THE CAVALIER MK. II: ONE OF VAUXHALL’S MOST IMPORTANT CARS

The year is 1981, and you are visiting the London Motor Fair. Older readers will recall how the NEC Motor Show was staged every two years, leaving scope for the Motor Trade Association to produce its own event at Earls Court. The second-generation attention Volkswagen Polo and Passat naturally draws your attention, as do the Ford Fiesta XR2 and Capri Injection, the Renault 9 and the Triumph Acclaim. There is also the remarkable De Lorean, while the star of the Vauxhall stand is the new Cavalier Mk. II.

`

From a perspective of 40 years, it is sometimes hard to appreciate what a gamble the ‘GM J–Car’ represented for Luton. It was only the second Griffin badged FWD vehicle – the Astra was the first in late 1979 – at a time when the RWD Cortina Mk. V dominated the fleet market. On the 21 October 1981, The Guardian published a report detailing how 39% of ‘Cars for Representatives’ were Fords, as opposed to seven per cent of Vauxhalls.

Furthermore, not only did the Cavalier II feature a transverse engine, it was also available as a five-door hatchback. This marked a further departure for Vauxhall, while its only direct British built rival was the Talbot Alpine: production of the Austin Maxi ceased on the 8 July 1981. The Cavalier’s Opel Ascona C counterpart was never sold in the UK to ensure its success further.

Rex Greenslade of Motor previewed the range in August 1981, and he wrote: “For the first time, the Cavalier is a Vauxhall rival to the Cortina that can be truly viewed as leaping ahead instead of vainly trying to catch up. With Ford’s Cortina replacement still a year away and even then, still rear–wheel–drive Dagenham’s management must view the new Cavalier’s entry into the market place with some trepidation.”

Such observations would have been well received at Luton, for the Cavalier did indeed look refreshingly contemporary. By contrast, Ford had treated the Cortina to a clever facelift in 1979, but its bodyshell was now five years old. BL introduced the Morris Ital in 1980, but it was an upgrade of the Marina, which debuted in 1981, while the new Acclaim was more of an Astra competitor. As for Talbot, neither the Alpine nor the Solara had really impacted the British motorist.

Autocar thought the new Cavalier ‘deserves success’ and Car stated it ‘sets standards which are bound to challenge and worry every rival designer and engineer’. Indeed, by 1984 it was the UK’s second most popular car, outselling the Ford Sierra. The Mk. III replaced the Mk. II on the 14 October 1988, and any surviving model now looks as uber–1981 as a Sinclair ZX computer. And so, here in tribute, is the incredibly over the top launch advertisement, complete with bombastic voiceover.

Why choose Lancaster Insurance?

Here at Lancaster, we love classic cars as much as you do and we understand what it takes to protect them for future generations.

We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.

Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:

• Historic rally cover
• Static show cover
• Limited mileage discounts
• Choice of repairer
• 24-hour claims helpline

Give your classic the protection it deserves and get classic motor cover today.