Well I see all the time people saying "Is there really a Toyota Cavalier?" and I find it strange that no one ever asks if there is a Vauxhall Cavalier because sometimes it does come up on searches. In case you didn't know, there is such a thing. Here is some info on it:
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The Vauxhall Cavalier was a midsize car, sold in the UK by Vauxhall Motors, the British subsidiary of General Motors, from 1976 to 1994.
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1976
Launched in 1975 as a 1976 model, the Cavalier was a restyled version of the German Opel Ascona, produced at Vauxhall's factory in Luton and also at GM's Antwerp plant in Belgium.
The original range was available as 2 and 4-door saloons, and a shapely coupe that was essentially the Opel Manta, with a choice of 1.6 and 1.9 L engine sizes in the saloon and just the 1.9 L in the coupé.
It was revised in 1978 as the 1.9 became a 2.0 and the 1.3 L OHV engine from the Vauxhall Viva and Vauxhall Chevette was used to create the entry Cavalier 1.3 variant. At the same time, a 3-door hatchback replaced the coupe.
All Cavaliers shared similar bodywork to the Opel Ascona but had the slanted nose of the Manta to give them the distinct "droop snoot" front end, while the coupe also had a front spoiler. The Chevrolet Chevair in South Africa was a variant of this model, featuring the grille of the Opel Manta and different engine choices.
For a time, the coupe was transformed into the Centaur convertible by an aftermarket coachbuilding firm in the UK.
Despite being the same car mechanically, the Opel Ascona was sold alongside the Cavalier in the UK until 1981, when GM decided to phase out the Opel brand in the UK, and merge dealerships with those of Vauxhall.
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1982
A front wheel drive version was introduced in late 1981, using the same underpinnings as the Opel Ascona. This model was part of GM's family of compact 'J-cars', along with the Ascona, the Australian Holden Camira, the Japanese Isuzu Aska, and the North American Chevrolet Cavalier. In the UK, the new Cavalier was a success and challenged the supremacy of the Ford Cortina as the company car of choice. Following the British public's reluctance to embrace the Ford Sierra's radical styling, the Cavalier overtook the Sierra in sales and became the best selling car in its class in the UK throughout the 1980s.
At launch, this version of the Cavalier came with the choice of 1.3, 1.6 or 1.8 L engines - the 1.3 and 1.6 being similar to the smaller Astra/Kadett, while the 1.8 had electronic fuel injection and was new. A diesel 1.6 L was added later on, while the 1.8 L's displacement was increased to 2.0 L in 1985.
This model was produced as a four-door saloon and five-door hatchback. An estate version, based on the Holden Camira was also available, and a convertible.
The Thatcher government in the UK created a tax break at 1.8 L, with any company car having a larger engine than this attracting higher personal benefit taxes, thus effectively giving the Cavalier an advantage over its rivals soon after its launch.
By the end of its life cycle, the top of the range version was the powerful 2.0 SRi130, which had 130 hp and could exceed 120 mph. This had the same engine as the Astra GTE 8v (20SEH), though it made more power due to a better exhaust route.
For the first time, Vauxhall began exporting cars in left hand drive to other European countries, badged as Opels, which was a boost to GM's confidence in its once-troubled British subsidiary. When the Cavalier was first introduced, the cars were built at GM's plant in Belgium, but production quickly moved to Luton. The estate version was built by Holden in Australia.
Vauxhall Cavalier CalibreThe last Mk2 Cavalier to be produced was the Cavalier Calibre. Based on the SRi130 with styling from Aston Martin/Tickford and the bodykit, sports suspension and exhaust being produced by Irmscher, it was a limited production run of only 500 cars. It came with a very high specification including a trip computer, Recaro seats, power windows and power steering. It cost £13,127.35 when it was released in 1987. It now has retro classic status, as only 71 are registered with the DVLA, of which less than 20 are thought to be on the road.
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1989
The last Cavalier was introduced in 1988 for the 1989 model year, being Vauxhall's version of the Opel Vectra A, again as a saloon and 5-door hatchback. There was no estate version in the Opel lineup, and as the Vectra was not going to be sold in Australia, there was no prospect of Vauxhall turning to Holden for a replacement. The Vectra name was not adopted at this model change as Vauxhall feared reviving memories of the somewhat pedestrian Vauxhall Victor, an objection which did not hold at the end of this model's life.
In place of the old model's angular exterior was a more rounded appearance. There was also a new 1.4 L petrol engine which was economical but slow, and did not prove popular with buyers. The biggest changes to the range were the addition of 2.0 L 16-valve engines (on the SRi and GSi) which could be had with all wheel drive, and the inclusion of fuel injection on most models. The 1.7 L turbo-diesel also proved economical.
Bodystyles were hatchback and saloon, with no estate option. Despite the lack of a load carrier, the Cavalier topped the large-medium family car sales charts in Britain in 1991, ahead of the Ford Sierra.
A new coupe, the Vauxhall Calibra, was also developed from the 1989 Cavalier, to replace the by-then discontinued Opel Manta. The Calibra was well received, notably for its good-sized interior (largely based on the interior of the Cavalier) and its attractive styling, which still looks reasonably fresh today.
A facelift in the autumn of 1992 saw the Cavalier's 1.4 L engine dropped and a powerful 2.5 L V6 added to the range. Most of the range now had airbags and antilock brakes as standard. The exterior design also adopted the now familiar Vauxhall V-grille, which would go on to grace most other models in the Vauxhall lineup.
The Cavalier name was dropped in favour of 'Vectra' in 1995, bringing the naming policy in line with Continental Europe.
Here are some pictures...
You guys get the picture (no pun intended). Just some food for thought...enjoy
www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837
didn't knew that vauxhall made a rattlebox.....
Interesting. We now have the Holden Astra SRi which uses the 2.2 Ecotec motor.
Read article on it
Here
This will open up a can of worms also.....company in the UK offers Mobile ECU tuning for the 2.2 Astra as well
here
...that black one with dark wheels looked nice..
...don't hate!.. respect people that have talent, even if it is in something you don't like or understand.
I like the first one... definately would drive that.
Good write up, as always, NJHK
Wow you must feel smart for this one.
Like we all didnt know about the Vauxhall sheesh. No one ever asks about it cause it was sold in europe not Japan. Japan is the shizzzznit. Did you know that they made a vauxhall monaro?
Heres some pics:
Now I wonder which one that is.
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Madjack wrote:Like I said before, building an engine like ours (2.2 or 2200) is a painstaking chore , since there is so few custom made parts. It's frustrating to me too, but that's what I like about doing this engine, it's the challenge.
^^^ For your information I've been knowing about that car...
www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837
NJHK (That Black Guy) wrote:^^^ For your information I've been knowing about that car...
Wasnt doubting you, wasnt doubting you.
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Madjack wrote:Like I said before, building an engine like ours (2.2 or 2200) is a painstaking chore , since there is so few custom made parts. It's frustrating to me too, but that's what I like about doing this engine, it's the challenge.
looks kinda like the new gto to me
Zduece4 wrote:looks kinda like the new gto to me
I'm sorry...but I gotta say this...
DUH!
lol j/k
Yeah, GM had used the same exact body and everything, changed the motor to an LS2 (I believe that's the motor) and put an GTO badge on it.
www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837
^^^Yeah the LS2 is also in the Pontiac now. As far as I know all of them are still made in australia by holden.
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Madjack wrote:Like I said before, building an engine like ours (2.2 or 2200) is a painstaking chore , since there is so few custom made parts. It's frustrating to me too, but that's what I like about doing this engine, it's the challenge.
Jbody2nr wrote:^^^Yeah the LS2 is also in the Pontiac now. As far as I know all of them are still made in australia by holden.
Ok, thanks for clarifying that info for me
www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837
The only difference from what I read was the front end and the gas tank and soon everything with a V8 will have LS2s and they will always be made down there cost to much to retool a plant up here when they can make them down there n ship them for cheaper. Wish they had them up here in canada cuz I would roll one.
Jbody2nr wrote:^^^Yeah the LS2 is also in the Pontiac now. As far as I know all of them are still made in australia by holden.
No they have now ceased production of the Monaro. So they will become a collector item again. Holden made the Monaro from the late sixties to the mid Seventies and they are somewhat of a Down under Muscle car. Very collectable. !!
Interesting how the body styling of the Monaro is based on the Cavalier. Have a look at the Pontiac GTO you guys have in North America. Look from the door to the rear of the car and tell me if it is not based on a Cavalier.
A lot of Folks here in New Zealand comment to me that my Cavalier looks like a baby Monaro.
WHo'd have thought? GM rebading a vehicle....original!
Josh
SLK 32
They kinda look more like a grand prix than a cavalier to me.
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Madjack wrote:Like I said before, building an engine like ours (2.2 or 2200) is a painstaking chore , since there is so few custom made parts. It's frustrating to me too, but that's what I like about doing this engine, it's the challenge.
Jbody2nr wrote:They kinda look more like a grand prix than a cavalier to me.
Have a look at the body styling, the shape of the rear panels. Not the overall style of the two cars.
GM must hit on a style then duplicate it with minor subtle changes thru the diffrent ranges of vehicles across the world.
Here is the complete history of the holden Monaro
Clicky
Have a good look at the diff body styles and then compare them to similar vehicles in the North American GM range thru the same period. Notice how the hit on a style and make subtle changes.
If you put a Cavalier next to a Ponitac GTO you will see what I am saying.
When did they stop making the Morano??
