Relive Luton's motoring heyday at The Mall for 40th anniversary of Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2

A Luton success story is going on show at The Mall on Thursday (September 23).

Three Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2's will be on display to mark the 40th anniversary of the car's launch.

40 Years ago on the September 23, 1981 Vauxhall launched their most important car in the company’s history, the Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2.

The Vauxhall Cavalier and Chevette Club's president and vice president will be attending the event along with club members and also the club's chairman Kevin Bricknall.

Kevin said: "The Cavalier Mk2 was a major success for Vauxhall, it took the fight to Ford who launched the new Sierra in 1982 and stole a match on it as it was front wheel drive while the Sierra was rear wheel drive.

“The car was such a success that they ended up building left hand drive Opel Ascona C models at Luton for shipping to the continent.”

When production stopped in 1988 the car reappeared in the UK market in 1995 as the Daweoo Espero and and lasted until 1997.

Kevin said: “Sadly the Cavalier Mk2 was named the country’s sixth most scrapped car of the last 30 years with fewer than 1% left on the road.

“However it makes the car which was once common on every street corner more exclusive than a Ferrari or Lamborghini.

“The saying goes that your more likely to see a Lamborghini than a Cavalier!”.

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