DERBY, England — There was a time when American automotive buyers might purchase sporty little convertibles primarily based on the platforms of econo-commuters, however that was again through the period of the 1991-1994 Mercury Capri and open-air variations of the Geo Metro and Yugo GV. These good occasions continued in Europe, although, and Peugeot had a gross sales hit with the retracting-hardtop 206 CC beginning with the 2000 mannequin yr. For immediately’s Junkyard Scrapyard Discover, we’re heading throughout the Atlantic for a have a look at a discarded instance of Vauxhall’s 206 CC competitor.
The principle goal of my four-day journey to England was to go to the scrapyards round York and Leeds, however I ended at an old-school breaker’s yard close to Derby on the drive up from Heathrow. Albert Looms Ltd has a captivating number of European equipment plus the occasional American-made car. Examine in later to see many extra Scrapyard Gems from England. (That is what they name junkyards over right here).
Vauxhall turned a part of the far-flung GM Empire again in 1925, and it remained there till being bought to the PSA Group in 2017. With the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA to type Stellantis in 2021, Vauxhall now will get its marching orders from Amsterdam. The Normal took a shot at promoting new Vauxhalls in the USA through the late Nineteen Fifties and early Sixties, with out a lot success (although I’ve managed to discover a Victor Tremendous Property in a Colorado automotive graveyard).
Beginning within the early Seventies, most Vauxhall fashions had been carefully associated to Opel counterparts; a few of these vehicles additionally had U.S.-market cousins or siblings (with various quantities of Isuzu and Daewoo DNA discovering their means into the combo now and again). In Australia, loads of Vauxhall fashions had been bought with Holden badging.
The Opel/Vauxhall/Holden/Chevrolet Tigra was inbuilt two generations, each primarily based on the Opel Corsa (sure, I’ve discovered a Corsa in an American junkyard). The 1994-2000 era was a coupe, whereas the 2004-2009 was a convertible with a hardtop that retracted into the boot.
Being Corsas below the pores and skin, these vehicles all had small engines and front-wheel-drive. Two gasoline engines had been accessible (a 1.4-liter and a 1.8-liter) plus a 1.3-liter diesel. This one is the 1.4, rated at 90 horsepower and 92 pound-feet. With a curb weight of two,557 kilos, this automotive would have been gradual however not intolerably so.
Not less than it has the five-speed guide.
A fender-bender simply unhealthy sufficient to fireside the airbags took it off the road.
It is a lot enjoyable that it’s going to make even a staid German spray urine all over the place.
Primarily the identical factor as Viagra. Happiness, squared!