1995 Vauxhall Cavalier SRi

In the care of the seller since May 2020, this 1995 Vauxhall Cavalier SRi is the five-door hatchback model, a configuration that adds practicality to that sporting chassis.

It looks like a good example of the breed too; presenting well, it’s got a good history and was fitted with a Red Top engine in 2014. With 105,000 miles on the clock now, the seller tells us that it “runs and drives perfectly”.

It’s also being offered with no reserve, so it’s going to sell from the very first bid, no matter how insulting that might be.

So why not join us in rummaging down the back of the sofa for some loose change in order to be able to buy that childhood icon you lusted after when you were at school?

The Smoke Grey coachwork looks terrific, doesn’t it? The online MoT record suggests it’s had some work in the past but it looks to have been done well and the overall fit ‘n’ finish is very good with a great shine to the paint and nice panel alignment.

The badges, light lenses, and window glass all look to be in good shape too, and the overall impression is of a car that’s been taken care of.

The 14-inch alloys wheels - and does anything betray a sporting car’s age faster than relatively small wheels like this? - are good and they’re fitted with three matching Firestone tyres, plus a Pirelli on the nearside rear.

The only other thing you might like to take a look at is the front bumper, which doesn’t align as neatly as it could (#75).

That’s not a bad To Do list for a 28-year-old British hot hatchback, is it?

The interior is a bit of a time-warp with an attractive herring-bone tweed and grey velour being used to trim the seats and door cards; very of-the-moment, eh?

It looks great with firm and plump seats unsullied by anything so vulgar as rips, tears or holes.

The door cards are just as good, even if they do demonstrate that there was a hierarchy even on the inside of an SRi; while the driver and front seat passenger got electric windows, those relegated to the rear seat had to make do with winding the glass up and down by hand. Still, it didn’t do us any harm, did it?

The centre section of the dashboard might be a bit plasticky and slab-like but that was what car interiors were like back then – and there’s no denying the lettering on the switches has survived the years well, still being bright white and vibrant.

Nor is there any damage or extraneous switches or instruments – or even brackets for mobile phones long deceased.

A replacement face-off Sony radio/CD player with Bluetooth connectivity replaces the original headunit.

There are a few things you might like to turn your attention too once the honeymoon period has ended. For example, the rear section of the headlining is drooping (#93 and #116) and completists might like to track down an original radio but that that is the extent of your interior woes speaks volumes as to its condition.

The engine bay is neatly presented and has been dressed with some red hoses to match the (replacement) Red Top engine. Again, if you’re going to be showing the car you might like to return it to standard specification but everyone else will be happy to leave it as it is.

The underside has had some repairs over the years and they, like the rest of the underneath, are protected by a thick coat of underseal.

The SRi comes with its book pack containing the driver information booklet, the card with the code for the original radio, and, brilliantly, a second service history booklet (the first having been lost, sadly) with stamps from 2009 up to 2013:

• 06.01.2009 and 23,627 miles – service by Sherwoods of Darlington
• 25.08.2011 and 40,381 miles – Shafto Way Service Centre
• 20.10.2012 and 47,162 miles – Shafto Way Service Centre
• 07.10.2013 and 49,160 miles – Shafto Way Service Centre
• 15.11.2013 and 49,198 miles – service by Solo Car Sales

A Post-It note suggests that a replacement Red Top engine was fitted in November 2014 when the odometer was reading 51,211 miles. The seller tells us he has an invoice for a recent service but we don’t have that to hand yet.

As you can see from the video at the beginning of the listing, it idles perfectly and the seller tells us that it “runs and drives perfectly”.

The Cavalier’s MoT certificate is valid until March 2024 and it was gained, like the one before, with no advisories - but then it had only covered one mile in between them…

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear.

Look, we know the Cavalier isn’t going to be the most exciting car you lust after this week but it’s old enough to gather a crowd wherever you park but young enough to be reliable and rewarding to drive.

It’s also practical enough to use as a daily driver and family hack, which might make our estimate of between £3,000 and £6,000 easier to sell to your significant other.

And, in case its ample charms and low estimate aren’t enough in their own right, the seller has such faith in his Cavalier he’s offering it with no reserve, so it’s going to sell from the very first bid!

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Newhaven, United Kingdom. To arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.