1984 VAUXHALL CARLTON 2200i CD
Used car addict Keith Adams looks back at his best – and worst – classic car buys. This week, a random auction buy that became a rather involved project
WHY DID YOU WANT ONE?
I bought this Carlton at a car auction on a whim and is an example of the problem I have with my car-buying itchy trigger finger. It was a typical car auction that majored in trade-ins and dealer castoffs that no one wanted to retail, so you could pick up a real bargain.
It was getting towards the end of the evening, my adrenaline was running high and I was getting to the stage where I thought I ought to be joining in. So I began to picture myself sitting in this silver 1984 Vauxhall Carlton’s blue velour driver’s seat and gripping its oversized steering wheel as it hoved into view. The auctioneer struggled to get anyone interested in bidding on it so you can guess the rest – I shouted out ‘twenty quid’, a bid that was instantly accepted. The Carlton was mine – and other than knowing that it had been driven in to the arena under its own steam, I had no idea what I’d just bought.
WAS IT A JOY – OR A NIGHTMARE – TO LIVE WITH?
Driving it home on a cold, dark autumn evening revealed no horrors. It steered and braked in a straight line and accelerated smartly. It felt a bit agricultural compared with the Citroën CX that I’d just sold, but in typical Vauxhall fashion, I loved its wellengineered feel, commanding driving position and a feeling of solidity that had me wondering why Vauxhall hadn’t sold more of them. I felt pretty good with myself – it was a bona fide auction bargain.
Reality kicked in the following morning, and my positive vibes were soon vanquished in the cold light of day when I realised just how scabby it was and how poorly the paint had fared. The MoT had expired, too, which meant that I’d need to get it legal before I could go anywhere in it. But fortune favours the brave, right? So I threw caution into the wind and set about getting it back on the road.
WHAT’S YOUR ABIDING MEMORY OF IT?
My welding skills are non-existent but I can tidy paint up and make a car look decent. I decided to get a local classicfriendly guy to weld it up and although it didn’t cost me a lot (although several multiples of what I paid for the whole car), it took months for him to get it done between jobs. I tidied it up and MoT’d it once I’d managed to get my hands back on it and then enjoyed a summer’s driving in it. The Carlton was a pleasant car to own; being a flagship 2200i CD, it had a factory sunroof and optional trip computer, and it really did drive very well indeed. Mind you, this generation of Carlton was a rare sight even 20 years ago and although I enjoyed feeling that I was in something just a little bit left-field, I did worry about parts supply. In the end I sold it (at a loss, of course) to make way for a Rover SD1, but was happy that I had rescued it from a fate worse than death. This one was a bit of a labour of love and it made no financial sense whatsoever, but I’d have another like a shot!
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR BUYING ONE?
Your first challenge in buying any Vauxhall Carlton is finding one. They seem to have suffered particularly badly from attrition and the blame for this can be laid squarely at the door of its ability to rust like a 1970s Lancia. They’re mechanically rugged, with tough engines and transmissions shared with the Opel Manta. So, if you manage to find one, then you’re halfway there to enjoying a decent example, as long as it checks out around the suspension mounts, sills, windscreen and sunroof surround.
WHAT I PAID £20 IN 1999
PRICE NOW £10005000