Opel Corsa
Opel's front-wheel-drive supermini that became a global best-seller.
The Opel Corsa, a supermini, has been in production by Opel since 1982. In the UK, it is sold as the Vauxhall Corsa. Before General Motors sold Opel and Vauxhall to the PSA Group in 2017, the car was also rebadged under the Chevrolet, Holden, and Buick brands. In 1998, it was the world’s best-selling car, with 910,839 units sold. At that time, it was assembled on four continents, sold under five different brand names, and available in five body styles. By 2007, global sales had surpassed 18 million.
The first generation, the Corsa A (internal code S83), launched in September 1982. A two-seat roadster concept had been shown six months earlier at the Geneva Motor Show. Sales began in France, Italy, and Spain—markets where small cars made up 34 to 43 percent of total sales—with the rest of Europe following by March 1983. The S-car code had originally been used for an abandoned supermini proposal from the early 1970s, which evolved into the three-door hatchback version of the Opel Kadett C and Vauxhall Chevette, which the Corsa effectively replaced. The Corsa filled a gap in Opel and Vauxhall’s lineup, as the Kadett C/Chevette was rear-wheel drive and the larger Kadett D/Astra competed in the C-segment. The new car used a transverse, front-wheel-drive layout, following the template of the Fiat 127, VW Polo, and Ford Fiesta.
Built in Zaragoza, Spain, the first Corsas were three-door hatchbacks and two-door saloons, with four-door and five-door versions added in 1984. Commercial van models were also sold in some markets, with or without rear windows. In mainland Europe, the saloon versions were called the Corsa TR until May 1985, with a traditional eggcrate grille and no wheelarch blisters, unlike the hatchbacks. The TR was aimed at buyers of the Kadett C and Chevette who wanted a three-box shape; it sold poorly in most of Europe but was popular in Spain and Portugal. In its first six months in France, the TR accounted for only ten percent of Corsa sales, but in Spain it made up half.
Basic trim was simply called Corsa, followed by Corsa Luxus, Corsa Berlina, and the sporty Corsa SR. The SR had a rear-window spoiler, alloy wheels, checkered sport seats, and a 70 PS engine. Six years later, a facelift brought a new front fascia and other minor changes, with models renamed LS, GL, GLS, and GT.
Quick Facts
- Manufacturer
- General Motors (1982–2017) · PSA Group (2017–2021) · Stellantis (2021–present)
- Aka
- Vauxhall Corsa (United Kingdom) / Vauxhall Nova (United Kingdom, 1982–1993) / Holden Barina (Australia and New Zealand, 1993–2006)
- Production
- 1982–present (Europe) / 1993–present (Vauxhall brand)
- Class
- Supermini (B)
- Layout
- Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
- Predecessor
- Opel Kadett City / Vauxhall Chevette
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The front-wheel drive Opel Corsa was first launched in September 1982, going on sale first in France, Italy, and Spain. General Motors' internal code for the Corsa was the S-car, originally applied to an abandoned supermini proposal from the early 1970s. The Corsa filled a gap at the bottom of Opel's range, following the template of established superminis like the Fiat 127, VW Polo and Ford Fiesta with a transverse-engined, front-wheel drive layout. Built in Zaragoza, Spain, the first Corsas were three-door hatchback and two-door saloon models, with four-door and five-door versions added in 1984. In mainland Europe, the saloon versions were known as the Corsa TR until May 1985, featuring subtly altered styling without the wheelarch blisters of the hatchbacks.
In the United Kingdom, the Corsa A was rebadged as the Vauxhall Nova, launching in April 1983 after a seven-month union dispute over the car being built in Spain. Nearly 500,000 Novas were sold in Britain over ten years. The Corsa received a light facelift in September 1987 with a new grille and updated interior. A rare Sport model was produced in 1985 to homologate for Group A in the British Rally Championship, with only 500 built. The GSi model, introduced at the 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show, used a 1.6 L multi-point fuel-injected engine with engine mapping by Opel tuning specialists Irmscher. The design was freshened again in September 1990 with new bumpers, headlights, grille, and interior.
Reader's Guide
The Opel Corsa A established Opel in the supermini segment, a market the company had not previously addressed with a true front-wheel-drive small car. Its global reach was remarkable: by 1998 it became the world's best-selling car, and by 2007 over 18 million Corsas had been sold across four continents under five marques including Opel, Vauxhall, Chevrolet, Holden, and Buick. The Corsa's significance lies in its role as GM Europe's entry into the burgeoning supermini market, competing directly with the Ford Fiesta and VW Polo. The Vauxhall Nova variant became a British best-seller, peaking as the seventh best-selling car in the UK in 1989 with over 70,000 sales. The car's motorsport involvement included the Vauxhall Nova Challenge in the British Rallycross Championship from 1990 to 1993, and the rare 1985 Sport model built for Group A homologation. By the time the Corsa B replaced it in 1993, the original Corsa A had become dated against newer rivals like the Peugeot 106 and Renault Clio, but its production run had cemented its place as a foundational model for Opel's small-car lineage.
Did You Know?
- The Corsa was once the best-selling car in the world in 1998, recording 910,839 sales.
- The Vauxhall Nova could be stolen by removing the hazard lights switch and putting it back upside-down to start the ignition.
- Only 500 of the rare 1985 Sport model were produced for Group A homologation in the British Rally Championship.
- The GSi's engine mapping was carried out by Opel tuning specialists Irmscher.
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