View Full Version : Corsa A
Have a 1993 Opel Corsa A here, but was just looking at the VIN plate and it's marked as a Vauxhall Nova-A.
It's a right hand drive Southern Ireland car from new, all numbers match from the car to the log book, but can't understand why it's called a Vauxhall Nova and not Opel Corsa on the plate. Is it because it's a right hand drive car, and 99% of rhd cars were Novas?
david dixon
25-09-10, 05:07 PM
i'm guessing it is because it will have been built at the same time as UK nova's being RHD.
David.
On the production line it would be built to uk spec ( ie nova ) but sold from an Opel dealer so badged as such
david dixon
26-09-10, 12:11 AM
it could have been bought from a uk garage then rersold in a garage in ireland, its not uncommon for garages to buy new from dealers
David.
it could have been bought from a uk garage then rersold in a garage in ireland, its not uncommon for garages to buy new from dealers
David.
If it was that it would be badged a Vauxhall Nova though.
It is a bit of a wierd one though as it's an Opel Corsa Merit+, which I didn't think existed either!!
all the roi cars were basically built as vauxhalls, but for some strange reason, sold & badged as opels, i'm guessing there was some marketing reason... in the seventies we actually had both vauxhall dealers & opel dealers in england, but as the products became the same, astra mk1/ kadett onwards, they merged the dealers into gm.. my 1982 kadett was definitely an opel on the plate.
The spec on the ROI cars was usually slightly different though, this is identical to a UK spec Merit+, so must have got lost in the post when new and ended up in Cork and sold as a Corsa......
it was the end of production. they usually mop up the bits & make some right oddballs to clear out the store.
craig green
27-09-10, 01:35 PM
Maybe a previous enthusiast owner re-badged it. It's not a new thing to do.
Is it an OPEL on the V5?
Maybe a previous enthusiast owner re-badged it. It's not a new thing to do.
Is it an OPEL on the V5?
Yeah it's Opel on the logbook so not a rebadge.:thumb:
you could order opel kadett mk2's in germany in rhd, so i wouldnt worry. btw my mate had a merit +, its a ltd edition with luxe type seats but pov spec the rest.
It's not that I'm worried about it, just more curious!
Merit+ was a run out model, much the same as a Luxe+..........
I was always under the impression the "+" models were relatively the same as their non-plus (errr... negative? lol) equivalents, but had injection engines. I certainly don't ever recall seeing a plus with a carb engine anyway.... although thats not to say they didn't exist. lol
There were no Vauxhalls sold in Ireland in those years. The Nova was sold as Opel Corsa, all other models also as Opels.
Basically they are all RHD Novas, only badging changed.
Can you check on the option code plate, the one near the VIN plate. There should be an option code for Ireland and therefor it was badged as an Opel.
There were no Vauxhalls sold in Ireland in those years. The Nova was sold as Opel Corsa, all other models also as Opels.
Basically they are all RHD Novas, only badging changed.
Can you check on the option code plate, the one near the VIN plate. There should be an option code for Ireland and therefor it was badged as an Opel.
Option code plate reads as follows:
FH8901 SR F0893P032550
3650926 79L L71
T39
21A XN8
XQ2 W8X 40
3 B T5X
Hopefully you can decode it!!!lol
From that I get it was supposed to be a Vauxhall destined for England!! Must just have sent it to Ireland to get rid of it for the end of production!!
Hopefully you can decode it!!!lol
Not all of it, but here's what I know:
FH8901 is an internal production code
SR is for right hand drive
F0893P032550 : 93 is for 3-door, P032550 is the VIN, means it's Corsa/Nova number 32550 of that year
3650926 is an internal code
79L is the colour, Magma red
L71 is the engine, C12NZ
T39 is for the auxilary indicators on the wing
21A is for the Merit decals
XN8 is for UK
XQ2 is for Vauxhall
W8X is radio installation parts
40 I have no idea
3 B I have no idea
T5X is for the 3-way cat
So, it's strange that the codes XN8 and XQ2 are there :confused:. I would have expected only the XN8.
Would be interesting to compare to other Novas/Corsas originally sold to Ireland
So, it's strange that the codes XN8 and XQ2 are there :confused:. I would have expected only the XN8.
Would be interesting to compare to other Novas/Corsas originally sold to Ireland
To me everything points to it being a Vauxhall Nova Merit+, of which there was no direct equivalent in Ireland. You can still see the outline of the Merit+ stickers on the doors.
It is in the log book as an Opel Corsa Merit, again there was no such thing, so probably is just a UK car that has ended up in Ireland badged as a Corsa.
Don't know of any original Irish Corsas, most of them got baled when they brought in their equivalent of MOT, so they are mostly UK Novas imported now.
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