This morning on the way into work I got passed by what I casually thought was a blacked-out VW hot hatch, a fairly common sight around Portland. Then I saw that big round badge did not say VW, it was the Vauxhall griffin! But with Oregon plates? How can this be? I’m not able to identify its year or model. Best guess is a 2008-2010 Vauxhall Corsa, but the badges don’t match ones I see on the web, and its little bumper corner features aren’t present on this car. GM hasn’t sold Vauxhalls in Canada for some years, have they? Is this an ex-pat British car, that somehow got past the EPA and DOT importation barriers and registered in the US?
The car looks left hand drive, so not a Vauxhall as, iirc, the Vauxhall badged cars are only sold in the UK, while badged as Opels everywhere else.
My bet is it’s titled as a Saturn Astra, known elsewhere as a Opel Astra H. I have seen the Saturn version rebadged as an Opel. This Astra owner must be an Anglophile.
RHD Vauxhalls are rebadged Holden for OZ n NZ. looks like a Astra not a Corsa.
Interesting, I saw a Vauxhall sedan this past September in the parking lot of the Marriott in Newton, Ma. It was also a left driver. It looked new, more Chevy Malibu-ish. If I recall correct ally it also featured the round badge outside, but had the Steering wheel featured the more traditional Vauxhall logo
This appears to resemble the attached image…. can’t image going to the expense to change the look.
Agreed, to remove any trace of the big chrome strip and square Saturn badge it must have been repainted.
….never mind the front end.
….never mind the front end.
The grill would be a snap. Undo a few snaps and screws, pull the Saturn grill, and put in the Vauxhall grill. It’s prying off all the glued on badges that would give me fits.
I wonder if the guy changed out the airbag on the steering wheel so it now has a Vauxhall badge as well?
There’s strip is still there, just a black one replacing the original. Such parts are readily available at Halfords et al/over the internet. Same for the taillamps, most likely just bought rather than customised. Still, not cheap.
You’re right, I hadn’t noticed the black strip there.
Yes, that’s the Astra H (2004-9) rather than similar but smaller Corsa D. The Astra name was first used by Vauxhall for the FWD Kadett D launched in 1980. The last Vauxhall model (not actually badged Vauxhall) sold in Canada was the Firenza (Viva in the UK, except for the Coupe) which was not a happy experience for GM.
Note the North American market red side marker light and license plate cutout.
It’s a Saturn Astra with Vauxhall badges.
Definitely a Saturn Astra with a Vauxhall badge. Much like people put Holden badges on a Pontiac G8 or Chevy SS!
I’ve seen an Acura TSX that had Honda Accord badges. (The TSX was sold as a Honda Accord in other countries.) It seems like a lot of trouble to go to, but it did make me do a double-take.
It’s definitely LHD, so not British of course. A customized Saturn? Wow. Wish I’d gotten a better look at the front.
Plenty of Anglophiles in Oregon, I think it’s the weather. I once had a Scottish expat tell me the best thing about Oregon was all the sunshine.
Would we call this a “Stembridged Vauxhall”? 🙂
I’d agree it’s a Saturn with Vauxhall badges, which makes it the first LHD Vauxhall since….the 1980s?
Not even the Republic of Ireland takes the Vauxhall brand now
Just like some fans of Holden who put said badges on Aussie built Pontiacs and Chevys.
I’ve seen a Saturn Astra with Opel badge, so right away knew car above someone trying to pass off an old Saturn.
Maby it is a rebadged Saturn astra?
Really, wouldn’t you rather tell people you drive a rare Vauxhall than tell them you drive an old Saturn? The minimal work and money to make the change seems worth it to me.
Hmmm… I could possibly rock a Saturn Aura. Those used to catch my eye back when they were new.
I wonder if the front grille of the facelifted Vectra C will fit on an Aura. Despite having otherwise different bodies, the fronts always seemed identical.
I almost never have been able to drive in the far left left lane on the U.S 26 Westbound hill heading out of Portland, you must have a newer and more powerful vehicle. Usually I stay to the right-most lanes and cruise around 45-50ish MPH.
I was driving my electric Fiat 500e, which has plenty of power for the Sylvan hill. In fact I have to hold back my speed to about 60 since that stretch does get patrolled from time to time.
The Sylvan hill is a must for any test drive around here. It’s a climb of about 750 feet in four miles.
Goods points indeed and the 500E explains your ability to zoom up the hill. I usually coast down Sylvan Hill around 50-55 or downshift into 4th if the traffic is going slower.
Yup, it’s a rebadged Saturn Astra. It’s a (relatively) common practice among Astra owners. I Opelized mine.Very easy to do, I had a friend send me the parts from Greece. Did not touch the steering wheel. Since there were only some 19K sold in NA, I may hold the record for most Astras owned, I have two, a 3dr and a 5dr.☺
I’ve been a long-time Opel fan and was very happy to see the Astra available in Canada. Particularly happy that it arrived with very few changes.
As a matter of fact, I found this site googling Opel, and have enjoyed many interesting articles, not just Opels. Thank you Paul and the CC community. Hope to contribute an article soon.
Regardless of what it is, it’s not difficult to get plates here in Oregon. I’m sure I will be seeing Mahindra Roxors with Oregon plates here real soon.
I’m sure I will be seeing Mahindra Roxors with Oregon plates here real soon.
Big deal in the local media here in metro Detroit when the Mahindra plant opened a few weeks ago.
Probably about a day after the first Roxor is sold, someone will be trying to pass one off as a “vintage” Jeep.
For a while I considered getting a Chrysler 300 and was looking into buying the badges and grill to turn it into a Lancia Thema. My wife wrecked her Chrysler Town and Country before it could become a Lancia Voyager.
“I blackened out my taillights, so they work less!“
‘EPA and DOT importation barriers and registered in the US ‘
the dot 25 year ban right ?
for the Epa unless its cali i thought the u.s was way behind ?
in australia i have yet to see an aussie holden rebadged as a Vauxhall though plenty do the pontiac or chevy switch – I also havnt seen anyone do the holden to Cadillac either
US (49-state) exhaust emissions standards are pretty much the toughest in the world; California’s standards are even tougher. This is why the American market gets almost none of the diesel options available elsewhere (which itself is rapidly changing as the world finds out the freakin’ stinkpots don’t even meet the relatively lax Euro and Asian standards).
What’s much more stringent outside the American market is the regulation of CO2 emissions. Aside from a gas-guzzler tax slapped on severely fuel-inefficient vehicles, here’s essentially no such regulation in this market. It’s something of a tradeoff: the Euro regs allow more locally-damaging emission (HC, CO, NOx, particulates) but less globally-damaging emission (CO2). The North American market is the opposite.
Vehicles older than 25 model years can be imported to the States despite noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety, bumper, and anti-theft standards. Vehicles older than 21 model years can be imported without regard to their emissions compliance.
That law that banned importing any cars under 25 years old stems from Mercedes and other European car makers lobbying congress in the 1980’s to ban gray market cars because folks were buying the more powerful Euro market Benz products instead of the underpowered pieces of crap that Mercedes stuck the USA with at that time.
“I’m Ed Stembridge, and I approve of this rebadging effort.”
(yes, I did the Holden airbag)
Did you do the airbag yourself?
I’ve seen an Astra with a Vauxhall badge swap — same color and smoked mirrors as the subject of this article, too. I believe the one I witnessed had much darker tint to its windows, though. They are probably different cars, as I think most people whom bother to own an Astra by now, probably are a bit iconoclastic, and wish to express it.
I also now where a local Holden-badged G8 resides, which is the product of similar sentiment. To some, the grass is always greener on the other side.
Personally, I just like the idea of a griffin logo more than a curved line in a square.
It is definitely a logo with character.
I’d like to see that guy try to get his “Vauxhall” into an all English car show.
If he badged it as an Opel, he could give the scrutineers at an all German show a run for their money. iirc, the Astras we got were built in Belgum, but they carry a “W” VIN code.
Had a similar discussion with one of the honchos of the all German show at the Gilmore last year wrt late 70s Ford Fiestas. as the sticker on the door post says “Ford AG”. He agreed that the Fiesta would qualify for the show.
My sisters 03 Vectra had a Holden lion on the grill, on one side of the radiator support panel Opel AG Germany and on the other side Vauxhall motors Port Elesmere UK where it was built a three make car just choose the market for the grille badge.
I rather wanted a Saturn Sky badged as an Opel GT. I heard that they came off the same assembly line in the states. I told our local Saturn dealer that I would put money down right now if they would have the balls to order one U.S. spec but Opel badged. No sale.