Gems From GM

[warren t claim]

Fro all the slagging off the GM Europe products get on these pages I think we need to remember that they've also made a fair few decent cars as well.

 

See? They're not all bad are they?

[messerschmitt owner]

my favourites include the PA Cresta and CA dormobile

[Shep Shepherd]

I like the big RWD ones from the late 1970s and early 1980s, namely the Opel Senator A, Opel Monza, Vauxhall Royale, Opel Commodore and Vauxhall Viceroy. I've done so ever since Father Shepherd bought me a Corgi model of a Senator A in 1980:

 

 

Pity there are so few left nowadays, although there is a Viceroy on the RR forum at the moment, which I expect will undergo the full 'retro' treatment at some point

[messerschmitt owner]

chap round from me in Bannockburn had two droop snoots (estate and coupe). I like those too

[Mr_Bo11ox]

All Vauxhalls R shit etc etc.

[chaseracer]

Mr. Claim makes a valid point, but the newest car above is 22 years old.

 

And there's the problem...

 

[warren t claim]

Mr. Claim makes a valid point, but the newest car above is 22 years old.

 

And there's the problem...

 

 

Fixed that for you.

[Shep Shepherd]

Mr. Claim makes a valid point, but the newest car above is 22 years old.

 

And there's the problem...

 

 

Quite. Post-Omega Vauxhalls do nothing for me whatsoever, but then neither do post-Granada Fords.

[chaseracer]

Mr. Claim makes a valid point, but the newest car above is 22 years old.

 

And there's the problem...

 

 

Fixed that for you.

 

Surely, you mean...

 

 

[Spiny Norman]

Not so keen on newer Vauxhalls, but then I'm not that keen on 'new' anythings, but some of the older ones were class...

 

Two Royales I once owned...

 

..and a close relative from the Antipodes.

[KruJoe]

 

[freebird]

I saw one of those Monaro V8 jobbies a couple of months back gathering moss in the front of somebodys garden.

The place was an utter shit hole so either the owner is skint and cant afford to repair it or he is a bit of a knob job that thinks keeping it out in the open to rot away will increase its value once he decides to sell in, oh, about twenty years.

[Shep Shepherd]

Was the Isuzu Aska ever officially sold in Europe?

[chaseracer]

No, but it was assembled CKD in Chile, apparently.

[gallondrunk]

70's to late 90's Vauxhalls/GMs are excellent things, not forgetting the magnificent Royale and Monza interiors (also available in gold, red and blue I believe.).

 

 

I mean how can you go wrong with that? Pure veloury autoshite.

[willswitchengage]

 

Mazda did an alright job of badge engineering those:

 

[stuboy]

loved the cavaliers, wanted a senator 3.oi so much

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Not so keen on newer Vauxhalls, but then I'm not that keen on 'new' anythings, but some of the older ones were class...

 

 

 

This was GM's concerted effort to get into BMW/Merc territory. The press gave it rave reviews and they were decently made and reliable. So why did they never really take off? I still think the 1984 facelift spoiled it though.

 

With regard to newer Voxallz, I can't recall getting very excited by Cavaliers 20 odd tears ago, but in retrospect they were pretty good. I think time will be kind to the Insignia.

[Albert Ross]

This, courtesy of the Droop Snoot Group.

[freebird]

Anybody remember the launch of the MK3 Cavalier?

[Lacquer Peel]

[gearoil]

I saw one of those Monaro V8 jobbies a couple of months back gathering moss in the front of somebodys garden.

The place was an utter shit hole so either the owner is skint and cant afford to repair it or he is a bit of a knob job that thinks keeping it out in the open to rot away will increase its value once he decides to sell in, oh, about twenty years.

 

Probably waiting on getting their licence back...

[ProgRocker]

70's to late 90's Vauxhalls/GMs are excellent things, not forgetting the magnificent Royale and Monza interiors (also available in gold, red and blue I believe.).

 

 

I mean how can you go wrong with that? Pure veloury autoshite.

 

The Royale 2.8 that my parents owned in the mid '80s had a fantastic* burgandy interior.

 

No pics of that one sadly but here's the fantastic Carlton they owned in the 1990s:

1986 Vauxhall Carlton 2200i CD by ProgRocker77, on Flickr

[e287yba]

Anybody remember the launch of the MK3 Cavalier?

 

Never seen that... But having seen the associated adverts in car mags of the time, I am glad I now have . Odd to think it's 25 years old this year!

[STUNO]

GM in the extremities has made some very interesting stuff recently

with an accent on brute power

 

5.7 litres and twin turbos in this tradesmans special

Holden Commodore SS utility

[RedSparrow]

I'm not going to go down the 'all vauxhalls are shit' route but GM stuff just doesn't do it for me. Same with most Fords actually - can't explain why.

 

Had a couple of Novas in the past though and they can be good fun once you get used to the offset steering wheel, which doesn't take long.

[Station]

I know this will end up into the usual opinion thread but I love those early Vauxhalls from the 80's and 90's, they had a good level of comfort and build quality without the need to be quirky like French cars or badge snobbery that German cars have had the good luck of having, even though VW's are pretty much in the same leagu but offer much less.

I love mk3 cavs and astras.

[Cavcraft]

[Lacquer Peel]

[Lacquer Peel]