Opel Corsa History
History
Launched in September 1982 at Opel's Zaragoza plant in Spain, the Corsa A was Opel's entry into the booming supermini class, sold in the UK as the Vauxhall Nova. It offered three- and five-door hatchback bodies alongside a separate sedan variant, at prices that made it an immediate volume success.
Five further generations followed — Corsa B (1993), C (2000), D (2006), E (2014), and the current Corsa F (2019) — each refining the formula. The sixth-generation Corsa F, developed after Opel moved to PSA/Stellantis ownership, shares its CMP platform with the Peugeot 208 and launched alongside the fully electric Corsa-e. More than 14 million Corsas had been sold by its 40th anniversary in 2022.
Generations
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Corsa A
The original — Opel's supermini debut, sold as the Vauxhall Nova in the UK.
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Corsa C
Rounder, more modern styling that became the template for future generations.
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Corsa F
PSA-era Corsa on the CMP platform — shares underpinnings with the Peugeot 208 and launched with an electric variant.
Body styles
- Hatchback
- Sedan
Notable special editions & performance variants
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Corsa-e
Fully electric version of the sixth-generation Corsa, launched alongside the petrol models and one of Opel's first mainstream EVs.
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Corsa OPC / GSi
Performance variants across multiple Corsa generations — OPC (Opel Performance Centre) typically offered around 180–210 hp.
Related models