From The Classifieds: 2001 Vauxhall VX220

European General Motors brands Vauxhall and Opel embarked on an interesting exercise in 2000 when they launched a collaborative effort with Lotus, dubbed either as the Vauxhall VX220 in right-hand drive form, or the Opel Speedster as a left-hand drive.

The aluminium-tub, fibreglass-bodied mid-engine soft-top two-seater was in fact a development of the Lotus Elise and reportedly came about because the British sportscar maker needed a partner to develop its car so it could meet crash safety regulations beyond 2000.

The Vauxhall VX220/Opel Speedster employed the 2.2-litre GM engine familiar in the Astra hatchback of the time, replacing the Rover engine previously used by Lotus. It produced 108kW and, with the lightweight, 870kg Lotus body, had a decent amount of accelerative punch. The four-cylinder engine did a full circle by the time it was adopted in the Vauxhall/Opel sports car: Reportedly it was originally developed by Lotus for GM Europe.

The car was produced by Lotus at  its Hethel plant until 2005 and was offered in both normally-aspirated and 147kW turbo form (familiar in the Holden Astra SRi and capable of a top speed of 242km/h and 0-100km/h acceleration of 4.9 seconds – a bit quicker than the atmo version’s 5.6 seconds). It was widely admired by the British press and was named Top Gear’s Car of the Year in 2003.

A lot of the kudos came from the VX220’s pricing. It was described as a supercar priced like a small hatchback – although the equivalent at the time of A$49,000 for the atmo version and A$55,000 for the turbo made for a pretty expensive hatch.

Speculation abounded during the life of the VX220 that Holden may have been thinking about bringing it to Australia. Its right-hand drive origins and family connections were considered a tempting prospect, especially with the plaudits it received from the European press.

That, sadly, was not to be and, as a result, VX220s are hardly common on our roads.

Which makes this silver 2001 model from Ningi in Queensland something of a rarity. In fact, the owner claims it is the only one in the state and is likely to remain that way. It is reputed to be one of three that have been shipped to Australia.

The seller, who has had the car for eight years and is only its second owner, says it was imported to Australia four years ago.
The price? Well, it reflects both the original cheap-supercar proposition and its status in Australia with a tag of $45,000, including a roadworthy certificate. The owner says it has been used sparingly, on the “occasional dry Sunday.”