vauxhall Astra MK1 GTE

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.

WOW!!!! the MK1 Astra GTE was my first ever car at 21 yrs old, i reluctantly sold it as i was in the Royal Navy and was going to sea for 10 month, that was a decision i have regretted from the day it sold. i have owned some fast cars in my time e.g mitsubishi fto,subaru impreza wrx to name some, but none have gave me the experience or thrill that the lower powered MK1 Astra GTE gave me. The pure driveability of the GTE was second to none and it could even take on the newer escort RS turbo's which i frequently beat at the traffic lights.I will find one and restore it and i'm pretty sure it will still kick Butt with the modern hot hatches.

Excellent reliability, easy to work on, parts are interchangeable with other Vauxhalls, very tunable, came with a 1.2/1.3/1.6 and 1.8 engines with 3 door and 5 door hatchback and also a 2 door saloon, I had one for my 1st car 15 years ago and still miss it now...

Great car if you can get one in solid condition otherwise prepare for a full body restore, rust protection on these were never great, it's the one thing that killed them off, shame...

The MK1 Astra is a good car to drive and goes well with a cav turbo lump in but you need a good shell. Not many around now though.

I had a GTE MK1 was the best car I have owned, I miss mine so much. Got it of a guy who brought it from alpine music store, as their show car.

Mine was lower twin exhaust system.. People in the street used to stand back and have a look. Then someone pulled out in front of me one day and the whole thing was gone.. To this day I really miss and when I see a standard one, as there ain't that many left of the GTE, I can still picture mine. And yeah the power was amazing, like someone said; you had to drive or have one to feel how great they really were.. If you still have one and read this, never get rid you'll miss it 5 years down the track and nothing you have will come close to how special it made you feel to drive.

The Astra Mk1 GTE is a great car, is fast and has very good handling I am an owner of a MK1 Astra GTE (original) I never had any problems with the car and I was always blowing my cars mates. I raced with GOLF GTI 1.8 16v with 8v GTI, Ford XR3i and Pug 205 Gti 1.9. recently I have turbocharged my Astra and it is great and fast!

My brother owns a Vauxhall Astra MK1 GTE. It's really good, and I think hes trying to sell it for parts.

I have owned two Vauxhall Astra MK1 GTE's. The first was from new when I was 18. The car was fantastic, blowing away my mates in their Golf GTI's and XR3i's.

My latest one is a 2.0 16v Turbo 250bhp version. It goes like nothing else I've ever driven, awesome performance and cool retro looks too.

Go out and buy one!!

You realy do have to drive a vauxhall Astra mk1 GTE to understand, but get it on the open road, drop a gear and floor it!! Then stop and wait for your stomach to catch up.!! Try throwing it through some tight country lanes.. Go back and try harder.. The car just gives and gives..

Yes you do have to maintain it if you do push it hard. The front tyres wear out super fast, the anti-roll bushes wear, the gas shocks need looking after. But the finess of the exact steering, the responsiveness of the engine, the tight grip of the Ricaro seats.. It blows you out...!! and this was a 1984 production car!!..

If you swap out the standard radiator grille for the Vauxhall replacement with the headlight spots you don't have the blankling/cover that's in the standard grille that is in front of the air intake; At about 85 [on an Autobahn] the preassure at the front seems to supercharge the air inlet system. Boy what a power boost.

And this is the only production car with 'go faster' skirts that I know of that actually develops the 'suction'. At about 95 (obviously on a race track..) the car 'sits down' and gets glued to the road..

And yes I second that claim.. I've had 145 out of my standard production version on a German Autobahn.. It takes a while to get there as 5th gear is so high, there is little torque, but with the right conditions it does get there and stay there..!!!

I never realy enjoyed the vauxhall Astra mk1 GTE, It was badly made and rusted all the time. Not something I would recommend unless you have a lot of time and money to spend on making it a minter.