The world's largest collection of historic British cars
The world's largest collection of historic British cars
The Vauxhall Astra is a compact car family car that has been produced over eight generations since 1980. A very similar version of the car is produced for the German and European market by Opel - the first two variants being badged ‘Kadett’ with the Mk 3 being the first Astra-badged Opel.
Released in 1991, the Astra Mk 3 was an evolution of the Mk 2, rather than a completely new design. It was initially fitted with the engines from its predecessor, but in 1994 underwent a revamp which included a new set of ‘Ecotec’ power units, trim updates and the new corporate-looking ‘V’ front grille.
The top-of-the-range Vauxhall Astra Mk 3 was the three-door GSi, powered by a similar ‘red-top’ 2.0-litre engine. The GSi also featured a sports body kit and various appropriately sporty interior accoutrements, such as supportive seats, additional instrumentation and a chunky steering wheel.
Production of the GSi was short-lived due to a drop in sales from sharp rises in insurance premiums, but it was reintroduced with a cleaner and less powerful ‘Ecotec’ engine in 1997. With the launch of the Mk 4 in 1998, the model lived in the shadow of the soon-to-be-announced Ford Focus.
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