Here’s something you don’t see every day: a 1995 Vauxhall Cavalier Mk3, proudly owned by Scott, a fully paid-up member of Club Petrolblog.
Yes, a Cavalier. Remember when they were everywhere? Company car parks rammed with them, motorways humming to the sound of overworked four-pot engines, and every other driveway seemingly home to one? Well, this one has dodged the scrappage cull of the 2000s and is still flying the Griffin flag (and Club Petrolblog sticker) with pride.
Petrolblog has a soft spot for the Cavalier. A decade ago, back when Pb was a respected motoring blog (imagine that), it was invited to Monaco to drive a selection of Vauxhalls to the Geneva motor show. Highlights included hustling a Viva GT around the F1 street circuit, taking a Cavalier Mk2 along the Route Napoléon to deliver toner cartridges to a Trappist monk, and enjoying a Mk3 on the twisty roads around Grenoble. Turns out the Cavalier makes a surprisingly decent companion for baguette runs and Alpine hairpins. Who knew?
This particular example looks wonderfully honest; the sort of car you’d expect to spot outside a Little Chef in 1995, waiting patiently for its driver to emerge with a pocket full of Travelodge receipts and a suit jacket hanging in the back window.
The Mk3 was the sensible shoes of the mid-’90s: reliable, roomy, and just about interesting enough in SRi flavour to get your pulse up if you squinted hard enough. They were everywhere, which makes the survivors oddly special today. Rust, years of neglect and general apathy sent most Cavaliers to the great motorway service station in the sky. Which is why this one deserves a bit of celebration: a rolling slice of everyday history.
As an LS model, Scott’s example was the best-selling Cavalier of its day, one rung up from the bargain-basement Envoy, and boasting just enough toys to keep you entertained on a long slog up the A1. Polka cloth trim, a slide-and-tilt sunroof, and, by 1995, a set of five-spoke alloys were three perfectly valid reasons to convince your fleet manager that the LS was worth the extra.
The original radio/cassette with removable display panel has long since been swapped for an aftermarket Sony unit, but Scott has sweetened the deal with something far rarer: a pair of official Vauxhall ties. Frankly, that’s reason enough to hit the Buy It Now button and give Carl the Cavalier a new home.
Scott is upfront about the Parisian-style parking scars on three corners and the sun-faded roof, but let’s not forget this Cavalier has covered just 40,000 miles in three decades. Bidding kicks off at £1,500, or you can go full-tilt cavalier and secure it immediately for £3,000.
A new Club Petrolblog perk
This post also marks the launch of a fresh perk for members: Featured Member Cars. Every so often we’ll shine the spotlight on one of your motors. It might be a survivor like this Cavalier, something gloriously French and tatty, or even a Toyota that refuses to give up the ghost. If you’re in the club, your pride and joy could be the next star of Petrolblog.
Fancy it? Have a gander at the Club Petrolblog page. French tat optional, but encouraged.
Alternatively, click here to check out Scott's Cavalier.
