CAVALIER MKIII
Numbers have plummeted since its 1990s heyday. Time to bag a good one!
‘It makes perfect sense because it’s cheap to buy and run’
The problem with a lot of late Eighties and early Nineties cars is that they’re old enough to be largely extinct but too young to be interesting. They’re still seen as old bangers that haven’t stood the test of time terribly well. While the final iteration of the Vauxhall Cavalier could arguably fall into this category, it still manages to look fresh and interesting almost three decades after it was first shown.
When the Cavalier MkIII was launched in 1988, Vauxhall needed to be bold. Its predecessor was outclassed by rivals such as the Peugeot 405 and Nissan Bluebird while the Ford Sierra outsold it two to one. GM needed to up the stakes and the 22-strong range of saloons and hatchbacks (there was no estate) reflected this; it was a much higherquality product than the MkII. Despite this, by the time the MkIII arrived, more than a million Cavaliers had been sold in the UK. GM’s plan paid off; in 1990 the Cavalier had its best ever annual sales, with 138,357 registered, but by July 1995 it was all over, the Vectra taking over from the Cavalier. Along the way Vauxhall had offered a Cavalier of every kind, from the eco-focused 1.4 to the seriously quick 2.5 V6 and Turbo, the latter also coming in 4x4 form. With diesels and autos also part of the mix, there really was something for everyone.
Now, the Cavalier still makes perfect sense because it’s cheap to buy and run thanks to its simplicity. Most jobs can be tackled on a DIY basis, parts availability is generally good and there’s a decent spread of good cars to go around.
If you’re buying only for occasional use, be open-minded about what to buy; some of the more prosaic editions are unloved but they tend to still be very usable. Even the 1.4-litre petrol engine provides reasonable pace and while the auto isn’t very rapid, if you’re in no hurry it might be just the job, not least because you’ll probably pay buttons for it.