No Timewasters: Best-in-Show Mk2 Astra

A humble 1300 Astra that won Best in Show for ICE in ’96 was probably peak indoor show-hall energy. Just look at the colour scheme: bright red paint (is it "Crimson"?) with gloriously clashing yellow accents. The mirrors, door handles, rear plate plinth, bumper rubbing strips (but not the side ones for some reason) and the signature vents aft of the side windows all in a Birds-custard hue. Add GTE bumpers and the rear spoiler, a GTE LCD digi-dash glowing like Knight Rider, and a K&N doing its best inhaler impression. Jamie went to town with the Dynamat, and it sits on what I think must be 14-inch Cavalier Mk2 "LX" eight-spokes. I wonder if it wore more fancy alloys on show day? Were they also yellow?

With the big install removed what was left was an odd souvenir of the scene: a small-engine Astra that thuds shut like a vault and likely cruises with lethargy thanks to the weight of that soundproofing. The trophy and sounds went home but the shell moved on - distinctive paint, iconic dash, period styling, colours loud enough to be heard over a demo CD. At £1,700 you weren't just buying a car; you were setting yourself up for weekends of MDF and Scotchlock connectors, Max-Power meet attention and a slice of mid-’90s car culture that's long overdue a comeback.