Vectra super touring… car i’d forgotten existed

[Roboticarm]

Yesterday morning me and the kids are heading up to Leeds, join the motorway in Chester and end up behind a car id forgotten existed, the Vectra Super Touring, this one is absolutely mint as well.

I get my 11 year old to take some photos since I'm driving








I tell the kids about it, saying I'm pretty sure it's really rare, limited production and of course now quite old so won't be many left.

Get to Leeds and Google "Vectra super touring" the top result is only a picture of this exact car

Then a few posts down I find this

https://www.manorparkclassics.com/auction/lot/lot-...

It really is rare and it really is mint.

Amazing how an otherwise mundane drive can turn up something like this.
My current car has some sentimental value so I'd really love if 20 years from now mine was a mint as this still

[Roboticarm]

Later in the drive we end up behind a soft top Aston Martin vantage on Belgian plates with the number plate vantage.
Kids can't understand why I find the Vectra more exciting

[ShredderXLE]

That is awesome! One for the special editions thread.

[MDMA .]

Really nice car. A lad who was a few years older than me at school had the GSi version with the V6 engine in. Fitted with a Magnex exhaust (remember them)? Sounded and went alright.

[LP670]

I think there was a Calibra version as well, they both had the yellow flashes on the door strips like the BTCC vectra and DTM Calibra had on their race liveries.

[Jamescrs]

Reminded me of going to look at a Vectra V6 probably 20 years ago and I ended up buying an Omega V6 instead which was a lovely car until my father borrowed it and blew the engine, It prompted me to go on Autotrader, only 3 Omegas for sale now and all look very rough and old man spec. Mine was a manual and British racing green. Sorry for going off piste just wanted to reminisce on it

[entropy]

I remember these because MSD re-engineered the chassis because they also built the Vectra Challenge cars as well as the Peugoet 406 in BTCC.

At the time I thought they were rather naff and 'council' and no amount of rework was going to redeem a boring MOR repmobile. OK, maybe the V6! Still glad they exist nonetheless.

[s m]

Always liked the Vectra ST200 and GSi

Friend owned one of the late ‘Motorsport’ Cavaliers. The V6 punched above its quoted horsepower as another mate can attest to in his E30 M3

[Debaser]

They used these at the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School at Donington Park.

[M22s]

great spot! A lot of people bag-off the Vectra but the ST’s were, in my opinion really cool cars.

[Joscal]

When I started work I got hand me down very leggy reps cars and was delighted when I got a white Vectra 1.8i 4x4 a rare beast in its day and almost as good as the Sierra Sapphire 1.8L it replaced.

A gentler time and life seemed so much simpler then!

[WPA]

Was the Super Touring before the GSI, 500 only from memory.

The ST200 was super rare they only made 38 cars.

All mk1 GSI's were built by MSD later cars were all Vauxhall.

[Dominic TVRetto]

Which was the version(s) with the Lotus-tuned 200bhp 2.5 V6..?

[WPA]

Dominic TVRetto said:

Which was the version(s) with the Lotus-tuned 200bhp 2.5 V6..?

That was the ST200 but not Lotus but MSD from what I understand

[Pablo_Picasso]

WPA said:

That was the ST200 but not Lotus but MSD from what I understand

They did look at reworked ECUs etc. but a pair of 3 litre cams was all they needed in the end.

[s m]

Joscal said:

When I started work I got hand me down very leggy reps cars and was delighted when I got a white Vectra 1.8i 4x4 a rare beast in its day and almost as good as the Sierra Sapphire 1.8L it replaced.

A gentler time and life seemed so much simpler then!

Never heard of a Vectra 1.8 4x4 in Uk??? Overseas car????

They did a 2.0 4x4 in the Cavalier with 8v and 16v ( GSi )

Edited by s m on Monday 18th August 21:23

[Mr Tidy]

s m said:

They did a 2.0 4x4 in the Cavalier with 8v and 16v ( GSi )

I briefly borrowed a 2.0i L Cavalier 4x4 from a mate and really liked it. It went pretty well because the 4x4 had the SRi 130bhp engine rather than the 115bhp fitted to the L, GLS and CD models.

[s m]

Mr Tidy said:

s m said:

They did a 2.0 4x4 in the Cavalier with 8v and 16v ( GSi )

I briefly borrowed a 2.0i L Cavalier 4x4 from a mate and really liked it. It went pretty well because the 4x4 had the SRi 130bhp engine rather than the 115bhp fitted to the L, GLS and CD models.

Yes they got good reviews in the mags of the time like Car and Autocar, Performance Car

[UK_Scat_Pack]

I remember a mate of mine having the 2.0 Super Touring. Sadly it got remodelled by a truck!
I remember you could have them either Graphics package with the decals on the sides or the plain white with the little badge instead.

[grumpynuts]

I had a mk1 Vectra GSi new in 1998 as a company car.Did 60,000 very happy miles in it. It had big wheels for the time (17"),MSD put the heads from a 3.0 senator and re did the suspension.It had a bit of a body kit and really nice Recaro seats,loved it.
It had a lovely growl when you revved it and saw 150 on the speedo which was mega in 1998.It drove well,steering feedback was good and was a great antidote to my colleagues who got 318i beemers.
What i really liked was that it blended in on the roads,it was just another vecra and no one,especially plod,noticed it.Good memories.This one looks a minter,time warp car.