Vauxhall Special Editions 1990 - 1999

[NorfolkNWeigh]

There was the Vectra B Super Touring. Which I think was the predecessor of the GSi V6.

 

I don't know about those , but the GSi's arrived at MSD in Milton Keynes on a transporter with no bumpers and sitting on slave steel rims . These 15" steels were supposed to be sent back to Luton, I might* know of at least 2 sets that didn't , about the time I was running a Carlton 2.0i CDX as a work car, funnily enough. £20 a corner for brand new Uniroyals- on new rims, those were the days!

[Six-cylinder]

 

Carlton Diplomat? Special Edition or Trim Level?

 

Carlton Diplomat was a standard trim level, Diamond and Club were special editions Estates.

 

I sold Vauxhalls 1991 - 1994 and had a couple of Carlton Clubs as company cars, but what I really wanted was a Diamond 24V!

[sierraman]

Zafira Life. Christ what a depressing way to travel.

[rantingYoof]

MotherYoof had a 3.0 12v CDX estate (number plate GXXXONE) which was pretty much exactly like that photo up there, except for the Diamond awesomeness of course.

[ProgRocker]

Carlton Diamond. Circa 1993.

[Aston Martin]

I'm sorry, the Astra Duo meant a passenger airbag? Fuck me.

[Lacquer Peel]

Tigra Fat Margaret

[cort1977]

LOL at Guantanamo Bay edition.

 

Had a Cavalier Envoy once with the Isuzu diesel.   Envoy spec added a nice* Envoy badge on the doors I think.

[stormee]

Here's a chart of all Kadett E/Astra special editions:

http://www.kadett-info.de/kadett/modelle/sondermodelle/europa/sondermodelle_europa.html

[mercrocker]

I seem to remember somebody at work having one of those Belmont Tiffanys.    It had a little flowery script on the rear wing IIRC.   And not much else....

[Austin-Rover]

The 90s was surely a golden age of special editions - from all manufactures. They were great fun - some of them - with cheesy names and ill-advised graphics.

 

As this thread is about Vauxhalls, I can bring two along to the party;

 

The first is a Corsa 'Arizona' - has its own thread on here detailing its epic revival from near death. The main selling points of the Arizona seem to be tinted glass, special seat material (but the same door cards as a normal boggo Corsa), the choice of three exterior colours (Red, Silver and a metallic purple colour) and two decals on the front doors.

 

The second is a Vectra 'Sport V6'. A bit of an odd one, this. It qualified for its own special edition two page brochure, but carries the same spec. and trim as the normal SRi model. Indeed, we even owned an identical Vectra a few years ago which was an SRi The only difference between the two is that the current 'Sport V6' has no traffic master or front cup holders - but brochure says it should have thes... making it identical to the SRi!

 

For comparison purposes in the pictures; R624LDY is the current Sport V6 and R380VEC is the deceased SRi

 

 

[adw1977]

I seem to remember somebody at work having one of those Belmont Tiffanys.    It had a little flowery script on the rear wing IIRC.   And not much else....

 

Found one!

 

[Dick Longbridge]

Quite a coincidence Mrs BN's first car was a Nova Ski bought new from Tice Wimborne in 1986, basically a Merit with niceties like a radio, sunroof, white wheel trims and rear seatbelts!

I bought a Cavalier Commander from them in 1989/90 when I was working for myself. I think it was the first car that I'd owned that had fuel injection, though a couple of earlier company ones probably did.

I was about to add Cavalier Commander, but it's not allowed on this thread as it's an '86 special edition.

Shall I start a new thread entitled 'Special edition Cavaliers built in 1986'?

[ProgRocker]

Carlton Diplomat was a standard trim level, Diamond and Club were special editions Estates.

 

I sold Vauxhalls 1991 - 1994 and had a couple of Carlton Clubs as company cars, but what I really wanted was a Diamond 24V!

 

I missed this post when I mentioned the Diamond in post 37.

 

My parents had a 1993/94 mark 3 Astra 1.4 Hi-Torq California 5 door. It had retro fitted power steering. Nice car.

[chrisjvm]

LOTUS CARLTON ..... Phwoaaaaar.

[richbraith]

There's an orange Corsa B a street over from me with little sun motifs on the doors, I'll have to try and see what it's called.

That sounds like a Corsa Trip in Apache Gold.

[MrDuke]

Wasn't there a run-out Nova called the Spin? Presumably it came with whatever bits were found at the back of the cupboard in Luton.

[Bianconeri]

I was about to add Cavalier Commander, but it's not allowed on this thread as it's an '86 special edition.

Shall I start a new thread entitled 'Special edition Cavaliers built in 1986'?

I bought a Cav Special Edition in January 1988. It was red, 1.8i engine and 5dr so guess it wasn't a Commander? I know I went out to get an SRi!

 

I p/x'ed for an E30 320i SE in May 1990 and it had done 54,000 miles by then.

 

Still off topic though....,

[Guest]

Cavalier Mk2 Commanders were built from shells that were lying in a field for months in (IIRC) the Belgian factory. All silver with CID steel wheels,grey check interior and red stripes. We sold a few. They rotted- badly...and the paint fell off.

 

Nova Luxe. Nova Luxe +. Astra+Corsa Diamond. Nova Spin. Nova Sport.Nova Sting (all white,grey wheels) Nova Gem.Astra and Cavalier Cesaro. Antibes were nice- red,white or blue non metallic.

[Cavcraft]

Had a Cavalier Calibre, shouldn't have sold it. Had rotted like a bastard underneath/behind the body kit but had it all welded up.

 

Vectra STs were ace, another car I didn't own long enough, mine was the 2.0 16V. From what I remember of the Vectra GSi, they were taken off the production line and went to MSD (Motor Sports Development, iirc) to be spec'd up. That V6 is a lovely unit.

[r.welfare]

I bought a Cav Special Edition in January 1988. It was red, 1.8i engine and 5dr so guess it wasn't a Commander? I know I went out to get an SRi!

 

 

LXi? Alloys and Recaros but cheaper than the SRi, all one colour rather than black below the side moulding if I recall correctly. You could get a 1600 carb as well.

[Guest]

LXi? Alloys and Recaros but cheaper than the SRi, all one colour rather than black below the side moulding if I recall correctly. You could get a 1600 carb as well.

Anthracite, not black- apart from the black ones which had black above and below the door trim...if that makes sense. You got a Mk2 Antibes too and a Mk2 Club. Clubs were horrid- all white with light grey and yellow seats,and white wheeltrimzz

[vaughant]

Did not knoes that. Quite want a 2.5 v6 manual cav diplomat now!

I had a boggo 2.5v6 cop spec cavvy, sounded great and went ok, nothing to set the world on fire though.

I felt the ford V6 was a better unit.

Sold it or at least attempted to sell it via the freeads, attracted the third highest number of ass-huuuules of any car I've ever sold, the number 2 being a Porsche 924 and number 1 a MK1 mr2.

 

Ended up selling at a loss to a guy in work who sold it straight on having never even driven it for double what he paid me, contacts eh?

[Ghosty]

That sounds like a Corsa Trip in Apache Gold.

 

Did a google. You're right.

[Hendry]

Now that the Vectra GSi MSD ones have been mentioned, can someone explain to me why Vauxhall sent them off elsewhere to get tarted up rather than do it themselves like a factory model? 

 

Especially when they later produced their own solely factory spec GSis. 

 

Vauxhall seem to love sending cars off elsewhere to be sorted out rather than do it themselves in house. 

 

That Astra full size airbag commercial got me thinking, why? just why? I had that steering wheel in my old mk3 and it was fucking horrible, sadly they saddled Astras, Cavaliers, Corsa Bs which were high enough spec to get a standard airbag with it for years (not sure whether its shocking that in the mid 90s onwards Vauxhall were getting away with not fitting their popular huge selling supermini with an airbag or if they were doing you a favour leaving out that monstrosity)

 

Edit: another I thought of and ive only ever seen a couple, mk3 Astra vans in "Epic" spec, only reason I remember is someone who lived near me had one with one digit different on the reg, and I was never sure if it was somehow a special edition or if it was a spec even lower than the base Merit spec of the car version. Quality name though, it was epically shit just how low the spec was.

 

Its also got me thinking proper base spec Vauxhalls were common in the 90s, but in the 2000s youd see low spec Vauxhalls but never the actual base models, i think Envoy was originally the base spec mk4 Astra and you hardly ever saw them, Expression was the base spec on Corsa C, D, Astra H, Vectra C etc and ive never seen one in person, just on google. 

 

Sierraman, if you think a Zafira Life was bad, they did the Zafira in Expression trim which was even lower spec again, utterly soul destroyingly wrist tanningly grim. Vauxhall went through a period of being so utterly drab like never before that even the higher spec ones were bland and depressing as fuck, like my Astra "Comfort" (2nd from top spec) and the Zafira "Elegance" I had a loan of once (top spec) 

[Cavcraft]

My dad had a Mk Cavalier 1.6SR once.

[sierraman]

The Zafira across the road from me looks like the 'Crayons and bits of food strewn across the interior' edition. Comes with those black seats that go a funny shiny grey colour, bald no-name tyres all round and the standard 1.6 with the awful metallic noise on start up.

[Dick Longbridge]

Now that the Vectra GSi MSD ones have been mentioned, can someone explain to me why Vauxhall sent them off elsewhere to get tarted up rather than do it themselves like a factory model?

 

Especially when they later produced their own solely factory spec GSis.

 

Vauxhall seem to love sending cars off elsewhere to be sorted out rather than do it themselves in house.

 

That Astra full size airbag commercial got me thinking, why? just why? I had that steering wheel in my old mk3 and it was fucking horrible, sadly they saddled Astras, Cavaliers, Corsa Bs which were high enough spec to get a standard airbag with it for years (not sure whether its shocking that in the mid 90s onwards Vauxhall were getting away with not fitting their popular huge selling supermini with an airbag or if they were doing you a favour leaving out that monstrosity)

 

Edit: another I thought of and ive only ever seen a couple, mk3 Astra vans in "Epic" spec, only reason I remember is someone who lived near me had one with one digit different on the reg, and I was never sure if it was somehow a special edition or if it was a spec even lower than the base Merit spec of the car version. Quality name though, it was epically shit just how low the spec was.

 

Its also got me thinking proper base spec Vauxhalls were common in the 90s, but in the 2000s youd see low spec Vauxhalls but never the actual base models, i think Envoy was originally the base spec mk4 Astra and you hardly ever saw them, Expression was the base spec on Corsa C, D, Astra H, Vectra C etc and ive never seen one in person, just on google.

 

Sierraman, if you think a Zafira Life was bad, they did the Zafira in Expression trim which was even lower spec again, utterly soul destroyingly wrist tanningly grim. Vauxhall went through a period of being so utterly drab like never before that even the higher spec ones were bland and depressing as fuck, like my Astra "Comfort" (2nd from top spec) and the Zafira "Elegance" I had a loan of once (top spec)

 

Ah, the Astra Epic van. I've had one in my eBay watch list for a while, and although I really want to buy it, I can't justify it.

One council owner from new, and enough sticky stuff left on the panels to copy and recreate the decals for shits and giggles.

I assumed the 'epic' bit was just the seller trying to ham it up. Didn't realise Vauxhall were suggesting it's the car/van equivalent of a grand design!

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/352166010693

 

You learn something new every day (the seller has some other interesting chod for sale as well, including a lovely Carlton and solidish mk1 Cav coop btw).

[Bianconeri]

LXi? Alloys and Recaros but cheaper than the SRi, all one colour rather than black below the side moulding if I recall correctly. You could get a 1600 carb as well.

  

Anthracite, not black- apart from the black ones which had black above and below the door trim...if that makes sense. You got a Mk2 Antibes too and a Mk2 Club. Clubs were horrid- all white with light grey and yellow seats,and white wheeltrimzz

No, I remember the LXi. I also remember the earache because I spent more than I'd planned. Memory is a bad thing, I was convinced it was a Commander, now I reckon it was a GLSi, which I think was a short-lived run out model.

[Pillock]

LXi wasn't a special edition, it was a genuine model in the range. There was also an Astra LXi in Mk2 flava (hatch/estate, around 1991) because I remember begging my mum to get one, but she went with a GL instead because it was posher. LXi was a cheaper version of the SRi.

 

Weirdly there was also an Astra LX, without the i, which was a totally different looking car and not just a carb version of the LXi. No body colour bumpers, it was just a slightly spec-bumped version of the L and sat below the GL in the range. We hired one in Edinburgh, which I think was when ma decided to get one as her next company car.

 

The 1990s is when Vauxhall started their love affair with names instead of letters, and dicking around with the lineup on a regular basis. GLSi was also a proper model in the range, but only for a really short time on the Cavalier - just for the last year of Mk2ness. It lasted a bit longer on the Belmont I think but never appeared on the Astra. It was hard to know what the range was, you could walk into a dealer twice, a month apart, and have a different range to choose from it seemed.

 

Unlike Ford who were Popular - L - GL - Ghia across most of their range, for many many years.