The Vauxhall Corsa was initially launched in 1982 by then owners General Motors and built in Spain. The first generation was badged as a Nova in the UK, but from 1993 when the second generation was launched, the Europe-wide name of Corsa was used. The Corsa B was available in Britain as either a three or five-door hatchback with a range of trim levels and engines.

The range of petrol engines included a 1.0-litre three-cylinder economy motor from Suzuki, 1.2, 1.4, and 1.6-litre four-cylinder units, and the ultra-economical Isuzu 1.5-litre or GM 1.6-litre turbocharged diesels. Most Corsa B models had a five-speed manual transmission, with a four-speed automatic as an option, and a four-speed manual on the lowest specification model.

By 1998 the Corsa was the best-selling car in the world and still only on its second generation. The Corsa B was eventually replaced in 2000 by the Corsa C and by 2007 sales had hit eighteen million worldwide. In 2019 the subsequent alphabetic generation designations reached F and in 2021 it was the UK’s most popular car of the year.