the “up to 1300cc class” of the Group A British Open Rally Championship. It has a top speed of 112 MPH with a 0-60 time of 8.9 seconds.

The 1982 Vauxhall Cavalier ‘s model range included a front wheel drive 1.3, 1.6 and a rear wheel drive 1.6L. They all had a inline 4 cylinder engine, but the 1598 cc in the 1.6 developed 90 HP. A 4-speed manual was standard, but there was an option for a 5-speed in the GLS only. It had front independent MacPerson struts, coil springs and stabiliser bar and rear torsion bean axle, semi trailing arms and stabiliser bar. Other standard features included servo disc/drum brakes, rack and pinion steering, This 2,282 pound hatchback had a top speed of 102 MPH with a 0-60 rating of 12.1 seconds. It had a fuel economy rating of 46.3 MPG.

The 1980 Vauxhall Bedford Chevanne’s long life power unit was developed from the well-proven 1,256cm, four-cylinder, over-head-valve petrol engine of the Vauxhall Chevette cars and HA light vans.

To help keep fuel costs down, it was fitted with proven fuel saving features like a viscous-coupling fan and a thermostatically controlled pre-heat induction system. It produced 52.8 BHP net installed power, yet with its specially developed cylinder head and 7,3 to 1 compression ratio it requires only 2-star fuel. When GM’s automatic transmission was specified, a higher compression (8,7 to 1) version needing 4-star fuel is fitted to give 56.3 BHP net installed power.

Chevanne’s four-speed, all-synchromesh manual gearbox was engineered specifically to match the power, torque and weight, to give the right ratio to any situation. It is driven through a clutch which, though “heavy-duty” in design to cope with punishing  stop-start urban delivery, is light and positive in action for smooth transmission of power. You could also specify GM‘s smooth automatic transmission which included a high-compression engine, heavy duty battery, heavy duty front suspension and a cut-pile cab carpet. (image source: John Lloyd)

If you like the looks of the 1979 Vauxhall Chevette Black Magic then you’ll really like how it goes because lurking under the bonnet is a 2279cc single cam engine coupled to a close-ratio five speed Gertrag gearbox, similar to that in the Chevette 2300HS.

The single cam engine is standard production form delivered 118 BHP and had achieved a string of of victories at championship levels in its more powerful rally version. Inside, the level of luxury was promoted as “decadent” with front seats that were contoured in real leather, the dashboard was styled in real wood and the carpet was so thick that “your feet disapear”. The stereo/radio was said to put home systems to shame with individually tunable speakers in the doors. It was probably the most luxurious small car on the road at the time. (image source: John Lloyd)

A special variant of the Vauxhall Magnum estate, known as the Sportshatch, was produced in limited numbers (197) in 1976. This model used the “droopsnoot” nose cone, which had been designed by Wayne Cherry, Vauxhall’s Chief Design Engineer to be used in the HP Firenza Droop Snoot model. In Trevor Alder’s book “Vauxhall – The Post War Years” mention is made of a HP Firenza Sport Hatch prototype which was a one-off and was painted in silver starfire, with a six light version of the droop snoot nose and also sharing the Viva/Magnum estate body shell. (source: Wikipedia)

In 1978, a three-door hatchback known as the Vauxhall Cavalier Sports 2000 Hatch was added to the range. It sold for £3473.

From what I can tell, the 1989 Vauxhall Cavalier SRI 5-door hatchback had a poor reputation, but as usual, the advertising proudly promoted the road holding and handling from powerful engines.

The 1983 Vauxhall Mk1 Astra GTE had a 1.8 liter engine with Bosch LE Jetronic fuel injection producing 115 bhp. Mated to a 5-speed gearbox, it took the car from 0 to 60 in just 8.5 seconds with a top speed of 116 mph. The GTE boasted a suspension that incorporated anti-roll bars, upgraded springs and gas pre-loaded shock absorbers. It had ultra low profile tires on 5.5″ alloy wheels with ventilated front disc brakes.

The interior included thick carpeting, tinted windows, radio/stereo cassette player, complete with four speakers and Recaro front seats.

The 1983 Vauxhall Nova’s 1.0 and 1.2 liter LET engines delivered an impressive 57.6 mpg (60.1 mpg with the optional 5-speed gearbox). Every model had power brakes, a laminated windscreen, an intermittent rear wash/wipe wiper and halogen headlamps. The L models included a push button radio and a driver’s door mirror that adjusts from inside the car. It started at £3,494 to £4,273. The Corsa A was rebadged as the Vauxhall Nova between 1983 and 1993, primarily for the British market. The basic model was called just the Corsa, which was followed by the Corsa Luxus, Corsa Berlina and the sporty Corsa SR, seen below as a 1985 model.