Vauxhall has extensive history. Based in Luton, it started building cars back in 1903 and in 1925 General Motors (GM) bought Vauxhall for $2.5 million. Until then the focus was on racing cars, but the sale to GM was the point at which mass production of road cars really took hold.
The Vauxhall line-up includes popular cars such as the Insignia, Astra, Corsa and Zafira Tourer, alongside more unusual offerings such as the Ampera, Cascada, Antara 4×4, Adam and Mokka.
During World War Two production shifted to tanks, with Vauxhall building the British Churchill Mark 1, 2 and 3. Fast-forward to 1980 and the first of the ‘modern’ Vauxhalls was born – the Astra. Although many Vauxhall cars share their DNA with Opel vehicles from Germany, the firm retains its car production plants at Luton and Elsmere Port.
Vauxhall also has an impressive motorsport heritage. A Vauxhall competed in a time trial for the first time in the year of the firm’s inception, 1903. Since then it has taken part in rallying and seen significant success in British Touring Car racing. This pedigree has spawned a line of ‘hot’ Vauxhalls, which can be identified by their VXR badging, such as Corsa VXR, Astra VXR and Insignia VXR.
