I am always happy to see an old Opel in China. They remind me of my younger years back home in Holland, when Opel was everywhere. This gray Astra F sedan appeared to be abandoned, but was still in a reasonable shape.
Big scratches on the side, and the front door has some heavy paint damage. What happened to this poor car..?
The Opel Astra F was manufactured from 1991 until 1998. There were a lot of ‘m: a hatchback with 3 or 5 doors, a sedan, a wagon, a convertible, and a panel van. It was hugely popular in northern Europe, topping the sales charts in Germany, Holland, Belgium, and probably in a many other countries.
It was not marketed in China, the Chinese car market was tiny at the time, and Opel didn’t bother. The first Astra that was officially sold here was the Astra H, with sales starting only in 2005.
GL was a mid-level trim level.
The Astra F was available with no less than 24 different petrol and diesel engines over its lifetime. Our Beijing car is powered by a 1.6, which was one of the most common Astra engines. Depending on year, it produced about 70 hp and 128 Nm. The engine was mated to a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic, sending horses to the front wheels.
Seat covers and floor mats are after market, but the rest of the interior looks remarkably original. Door trim looks good, manual gearbox, and the correct period radio.
No new floor mats in the back.
This is just beautiful. Tires look very old, and the wheel covers are original!
The Opel was parked in a small alley, and local residents seemed hugely surprised I was taking pictures of such an old car. Don’t they know this is rare Astra F..?
License plate is as old as the car.
A pretty one-piece badge.
Sadly it seems unlikely that she will be saved, but let’s hope she can stay standing there for at least a little while.
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