The Mk1 Vauxhall Astra GTE might be one of the underrated hot hatches of the 1980s, but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s not up there with the best. Keith Adams drives one along the Route Napoléon in the South of France and comes away smiling. Star in ascendency For those old enough to remember the hot [...]

Vauxhall car company staff have voted by 94% in favour of a new pay and conditions deal, clearing the way for investment in the Ellesmere Port plant. Owner General Motors will confirm this morning that a new Astra model will be built at the plant, securing about 2100 jobs. Many people had feared that the [...]

The M-Series TVRs were a step towards full production car credibility for the Blackpool company, after years of building cars you could buy as kits as well as ready made. The range – so called because ‘M’ was for ‘Martin’ – lasted the 1970s and brought stability and profitability to TVR. And they were so [...]

Keith Adams enjoys a week in Vauxhall’s very own Cavalier Mk1. But it does get him thinking about the past and present. And asking the obvious question. Cavalier progress I’ve already introduced Vauxhall Heritage’s timewarp Cavalier 2000GLS. And you already know just how important this car was to the overall health of the British arm [...]

The Scimitar started out as a two-door coupe, but soon evolved into something far more innovative. We pull together the brief, but fascinating story of one of Britain’s most underrated sporting hold-alls. Three-door world-beater As a British success story, the Reliant Scimitar GTE remains one of the industry’s best-kept secrets. It’s also seemingly eternally underrated, [...]

Keith Adams I’ll start this blog by admitting I’m creating it from a completely biased position. My first (legal) car on the road was a Cavalier Mk1, and despite it being ropier than a ropey thing fashioned from hemp, I had a lot of great times in it. Character-building episodes, such as locking my keys [...]

Keith Adams Thanks to the generosity of the guys at Vauxhall Heritage, I’ve been able to tick off another of those ‘must-do’ drives. You see, I have a little bit of a dark secret. I love Vauxhalls. Okay, only certain ones, if I am honest. So, don’t worry, I am not going to idolise the [...]

Keith Adams continues AROnline’s series devoted to celebrating the great and the good that used to be familiar UK street furniture. Who remembers the Astra Mk1, a blisteringly capable, fun-to-drive small car that redefined Vauxhall’s standing in the small car field? We do, and we love ‘em! A quantum leap The Astra was a landmark [...]

Mark Mastrototaro casts a fond eye over one of the UK’s favourite imports during the 1970s, the Datsun 120Y. Why was it so popular? Striking British factories, waiting lists for Morrises, and an increasing disillusionment with home-made products meant the Sunny’s success in the UK was something of a home goal for the Brits. But [...]

Keith Adams takes a sideways look at one of those bangers, which once littered the streets of the UK. This one was loved and admired as a repmobile for a while, then fell into the hands of minicabbers, and bangerdom surely followed. But we’ve always loved the Citroën BX – perhaps unhealthily so at AROnline [...]

After spending time driving around the UK at Christmas, Mike Humble wonders if the Golf truly does lead where others merely follow. And comes to an unsurprising conclusion. Simply the best? I seem to have a certain affinity with Germany if I think and look hard enough, my record collection contains nearly everything Kraftwerk ever [...]

Mike Humble takes another sideways look at cars which once littered the streets up and down the land. This one, on paper, had little going for it – it was heavy, painfully slow in 1.4-litre form, and considering its size and bulk, was none too space efficient. Yet sold in once colossal numbers in the [...]

Keith Adams The Ford Escort MkIII, codenamed Project Erica, was a massive step forward for its maker. And Ford was keen for potential customers to be aware of its front-wheel drive challenger’s strongest assets. Three-times World Champion Jackie Stewart seemed impressed as he looked on at Ford’s test track at Lommel in Belgium, as did [...]

The fuel crisis of 1973 led many into believing the end of the petrol engined car was a near certainty – including Greek millionaire Giannis Goulandris, who oversaw fledgling UK carmaker Enfield Automotive’s entry into the EV market with the 8000. With 8bhp and a top speed of 40mph it probably wouldn’t cut the mustard [...]

Mike Humble takes a sideways look at one of the sheds that littered the highways and by-ways of the UK. The Ford Granada Mk2 might have smacked of Teutonic coolness, but it was its association with some very British characters that truly shaped its identity. And for Mike Humble, that’s more than enough to convince [...]

Keith Adams takes a sideways look at one of the sheds that littered the highways and by-ways of the UK. Forgotten today, the Vauxhall Chevette was once the apple of England’s eye. And back in the summer of 1987 – for better or worse – Keith Adams also succumbed to the Griffin’s charms. The General [...]

Mike Humble remembers yet another car that, not only once blessed the highways and by-ways of the UK, but seemingly travelled – the indestructible Peugeot 505. It was car that not only marked the end of rear-wheel drive for Peugeot, but was also the last big French saloon to sell in decent numbers in the [...]

We aim for the deep south of France on a single tank of fuel… our mission, to find old cars and buy great wine. Our car of choice for the adventure is a Volkswagen Passat 1.6TDI SE with Bluemotion technology – and it sure beats flying. Words: Keith Adams Photography: Keith Adams and Michael Hayward [...]

Mike Humble The continuing series of features about cars on the endangered list in the UK, according to data supplied by the brilliant How Many Left? website based on DVLA data. 11: Fiat Strada 60ES Yet another car from our series of seemingly extinct vehicles that rightly or wrongly have ended up as bean tins [...]

Back in the early-’80s, the big coupé market was sewn up with the BMW 6-Series, the Jaguar XJ-S and Mercedes-Benz SEC. But for those with a smaller budget who still yearned for a punchy straight-six, your local Vauxhall-Opel dealer was able to help you. Roomy and affordable, the Monza GSE offered good performance and sleek [...]