The Vauxhall Vectra was Vauxhall’s mid-size family car from 1995 to 2008, sold in two generations after the Cavalier name was retired. The first Opel Vectra had appeared in 1988, but British buyers knew it as the Cavalier until the Vectra B arrived in October 1995.
Vauxhall Vectra at a glance
| Maker | Vauxhall (Opel Vectra on the continent) |
|---|---|
| Opel Vectra A | 1988–1995, sold in Britain as the Cavalier |
| Vauxhall Vectra B | October 1995 – 2002 |
| Vauxhall Vectra C | 2002 – 2008 |
| Bodies | saloon, hatchback and estate |
| Vectra A engines | 1.4 75 PS to 2.0 130 PS; 2.0 16V 150 PS |
| Vectra A four-wheel drive | from January 1989; turbo of 204 PS from 1992 |
| Vectra A facelift | September 1992 |
| Replaced by | Vauxhall Insignia, October 2008 |
Written from the English and German Wikipedia articles on the Opel Vectra. In Britain the Vectra A was sold as the Cavalier, so the Vauxhall Vectra article covers the B and C generations.
History of the Vauxhall Vectra
The Opel Vectra was introduced in October 1988 for the 1989 model year as a four-door saloon replacing the Opel Ascona C, with a five-door hatchback following in March 1989 and a coupé based on it, the Calibra, at the end of that year. Both were designed by Wayne Cherry, Opel’s design chief at the time, and the Vectra name was coined by Manfred Gotta. Vauxhall, which shared most of its models with Opel, did not use the Vectra name at first: in Britain the car continued as the Cavalier, effectively making the Vectra A a third-generation Cavalier. Left-hand-drive Opel Vectras were, however, built at Vauxhall’s Luton plant for export.
The 1989 Vectra came in Base, LS, GL, GLS, CD and GT forms, with engines from a 75 PS 1.4 to a 130 PS 2.0. The top Vectra 2000 16V arrived in September 1989 with a 150 PS sixteen-valve 2.0, available only as a saloon and with four-wheel drive as an option. Two four-wheel-drive versions joined the range in January 1989, and in September 1992 a limited-edition turbocharged model with 204 PS appeared; in 1994 a four-wheel-drive turbo Vectra served as the Formula One safety car at the San Marino Grand Prix. A 2.5-litre V6 of 170 PS came towards the end of the car’s life, turning it into a relaxed motorway cruiser, and there were Isuzu and Opel 1.7-litre diesels.
The front suspension was fully independent with MacPherson struts, pressed steel lower arms and an anti-roll bar, mounted with the engine and gearbox on a front subframe. Front-wheel-drive cars had a semi-independent torsion beam rear axle, while the four-wheel-drive GSi, 4×4 and Turbo models used a fully independent subframe-mounted rear suspension with semi-trailing arms. A facelift in September 1992 brought new grilles, a black strip above the rear lamps and a stronger structure, with airbags available from 1993.
In October 1995 the Vectra B arrived in Britain and the Cavalier name was retired in favour of Vectra, which is why the Vauxhall Vectra is usually counted from 1995. The Vectra C followed in 2002, and the line ended in October 2008 when the Insignia replaced both the Vectra and the Signum.
Design and features
- Two names, one car: the 1988 Vectra A was the Cavalier in Britain.
- Four-wheel drive: offered on 2.0 16V, GSi and Turbo models.
- Turbo: the 204 PS limited edition of 1992.
- V6 cruiser: the 2.5-litre 170 PS engine of later cars.
Vauxhall Vectra versions
- Vectra A (1988–1995): the Cavalier in Britain, saloon and hatchback.
- Vectra 2000 16V: 150 PS, saloon only, four-wheel drive optional.
- Vectra 4×4 Turbo: 204 PS, and a Formula One safety car in 1994.
- Vectra B (1995–2002): the first car sold in Britain as a Vectra.
- Vectra C (2002–2008): the final generation, with estate body.
The Vectra replaced the Cavalier and was itself replaced by the Insignia; its coupé sister was the Calibra. More cars are in the Vauxhall collection.
Sources
- Opel Vectra, English Wikipedia: generations, engines, suspension, names
- Opel Vectra, German Wikipedia: model history
