Modern classic: the Vauxhall Astra

We’re here to celebrate an absolute mainstay of British motoring for over 40 years. Yes, the Vauxhall Astra has maintained its position, across its eight generations to date, as one of the UK's most popular family hatchbacks.

This is a genuinely British car, too. After all, the Astra was – for decades – built at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port factory in Cheshire. Several generations of the car were built here: it was only with the eighth-generation Astra of 2022 that production was moved to Germany.

The Ellesmere Port plant produced more than four million Astras from 1981 to 2022, and the Astra has been exported to 25 countries. Vauxhall claims that one in four Brits has owned or driven an Astra and that, collectively, more than 216 billion miles have been driven in Astras.

That distance (warning: mind-boggling statistic coming up) would take you to the sun and back no fewer than 1,160 times.

A hugely significant part of our recent motoring history, then. And the Astra has a remarkably similar timeline, in fact, with a certain key competitor. The VW Golf, another iconic hatchback, made its first appearance back in 1974, the Astra six years later in 1980.

The latter car got through its first two generations slightly quicker than the iconic Golf Marks 1 and 2, however, with the result that both models were ready to introduce their third-generation car in 1991. The Mark 4s came along in 1997 and 1998 respectively, and the Mark 5s in 2003/2004.

Both cars arguably hit their hot hatch peak with the second generation – that revered Golf GTI, and the even quicker Astra GTE, both being speed icons of the mid and late 1980s. Now, you won't be surprised to learn both Astra and Golf are now on the same (eighth) generation, and are more packed with tech, comfort and driver assistance trickery than ever before.

Let's take a deep dive back into Astra history, looking at the various generations and their plus and minus points. One or more of these Astras of yesteryear is likely to prove a great modern classic for you, so our advice is to start perusing the classifieds for the Astra of your choosing.

Remember to protect your investment with some modern classic car insurance.

Astra Mk1 (1980-1984): model history

We must begin by briefly unpicking the Astra's origins. The very first Vauxhall Astra, when it reached our shores, had a doppelganger in the form of the Opel Kadett.

What was going on there?

Well, German manufacturer Opel had been manufacturing small family cars known as the Kadett since 1962 (indeed, the name had been resurrected from a prewar model). The fourth generation (Kadett 'D') arrived in German showrooms in September 1979, boasting a far boxier look than its predecessor.

Yes, this was a car primed and ready for the square-jawed 1980s.

The Kadett 'D' reached UK showrooms by November 1979. However, if buyers wanted the same car with a British badge on the back, they could simply hang on a few months. That's because the mechanically and cosmetically identical Vauxhall Astra was launched in April 1980.

This twin was possible because both Vauxhall and Opel were part of a larger family, the US-based General Motors. GM had bought Vauxhall way back in 1925 for $2.5 million: soon after, in 1929, it purchased a majority share in the German brand, buying out the remaining shares in 1931.

The first joint production between the two marques had been the Vauxhall Viva 'HA' / Opel Kadett 'A', from 1963 onwards. But the Astra / Kadett 'D' would be the partnership's first identical twins.

Back in the late 1970s, the Kadett 'D's parent car, the 'C', had been the last rear-wheel drive Kadett. It had also formed the basis of the Vauxhall Chevette, which remained in production until 1984. Thus, in some ways, the Astra replaced not one but two small 1970s Vauxhalls, the Viva and Chevette.

(Were you a fan of the latter, by the way? We most definitely were – and we've got 15 reasons why in this feature).

Early cars were built in West Germany, but from November 1981 the car was also produced at Ellesmere Port. The Mk1 Astra came in three body styles: hatchback, saloon and estate. Of these, the hatchback was comfortably the most popular.

The estate did reasonable trade: the saloon, which looked very similar to the hatch but had a smaller boot lid, didn't sell in big numbers in hatchback-loving Britain.

Both the Astra and Kadett 'D' were sold, for some time, through their respective dealerships, with separate marketing campaigns and overlapping lineups in direct competition. Clearly this internal competition could not last, and by 1982 the lineup had been ironed out.

The Astra got the bulk of the range, with a few upmarket trim levels (the five-door Berlina and the sporty 1.6 SR, for example) still badged as Opels. Kadetts were eventually phased out altogether not long after this, leaving the field clear to the British-built Astra.

Astra Mk1: verdict

So where did that leave us with the first-generation Astra? What sort of a car was it, and how is it remembered today?

Well, with its front wheel drive and hatchback bodystyle, the Astra was certainly keeping up with the trends in late 1970s / early 1980s motoring.

The car was available, from the start, with 1.2, 1.3 and 1.6-litre engines – very similar to the Golf, incidentally, which could be acquired in 1.1, 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 guises. All Astras except the base 1.2 got a brand new Vauxhall/Opel engine with an all-aluminium head, overhead camshaft and hydraulic valve lifters.

Taking a cue from its Golf competitor, the Astra soon got a 1.8-litre, fuel-injection 'hot' version. The GTE was a genuine hot hatch for the 1980s, and a rival to the Golf GTI, Ford Escort XR3 and – for those after a more leftfield choice – the Fiat Strada 105TC. Yes, the car was competing in a crowded class – but it managed to carve a niche for itself.

It was the first UK car to sport that 'colour-coding' that later came to decorate so many GTIs, XR3s and the like. The car was most often seen in white – which included the wheel arch extensions, the side skirts, mirror covers, bumpers and even the alloy wheels.

This Astra came a fairly close second, in the 1980 European Car of the Year awards, to the Lancia Delta. It was, more significantly, a major sales success for Vauxhall, and helped the brand's cause in those ever-absorbing sales wars with Ford, which we looked back on fondly in this feature.

Nowadays, the Mk1 Astra makes a rather attractive used buy. The car is great to drive, with peppy engines and good handling. Its boxy square-edged looks date it, yes – but in a good way, giving it an instant classic status in a way that some subsequent generations arguably haven't (yet) achieved.

Look out for rust, though – as well as issues with the camshaft, a problem that cropped up fairly regularly with all Astras loaded with the new family of engines.

Given these concerns, some modern classic car insurance will be an essential companion to your Mk1 Astra purchase.

Astra Mk2 (1984-1991): model history

The interesting thing about the second-generation Astra is that, while it looked radically different from its predecessor, its underpinnings were not all that far removed. The car featured the same engine range as the Mk1, for example. Well, that range had been introduced for the first generation only five years previously, and had proved popular.

A clear case of 'if it ain't broke…'

The changes to the exterior were more apparent, however. The new Astra had a sleeker, more streamlined profile than its wedge-shaped parent. That produced gains for the car's aerodynamics as well as, arguably, its looks.

We love the retro straight lines of the Mk1 Astra – but you can argue that its successor is a more grown-up and graceful-looking car.

This car also achieved something that the earlier car had come so closely to doing. Yes, the Kadett 'E' / Mk2 Astra won the European Car of the Year award in 1985, beating back competition from the Renault 25 and (revenge for that 1980 result?) Lancia's Thema.

Incidentally, the latter car had a very interesting story of its own – it was one of a quartet of stylish large saloons produced through a partnership between three Italian marques and a Swede.

We tell some of the story of the 'Tipo Quattro', as they were called, in this feature.

Another distinctive feature of the Mk2 is that it was the only generation for which the saloon version got its own name. Yes, from 1986 until the generation was discontinued in 1991, an Astra with a separate boot was known as a… Belmont.

This separate saloon nomenclature was, by the way, a curious mid-1980s phenomenon here in Britain. With hatchbacks all the rage, manufacturers decided that they needed to position the saloon versions slightly upmarket, to give them their own niche.

And so it was that an Astra with a boot became a Belmont, while similar things happened to the saloon versions of the Escort (now an Orion) and Golf (Jetta).

These small saloons were marketed as slightly more grown-up, luxurious versions of their cheeky hatchback siblings – and sold to a slightly older market, who might not have caught the recent hatchback buzz in the same way as younger buyers. A look at this advert for the Ford Orion tells you all you need to know about the discerning clientele at whom 80s small saloons were aimed.

However, project 'Belmont' didn't really catch on, and for the next generation Vauxhall reverted to the Astra name across all body styles.

Astra Mk2: verdict

The other thing we all remember about the Mk2 Astra is the fire-breathing GTE hot hatch. Right from launch, this GTI/XR3 rival got 115bhp and a 126mph top speed, propelling it straight to the top of the hot-hatch class. By 1989, the GTE had evolved into a 16-valve monster capable of 150bhp. One to look for if speed is at the top of your wish list (and you love a proper 1980s bodykit, matching mirrors, spoiler and all).

Be prepared, though, for some relatively high modern classic car insurance premiums, as insurers won't be expecting you to tootle along at a sedate 30 mph in this car.

We'd also be wary of a 2006 Home Office report that showed the Belmont saloon version and the standard Mk2 car occupying the top two slots in a list of Britain's most stolen cars. Of course, they've doubtless been replaced at the top of the charts by other models as time has gone on.

For one thing, they are now quite rare: the brilliant website How Many Left gives us a total of just 41 Belmonts still in existence here in the UK.

All that said, we'd still be cautious to protect our Mk2 Astra (or Belmont) against any eventuality, with some modern classic car insurance.

Astra Mk3 (1991-1998): model history

An Astra for the 1990s! And also, as it turned out, an Astra for Opel, as the German marque decided to retire the 'Kadett' name for their version of this car. So, whether it had a Vauxhall or an Opel badge on it, that '90s small family hatch was known as an Astra.

Like its predecessor, the Mk3 was available as a three or five-door hatchback, a saloon, and an estate – and, again like the Mk2, those stylish Italians at Bertone got involved and produced a cabriolet version.

In many ways the Mk3 Astra did move the game on from the car that came before – as, of course, it had to in an increasingly competitive small family hatch market. As well as the usual Golf and Escort suspects, the sector now featured such capable cars as the popular Peugeot 306, Renault 19, fifth-generation Honda Civic and others.

The Mk3 took the fight to these competitors in a number of ways. For example, it got a range of new engines, including 1.4, 1.6 and two-litre petrols, plus 1.7-litre diesel and turbo diesel units.

Then there was the two-litre, 16-valve, fuel-injected unit that found its way into the Mk3's hot hatch version – now known as the 'GSi'. That stood for 'grand sports injection' – or 'get some insurance' as some wags were quick to name it, given the car's smoking performance and tendency to get taken for joyrides.

Its first incarnation, from 1991 to 1994, was only available in the 3-door body style, and its fiery 150bhp, 16-valve engine did indeed make this an expensive car to insure. Indeed, premiums were rising at the time, which did, alas, contribute to a slight downturn in the popularity of hot hatches like this.

For the next three years, your options for a sporty Mk3 centred around the more modest 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 ecotec engines, which could be specified in hatchback or estate configurations.

Astra Mk3: verdict

Alongside those new engines, other improvements to this Astra for the '90s included a softer, more cushioning ride. Power steering was also available on all models from 1995. If you've been used to driving modern cars with this technology, the jump to an older vehicle with conventional steering can be hard at first – so you may want to look around for a post-'95 model.

Given all this, the car managed to be probably the most comfortable and refined in its class when it hit showrooms in 1991. Yes, in terms of build quality and driver comforts, the Mk3 was a significant step forward.

It was also a much safer car than previous generations – indeed, the Mk3 Astra was able to call itself one of the safest cars of its era. This was a time when some key safety features, which had before been the preserve of luxury saloons, began finding their way into smaller cars.

So, for example, this generation of Astra got airbags, twin side impact bars, a toughened safety cage, a steering wheel with collapsible columns, and front seatbelt pretensioners.

Various crash tests, such as one shown on BBC's Watchdog in 1992, indicated that the car protected better in crashes than most rivals of its time. In short, the Mk3 Astra was a remarkably safe car and now worthy of protection with some modern classic car insurance.

That nice mix of safety and performance meant that the Mk3 was a popular police car – as you'll see from a wealth of TV shows of the time such as Dalziel and Pascoe, Taggart and Prime Suspect. If you do end up owning one of these '90s staples, you'll want to join the Vauxhall Astra Mk3 Owners Club.

This friendly owners' club will be an invaluable source of help and expertise when it comes to getting (and keeping) your Astra on the road.

Mk4 (1998-2004) and onwards

The fourth incarnation of the Astra was a decent car that deserved a good run as Britain's most popular family hatchback. Trouble was, there was some very capable competition in the form of its exact contemporary, the Mk4 VW Golf.

Like Vauxhall's car, the Golf took a step upmarket for this generation, with a notably plusher interior than before, and became the car of choice for UK drivers who needed a family hatch with a bit of a premium feel.

Then, in 1999, something else happened to challenge the Astra's position at the top table. And that something was… the Ford Focus.

The replacement for the long-serving Escort was, simply, an incredibly good car: sharp to look at (an early beneficiary of Ford's futuristic 'New Edge' design language), and reliable and affordable to maintain. Most importantly of all, though, it was absolutely brilliant to drive, and thus lured tens of thousands of drivers who wanted a few more thrills out of their daily drive.

The Mk1 Focus is, without doubt, a classic car in waiting – which is why it merited inclusion in our piece on future classics.

All of which shouldn't detract from the Mk4 Astra's solid set of attributes: it was reliable, comfortable, decent to drive, and blessed with an wide and impressive range of engines. This motor will now make a very affordable used buy, as it is not yet (unlike the Focus) even nudging at classic status.

That said, if you do acquire a Mk4 Astra, come to us and we'll be happy to provide you with some modern classic car insurance.

After that, through generations five, six and seven, Astras got progressively more comfortable and tech-laden. We haven’t a bad word to say about any of them – the Mk5 moved things on significantly again, while the Mk7 dialled some agility back in after the Mk6 gained a bit of weight in its push upmarket.

However, if you're after a classic Astra, we'd steer you in particular towards the first four generations.

A modern classic deserves modern classic car insurance

The Vauxhall Astra, in its earliest incarnations at least, is now widely recognised as a modern classic. If you own – or have your eye on – an early-generation Astra, our modern classic car insurance will be a great fit for you and your Vauxhall.

Why not contact us for a modern classic car insurance quote today