The Vauxhall Astra is a popular compact car/small family car (C-segment) that has been in production since 1980 by Vauxhall, the British arm of the General Motors/Opel/Stellantis automotive group. The Astra has been manufactured across several GM/Opel/Stellantis plants in Europe, with a significant number produced at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant in England.

Originally, the Astra was a right-hand drive version of the Opel Kadett for the UK market, serving as a replacement for the Vauxhall Viva. Since 1991, Opel has used the Astra nameplate for its B/C-platform vehicles. In the United States, General Motors’ Saturn division also offered a variant of the Astra manufactured in Belgium as a captive import from late 2007 until Saturn’s discontinuation in 2010 due to GM’s bankruptcy.

The first generation of the Vauxhall Astra, spanning from 1980 to 1984, was based on the front-wheel drive Opel Kadett D. It debuted in March 1980 as a successor to the Vauxhall Viva in the UK, signaling a transition from rear-wheel drive vehicles like the Vauxhall Chevette.

Key Points:
1. The Vauxhall Astra is a compact car with a storied history, having been produced across multiple European plants.
2. The Astra initially replaced the Vauxhall Viva in

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