Vauxhall : Nova
Model Introduction
Launched in 1983 as Vauxhall’s version of the Opel Corsa A, the Nova sat on GM’s front-wheel-drive S-Car platform and quickly became a familiar sight on British roads. Designed by GM’s in-house styling teams under Wayne Cherry, it was offered in three- and five-door hatchback forms, plus two- and four-door saloons — the latter giving the small car an unexpectedly formal profile for its class. Trims ranged from the frugal 1.0-litre base model to the lively 1.3 SR and later the fuel-injected GTE. Light weight and simple mechanicals made it easy to drive, cheap to run, and straightforward to work on — qualities that helped it endure well beyond its official 1993 replacement by the Corsa B. In the UK, the Nova later gained cult status in the Max Power magazine era of the 1990s, when heavily modified examples with wide-arch kits, huge wheels, and booming sound systems became icons of the boy-racer scene. Today, unmolested survivors are far rarer and increasingly valued by enthusiasts who remember both its everyday dependability and its starring role in Britain’s car culture.
Magazine Articles
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Scoop! GM S-Car
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Vauxhall's Metro!
Here come the Luton men with a great new mini-car to upset Ford's and BL's applecart
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Corsa! GM Blitzes the minis
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Now it's Nova!
Vauxhall Director John Bagshaw has high hopes for his company's new supermini, the Nova, which went on sale this week. Those expectations include sales this year of 27,000 Novas with 50,000 sales the target for 1984. If achieved, these volumes will give GM's first supermini 6th or 7th place in the UK sales league and dramatically change the face of Britains's new-car market
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Newcomers : Baby Vauxhall lands at last
GM's sweet supermini, called Nova in Britain, is here. It's a mix of good looks and gremlins
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Giant Test
Daihatsu Charade v Austin Metro v Ford Fiesta v Vauxhall Nova v Citroen Visa v Volkswagen Polo v Peugeot 205 v Fiat Uno
