The best car of my youth

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vauxhall Astra MK1 GTE
★★★★★
4.7
87.0% of users recommend this
  • Performance

  • Practicality

  • Reliability

  • Value For Money

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Stublue's review of vauxhall Astra MK1 GTE

“The best car of my youth”

★★★★★

written by Stublue on 21/08/2012

You have to remember that back in 1984 when my Astra Gte was built, and back in 1988 when I bought it as a 18 year old for 4500 quid, that cars were simple! Engine, wind down windows, radio and tape player, anti corrosion treatment as an extra! I traded in my 1979 ford cortina for this car. It cost me 850 quid to insure, that's about 3 million quid today! This car was proper fast, not XR2 fast, faster, not fiat Mirafori sport fast, faster. It just pulled in all 5 gears, like mad, like nothing else I could afford! It pulled better than me at 18 which is a woeful comparison. The body work on mine was fine. No rust. The interior a recaro snug seat afair. The paint in bright white. My older brothers were jealous! Lots of people turned to look at it. Not me, it! This is without doubt a classic machine. From its inception. It never received the critical acclaim it should have done. It was always the lady in waiting to the gti and not the bride. It was chaulk and cheese better than a gti! Characterful, precise, pretty in a characterful way, fast, easy to maintain a q car. We used to argue who would drive to the pub, xr2, Mirafori or Astra. Some times we all drove and raced to the local chippy at 10.30. I failed my a levels cos of this car. I was out too much. It was my nemesis. I loved it, drove it, raced it, posedin it, pulled in it, shagged in it and finally sold it to travel the world for 3300 quid! This car was my was overtaken by the mk2 but not in my book. The mk2 was mainstream, the mk1 excusive! If i could buy another I would. These days I am in my 40s, have had my mid life crisis, married 3 kids and happy but the white Mk1 sits fondly in my mind. When I drive down the local dual carriageway in my eurobox I remember tearing down the the same road at 125mph (on the clock at least) with no worries except how I would explain to my parents why I was so late! What a great car at exactly the right time in my life. 10 out of 10.

  • 1984

    Year Manufactured

  • 2

    Length of ownership

  • 3

    Doors

  • Performance

  • Practicality

  • Reliability

  • Value For Money

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