Much-maligned by critics, but was the Vauxhall Vectra really the car with the reputation that preceded it?
VAUXHALL certainly had its work cut out when it came to replacing the Cavalier in the mid-1990s. The Cav was well liked them for its slick looks by fleets, and the fact that they were inexpensive to lease and run as company cars. But for being spacious, comfortable and dependable motors. That made the Cavalier a household name in the UK.
With Vauxhall having a wide dealer network and offering competitive finance packages for the Cavalier. Sensible, rugged, cost effective, hassle-free motoring that also appealed to many private buyers. Who bought them as family cars with their own money.
The Cavalier was a big seller for Vauxhall, and was one of the nation's favourites. Consistently being the UK's top 10 best sellers every year. For GM's UK division, the Cavalier was the car that gave Ford a real run for its money and key to its turnaround. With fierce competition for the well-established Cortina.
In the 1980s, the Cavalier ended up outselling the Ford Sierra that controversially replaced the Cortina. So, it wouldn't have come to a surprise that there would have been excitement and anticipation for Vauxhall's up and coming replacement for the Cavalier.
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| There was a lot warmth and affection for the good old Cavalier. |
When Vauxhall launched the Cavalier's replacement with the new Vectra in October 1995, it was not to be. The Vectra was in for a frosty reception upon its launch after a being highly anticipated arrival prior to its launch.
Many critics dismissed it for its bland looks and uncouth handling (on earlier cars). Not for being a big enough leap forward from the old Cav. In its defence, it was a plain and inoffensive looking car. One of the (only) positive talking points for the Vectra by them, was those rather fancy door mirrors.
But the Vectra’s dull looks were the least of its problems. Vauxhall’s new family fleet car was in for a bit of a pasting with lukewarm verdicts from its critics. None more so than a Mr. Jeremy Clarkson, which was in for a lot more flack with his infamous review on Top Gear back in 1996. To be honest, it's difficult to speak of the Vectra without mentioning Clarkson upon this discussion here.
Clarkson struggled to find anything interesting about the Vectra. So much so that he went on a tangent about Chris Goffey's son, Danny. Informing viewers that he is the drummer of the Britpop band, Supergrass. (A bit of shameless plugging there?)
After being accustomed to exciting, high-performance cars and exotic supercars. Being brought down to earth road testing the Vectra for Clarkson, would have been a shock to the system for him. Rather like a child being made to eat his vegetables after being endlessly spoilt with cake. Then ends up throwing his plate off the table in protest against eating them greens.
"It's just a box on wheels." "The dullest car I have ever tested." "It was designed on a coffee break by somebody who couldn't care less about cars." Some of the comments by Clarkson about the Vectra. Who was quick to dismiss the Vectra for being a boring car, and wrote it off before it was given it a chance.
The Vectra was in for a lot more stick when he reviewed the GSi V6 Supertouring performance model. Vauxhall's tribute and celebration to its success in motor sport for the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). Clarkson believed that the Vectra Supertouring was nothing more than a marketing ploy from Vauxhall. Viewed it as a cynical attempt of creating a halo-model to boost its kerbside appeal. Don't most car manufacturers do that?
Today, no love would have been lost for the Vectra by Clarkson. Given his irrational hatred for it, I'm surprised he hasn't destroyed many of them. Has he destroyed any Vectras? Like he has done with cars he hates with a passion. Like dropping pianos on Morris Marinas for example.
So Jeremy Clarkson made no secret of his dislike of the Vauxhall Vectra, and that it didn't exactly get his pulses racing. But so what? Following his scathing reviews of the Vectra created a ripple effect. Many have been quick to dismiss it without hesitation, and Vectra-bashing became fashionable. That gave the car a rather dour image.
Sure, rivals like the: Ford Mondeo, Citroen Xantia, Nissan Primera, Renault Laguna and Peugeot 406, had their unique selling points. With redeeming qualities that gave them a little bit more panache than the Vectra rendering it average. In all fairness, most cars in the market Vauxhall's family fleet car was pitched in, weren't exactly automotive exotica either. 'Oh I dream of owning a Mondeo, Primera, or a 406,' said no one ever.
What's to be liked about the Vectra as boring as it may be. In a world full of hatchbacks today that want to be 4x4s - crossovers and SUVs, to me and you. What the Vectra lacks in glamour or excitement, is a plain, inoffensive, self-assured and refreshingly honest car. To be fair, that's what it was designed to be. Do what it's supposed to do. Even if it doesn't stir the soul or emotions.
It doesn't need to show off and pretend to be something that it's not. Because it's not trying to be, and it doesn't, and that should be commended. With its lack of pretensions. What you see is what you get and for some, and that was part of its appeal. Because of Clarkson's thoughts and opinions of the Vectra. Many simply won't appreciate or accept it for what it is. You could go as far and say that the car itself is misunderstood.
I haven't owned or driven a Vectra. But my experience of one was when I was growing up. My aunt and uncle had an Opel Vectra for years – at least for a decade. They liked it because it was a spacious, comfortable, rugged and dependable family workhorse. Which stood up to the abuse from whatever was thrown at it. It did everything they expected of it with no fuss or drama. It did everything it said on the tin. Owning a car for that length of time, is more than enough to convince me that it wasn't a bad car. So it must have served them well.
If memory serves me right, being a kid in the 1990s, was that the nation's police forces did have their fleet of Vectras when out on patrol. So, despite what you may have heard or seen what Clarkson has said about Vauxhall Vectra. Then surely it couldn't have been THAT bad, right? If it was good enough for the Bobbies on the beat. Then it should be good enough for the average Joe or Joanne on the street, right?
One of the Vectra's problems also lied with the name. New name of car, so the public probably would have expected Vauxhall to have started from scratch. So a fresh new look for the Cavalier replacement was eagerly awaited upon its arrival.
Given how good and well liked the Cavalier was. Expectations were high. But no, it looked ever so similar to the Cavalier. The same shape and silhouette profile as its predecessor. Even the same (tried-and-tested) engines and running gear. Subtle changes and updates from the old Cav. That was one of the very reasons the Vectra was heavily criticised.
You see, Vauxhall's parent company, General Motors, rearranged Vauxhall and Opel's marriage. Introducing a new nomenclature for Vauxhall and Opel's cars. Which made sense because Vauxhall and Opel's cars were identical but in name and the badges they wore. By having identical nameplates from the 1990s on wards. The Astra nameplate remained on Vauxhall's part, as Opel replaced the Kadett with the Astra. But the Nova was replaced with the Corsa.
The Cavalier MK3 in Opel guise, was sold as the Vectra. By 1995, the new Vectra was merely a form of evolution than revolution. GM were well aware of how popular these cars were. So, it was more of a case of building on its success from the Vectra A to pave way for the Vectra B. Exercising caution when it came to its replacement. So why fix something that wasn't broken? Which could be argued from GM's perspective with the product in question.
Looking in hindsight, they probably could have retired the Cavalier name when the Vectra C arrived in 2002. Which was a much newer car, and a significant leap forward from the Vectra B that went before. Which is where GM made a strategic error with Vauxhall-Opel cars in the naming of the cars in the line-ups, and retired the Cavalier name prematurely when the Vectra B arrived.
Granted that the Vauxhall Vectra wasn't a particularly exciting or interesting car. I can happily accept the fact that it is a boring car. I can easily count a list of cars on both hands (and feet) that were more exciting and better than the Vectra. The cars that can easily fill the voids or scratch those itches. But in its defence, I can assure you there are worse cars than the Vectra too. At this current rate, getting one of these would be cheaper than a train ticket from London to Edinburgh. Cheap chod, I say.
Truth to be told, there has been plenty of cars like the Vauxhall Vectra. A big seller that didn't exactly capture peoples' imaginations. Nor would it have took the world by storm and got pulses racing. But isn't that always the case with big selling cars made for the masses? A car for a lot of people, is simply a white good to get them from point A to point B.
It's funny how history treats some of these cars. The Volkswagen Beetle is a much loved icon. Ironically, the Cavalier (that the Vectra replaced), is looked back with warmth and fondness. Nostalgia, eh? Then you have the Morris Marina and Ford Escort MK5, being forgotten or much-maligned cars. Big sellers that both were unremarkable cars.
Like the Vauxhall Vectra, probably being average and mediocre at best. One for Festival of the Unexceptional in the years down the line? Though, I can't leave without mentioning the fact, that there was a row of Vectras on every driveway on Privet Drive in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I don't ever recall J.K Rowling mentioning in her book that the Dursleys had a Vauxhall Vectra. Well that's claim to fame for it, eh?
Clarkson struggled to find anything interesting about the Vectra. So much so that he went on a tangent about Chris Goffey's son, Danny. Informing viewers that he is the drummer of the Britpop band, Supergrass. (A bit of shameless plugging there?)
After being accustomed to exciting, high-performance cars and exotic supercars. Being brought down to earth road testing the Vectra for Clarkson, would have been a shock to the system for him. Rather like a child being made to eat his vegetables after being endlessly spoilt with cake. Then ends up throwing his plate off the table in protest against eating them greens.
"It's just a box on wheels." "The dullest car I have ever tested." "It was designed on a coffee break by somebody who couldn't care less about cars." Some of the comments by Clarkson about the Vectra. Who was quick to dismiss the Vectra for being a boring car, and wrote it off before it was given it a chance.
The Vectra was in for a lot more stick when he reviewed the GSi V6 Supertouring performance model. Vauxhall's tribute and celebration to its success in motor sport for the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). Clarkson believed that the Vectra Supertouring was nothing more than a marketing ploy from Vauxhall. Viewed it as a cynical attempt of creating a halo-model to boost its kerbside appeal. Don't most car manufacturers do that?
 |
| Some will have a soft spot – or appreciation, at least – for the fast and brutish Vectra Supertouring. |
Today, no love would have been lost for the Vectra by Clarkson. Given his irrational hatred for it, I'm surprised he hasn't destroyed many of them. Has he destroyed any Vectras? Like he has done with cars he hates with a passion. Like dropping pianos on Morris Marinas for example.
So Jeremy Clarkson made no secret of his dislike of the Vauxhall Vectra, and that it didn't exactly get his pulses racing. But so what? Following his scathing reviews of the Vectra created a ripple effect. Many have been quick to dismiss it without hesitation, and Vectra-bashing became fashionable. That gave the car a rather dour image.
Sure, rivals like the: Ford Mondeo, Citroen Xantia, Nissan Primera, Renault Laguna and Peugeot 406, had their unique selling points. With redeeming qualities that gave them a little bit more panache than the Vectra rendering it average. In all fairness, most cars in the market Vauxhall's family fleet car was pitched in, weren't exactly automotive exotica either. 'Oh I dream of owning a Mondeo, Primera, or a 406,' said no one ever.
What's to be liked about the Vectra as boring as it may be. In a world full of hatchbacks today that want to be 4x4s - crossovers and SUVs, to me and you. What the Vectra lacks in glamour or excitement, is a plain, inoffensive, self-assured and refreshingly honest car. To be fair, that's what it was designed to be. Do what it's supposed to do. Even if it doesn't stir the soul or emotions.
It doesn't need to show off and pretend to be something that it's not. Because it's not trying to be, and it doesn't, and that should be commended. With its lack of pretensions. What you see is what you get and for some, and that was part of its appeal. Because of Clarkson's thoughts and opinions of the Vectra. Many simply won't appreciate or accept it for what it is. You could go as far and say that the car itself is misunderstood.
I haven't owned or driven a Vectra. But my experience of one was when I was growing up. My aunt and uncle had an Opel Vectra for years – at least for a decade. They liked it because it was a spacious, comfortable, rugged and dependable family workhorse. Which stood up to the abuse from whatever was thrown at it. It did everything they expected of it with no fuss or drama. It did everything it said on the tin. Owning a car for that length of time, is more than enough to convince me that it wasn't a bad car. So it must have served them well.
One of the Vectra's problems also lied with the name. New name of car, so the public probably would have expected Vauxhall to have started from scratch. So a fresh new look for the Cavalier replacement was eagerly awaited upon its arrival.
Given how good and well liked the Cavalier was. Expectations were high. But no, it looked ever so similar to the Cavalier. The same shape and silhouette profile as its predecessor. Even the same (tried-and-tested) engines and running gear. Subtle changes and updates from the old Cav. That was one of the very reasons the Vectra was heavily criticised.
You see, Vauxhall's parent company, General Motors, rearranged Vauxhall and Opel's marriage. Introducing a new nomenclature for Vauxhall and Opel's cars. Which made sense because Vauxhall and Opel's cars were identical but in name and the badges they wore. By having identical nameplates from the 1990s on wards. The Astra nameplate remained on Vauxhall's part, as Opel replaced the Kadett with the Astra. But the Nova was replaced with the Corsa.
The Cavalier MK3 in Opel guise, was sold as the Vectra. By 1995, the new Vectra was merely a form of evolution than revolution. GM were well aware of how popular these cars were. So, it was more of a case of building on its success from the Vectra A to pave way for the Vectra B. Exercising caution when it came to its replacement. So why fix something that wasn't broken? Which could be argued from GM's perspective with the product in question.
Looking in hindsight, they probably could have retired the Cavalier name when the Vectra C arrived in 2002. Which was a much newer car, and a significant leap forward from the Vectra B that went before. Which is where GM made a strategic error with Vauxhall-Opel cars in the naming of the cars in the line-ups, and retired the Cavalier name prematurely when the Vectra B arrived.
 |
| "Right! Lets destroy this P.O.S! What shall I use? A piano? A crane? Or maybe some dynamite?" |
Granted that the Vauxhall Vectra wasn't a particularly exciting or interesting car. I can happily accept the fact that it is a boring car. I can easily count a list of cars on both hands (and feet) that were more exciting and better than the Vectra. The cars that can easily fill the voids or scratch those itches. But in its defence, I can assure you there are worse cars than the Vectra too. At this current rate, getting one of these would be cheaper than a train ticket from London to Edinburgh. Cheap chod, I say.
Truth to be told, there has been plenty of cars like the Vauxhall Vectra. A big seller that didn't exactly capture peoples' imaginations. Nor would it have took the world by storm and got pulses racing. But isn't that always the case with big selling cars made for the masses? A car for a lot of people, is simply a white good to get them from point A to point B.
It's funny how history treats some of these cars. The Volkswagen Beetle is a much loved icon. Ironically, the Cavalier (that the Vectra replaced), is looked back with warmth and fondness. Nostalgia, eh? Then you have the Morris Marina and Ford Escort MK5, being forgotten or much-maligned cars. Big sellers that both were unremarkable cars.
Like the Vauxhall Vectra, probably being average and mediocre at best. One for Festival of the Unexceptional in the years down the line? Though, I can't leave without mentioning the fact, that there was a row of Vectras on every driveway on Privet Drive in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I don't ever recall J.K Rowling mentioning in her book that the Dursleys had a Vauxhall Vectra. Well that's claim to fame for it, eh?
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