
Vauxhall built a Cavalier convertible so rare almost nobody remembers it: just 118 Centaur convertibles were made, and fewer than 30 were believed to still exist by 2007.
Median 90 hp across 273 similar cars
Lead trim: 1256 cc OHV · up to 100 hp
Vauxhall Cavalier Mark I1975–1981
- 0spots by members
- Unclaimednobody has spotted one yet
- 0sets it belongs to
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Vauxhall Cavalier Mark I yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactVauxhall built a Cavalier convertible so rare almost nobody remembers it: just 118 Centaur convertibles were made, and fewer than 30 were believed to still exist by 2007.
Launched with a 1,896 cc engine as a 1976 model in November 1975, the Cavalier Mark I was a restyled version of the Opel Ascona B, which had debuted three months earlier in West Germany, built on what GM called the T-body, a stretched version of the platform used in the smaller Kadett C/Chevette. It was originally intended to have its own bodywork and interior design, but GM management stopped its development six months before release and decreed that it use the Opel Ascona body and interior almost unaltered, with the longer hood and "droopsnoot" nose from the Manta B, designed by Wayne Cherry, being the only obvious styling feature to set the Vauxhall apart. It was sold in South Africa as the Chevrolet Chevair, and used 1,256 cc OHV and 1,584, 1,896 and 1,979 cc Opel CIH engines.
Collectors Spotted in the Vauxhall Cavalier Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Vauxhall Cavalier yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1256 cc OHV | 1975–1981 | 1.3 L Inline-4 | 58 hp | 63 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1584 cc Opel CIH | 1975–1981 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 74 hp | 85 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1896 cc Opel CIH | 1975–1981 | 1.9 L Inline-4 | 89 hp | 107 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| 1979 cc Opel CIH | 1975–1981 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 100 hp | 113 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs

Unlike the first Cavalier, with its distinct 'droopsnoot' nose, this Mark II made no attempt to hide its twin: it was built with zero styling or engineering differences from the Opel Ascona C, badge and trim aside.

Vauxhall built a Cavalier convertible so rare almost nobody remembers it: just 118 Centaur convertibles were made, and fewer than 30 were believed to still exist by 2007.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.

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