A Grand Monday: Vauxhall Cavalier 1.8L

By the time the latest (third-generation) Cavalier was being announced in October 1988, Vauxhall was on something of a roll. The long-running MkII Cavalier had managed to steal sales away from crucial rivals like the Ford Sierra and Austin Montego, and hopes were high that the MkIII would also perform well.

That’s exactly what it did, of course, appealing to family car buyers and fleet operators in equal measure. As with the Sierra, however, a good many of the standard-spec versions were operated by high-mileage sales reps when new, which helps explain why there are relatively few survivors now.

This Vauxhall Cavalier for sale – first registered in January 1990 – is one of the lucky ones. As a 1.8L it was the ideal spec for a company car, but instead fell into private ownership. With just one owner from new, a genuine mileage of 56,000 and the promise that it’s always been garaged, the vendor is happy to describe it as being in ‘superb condition throughout’.

This Cavalier is MoT’d until next January and apparently comes with a full service history. Oh, and despite it being a fairly lowly L model, it does boast a few niceties – including power steering, central locking and a sunroof. It also has a tow bar fitted, making it an ideal modern classic for anyone with a trailer or small caravan. Not only that, it’s bang on ‘Grand Monday’ budget at £1000.