Beschreibung
This Cavalier Convertible/ Cabriolet 1. 8i Automatic was built for General Motors (GM) in a time harking-back to the Filofax and Motorola “Brick” mobiles, in the hands of the “Yuppie”,. the young upwardly-mobile professional….. Miami Vice and Top Gun soundtracks were all around us, and Cameo's “Word Up” was #1 in the charts. During the eighties we were applauding comebacks from the likes of Niki Lauda, Tina Turner, Ronald Reagan and then Vauxhall, with the MKII Cavalier.
This delightfully nostalgic Cavalier MKII Convertible was certain to delight fans of the Griffin badged cars. The top of the sporty range was an SRI, but the more exclusive MKII model were these factory converted convertibles, by German Coachbuilder (Voll), under the Hammond & Thiede brand.
Voll also built the Opel Ascona Cabrio in limited numbers and this example is a very rare 1986 Cavalier 1. 8i Cabriolet Automatic, with only 1, 283 RHD convertibles delivered into the UK market, and now just 34 (26 SORN & 8 Licensed) examples are in existence today. And this is one of the lowest genuine mileage examples on the road today, with only 33, 270 documented miles that have been driven in 36 years.
A real understated and an overlooked Classic today, but at very affordable and sensible prices when you can find one! However, impossible to find one in this condition......
The History
The Mk. II Cavalier, built from 1981 to 1988, was General Motors’ first ‘world car’, as the Escort was to Ford. In essence, the front-wheel drive J-car platform which underpinned it was to be built and marketed all around the world with only cosmetic and trim differences, so that there were Chevrolet versions made in America and Brazil,
Isuzus in Japan, Opels in Germany and South Africa and Holdens in Australia. In Britain, the Cavalier was an immediate hit, being the nation’s second best-selling car in 1984 and 1985 after the Ford Escort, with annual sales exceeding 130, 000. It was even second-placed in the 1982 European Car of the Year award, behind the Renault 18.
All of this amounted to a very cosmopolitan saloon which would ably serve middle-income families in every corner of the globe, but the convertible, adapted from the two-door Opel Ascona saloon by Hammond & Thiede in Germany and priced at almost £11, 000, was a little bit different. With the roof down, the Cavalier was visually lengthened and its long, crisp lines evoked an ocean-going yacht, an effect that was all the more apparent when it was specified in dazzling white with leather upholstery. T
Its history of private ownership can be traced back to 1989, when it was owned by a D. Smartt of Aldermaston and sold to Graham Fleetwood of Tadley, Hampshire. Fleetwood retained the car for 10 months before selling it to John Wise of Hendon. Mr. Wise ran the car until 2005 and was evidently something of an enthusiast, as he was a member of the Vauxhall Convertible Car Club (formerly Vauxhall Cavalier Convertible Club) from 1993 to 1998.
In 1993, he had the car re-registered as JIW 1600, but its original number has since been returned. In 2006, the car was bought by Jack Saunders of Bournemouth from a lady whom we believe to have been Mr. Wise’s widow. Saunders was also a keen VCCC member and kept the car for several years.
The vendor acquired the car two years ago, since when it has hardly been used, although it has been well stored & garaged. There is a total of nine registered keepers, though this is somewhat misleading as two keepers were from the same family and one appears twice in succession!
The Paperwork
For what was once a rather overlooked car, this Cavalier comes with a remarkably large history file, much of which is courtesy of Messrs. Wise and Saunders. There is a V5 of course, and sheets of paperwork, many of which are invoices for services and parts paid for by Wise and Saunders, plus some correspondence with other Cavalier owners.
There is also a large number of MOT certificates running from 1989 to 2021. The Cavalier had a fresh MOT issued on 25th October 2021 at 33, 268 miles, which is +36 miles since the last MOT in August 2020. And in the previous ten years the mileage has been approximately 1, 500 miles in total, or circa 150 miles on average per year.
In the way of original Vauxhall literature, we think there is actually more than there would have been when the car was new. The Vauxhall-GM-Opel plastic wallet contains the Vauxhall Cavalier Operation/ Safety/ Maintenance booklet, Audio Manual, Commitment to Customer Satisfaction, a Cavalier Convertible Owner’s Manual Supplement, a tape cassette entitled Cavalier Convertible: The Convertible Investment, Vauxhall-Opel Sureguard insurance booklet, Approved Accessories leaflet and C30 GMF’s original Maintenance Programme.
There is also a Gemini Car Alarm Systems booklet, Philips DC 752 radio manual, Vauxhall Cavalier Convertible Club Members’ Reference Book, old VCCC membership cards, some tax discs, a copy of the Spring, 2008, issue of Practical Classics (which includes the Mk. II Cavalier in a feature on classic convertibles) and a Cavalier convertible buyer’s guide from the June 30th, 2010, edition of Classic Car Weekly.
The Interior
The interior of this Cavalier is in very good order, though as you can see, has been refurbished over the years. As far as we can tell, it is all original and has survived remarkably well. It would appear that the front and rear seats, which are trimmed in a fetching cream leather, have been taken from a Vauxhall Calibra.
The leather presents in good order, with no heavy wear nor any damage to be noted. The door cards and rear interior panel have all been re-trimmed in a light cream covering, over which the original furniture has been affixed. While not standard, it does a wonderful job for further brightening the cabin.
The condition of the dash, centre console and steering wheel is excellent and we are most impressed to note that the car still has its original Philips DC 752 radio cassette-player, which is by now a very rare item. This Cavalier convertible really was a luxurious car for its time, and is also fitted with power windows, a heater and a clock. The carpets are very clean and are still protected by the original rubber mats.
The boot is excellent, and the carpet lifts to reveal the spare tyre and jack. Additionally, the car is being sold with a spare headlining and material for upholstering the doors. There really is no need for the interior to be refurbished, but it’s nice to know that the material’s there if you need it.
The Exterior
Outside, the car is in very good condition indeed. The gloss white paint is in good order across the car, and crucially shows no sign of any corrosion weeping through. You will struggle to find any blemishes whatsoever, apart from a small mark on the foremost tip of the bonnet.
All the exterior glass is excellent, and the plastic fittings are extremely good, while the badges just have a very light patina. There are some minor scuffs at the corners of the bumpers, but these are very mild and would not be spotted except under the closest scrutiny. The bumpers have of course 'greyed' a little over the years but if heated would return to their original black condition.
Underneath, you will be satisfied that the car is in excellent order and, given the brilliant, original condition of the car as a whole, it is likely that it has ever been welded. The chances of finding another car of this type which is so solid are probably very slim.
The alloy wheels have survived very well and have a few chips and blemishes on the surface, but all are very minor. The glass, too, is excellent and the convertible roof (which includes a tonneau cover) does not look like it has ever been raised or lowered on more than a handful of occasions. There is a small "home" repair on the rear window RH corner that could do with a little professional support.
The Appeal
Anyone who passed their youth in the 1980s will be overcome with memories at the sight of a Mk. II Cavalier, but the convertible model has an appeal reaching much further than dewy-eyed nostalgia.
Although the Vauxhall badge kept it from being fashionable when new, today we can appreciate its crisp styling and understated elegance and we might venture to suggest that it is just as good-looking as trendier convertibles from BMW and Saab. Though engineering might not be quite in the same league as BMW’s, the 1. 8-litre fuel-injected engine still gave performance which was more than respectable. Additionally, this was a fully-optioned car with the effortless Automatic transmission and rare Power assisted steering options, couple those with the sumptuous leather seats and you have modern day performnce & comfort combined.
Essentially, what one gets with the Cavalier is a car with all the appeal of a luxury European four-seater convertible but with greatly increased rarity for a fraction of the cost. It’s tempting to think that a car this rare and original should be in a museum, but it makes most sense to use it, enjoying sun-drenched trips to the coast with the family.
