Vauxhall Astra History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
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Model history available. Detailed year guides are not published for this model.
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The Astra arrived in 1979 (UK sales from 1980) as Vauxhall's front-wheel-drive family hatchback, effectively replacing the Viva. The first car was a rebadged Opel Kadett D, beginning a line that has been one of Britain's most popular cars for decades; the Mk2 of 1984 was voted 1985 European Car of the Year.
Successive generations kept the Astra near the top of the UK sales charts — the Mk5 was Britain's second-best-selling car in the mid-2000s. The line has spawned hot GTE, GSi and turbocharged VXR hatchbacks. The current generation moved onto the Stellantis EMP2/STLA platform and added the battery-electric Astra Electric, built (for some generations) at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant.
Body styles
- Hatchback
- Estate
- Saloon
- Convertible
Notable special editions & performance variants
Astra GTE
The fuel-injected hot-hatch Astra of the 1980s, a rival to the Golf GTI (Mk1 1983–1984, Mk2 1985–1991).
Astra VXR
Turbocharged hot-hatch flagship across the Mk5 (2005–2010) and Mk6 (2012–2019) Astra.
Related models
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