Tag Archives: Vauxhall

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The Lego Car Blog Elves like Lamborghinis and monster trucks and things with rocket launchers. Which means they’re pretty unimpressed by this. The Lego Car Blog staff however, rather like humdrum mundanity, and in Europe few things are more humdrum and mundane than an old Opel Astra Caravan (also known as the Vauxhall Astra Estate).

The G-series Astra was launched in 1998, looked quite fantastically boring even back then, and was available in a bewildering range of bodystyles and engines, with a hatch, sedan, station wagon, van, coupe and convertible, a dozen petrol and half-a-dozen diesel engines, production across eleven countries, and Holden and Chevrolet versions too.

Most G-series Astras were bland 1.6 litre petrol hatch and station wagons though, just like this splendid brick-built example from Flickr’s Mansur Soeleman, who has recreated his grandfather’s final car as a gift to him.

There’s a detailed interior, space for four mini-figures, and you can take a ride with Mansur’s grandfather via the link above.

Mysterious Liking

There are some things that this TLCB Writer probably shouldn’t admit to liking. Made in Chelsea. His own farts. Nickelback. Star Wars Episode I. And, most embarrassingly of all, the Opel Frontera.

Launched in 1991, the Opel Frontera (or Vauxhall Frontera in our home market) was based on the amazingly-named Isuzu Mysterious Utility Wizard, and is perhaps the most successful worst car ever, being rebadged around the world as the aforementioned Opel/Vauxhall Frontera, the Holden Frontera, Chevrolet Rodeo, Isuzu Rodeo, Honda Passport, and finally the Landwind X6/X9.

Each was a different flavour of awfulness, with appalling build quality, terrible ride and handling, leaking doors, an interior of the dreariest plastic imaginable, and yet… this TLCB Writer rather likes them. This is one of those occasions were it’s a good thing our identities are secret.

Cue a strange enthusiasm therefore, when one of our Elves found this brick-built example on Flickr, as created brilliantly by Fedor Kolbasin.

Featuring all-wheel-drive, working steering and suspension, four opening doors, plus one of the most realistic interiors we’ve ever seen fitted to a Technic model, Fedor’s Opel Frontera blends working functions with a beautifully executed exterior to create one of the nicest ’90s 4x4s we’ve published yet. (Even if you’re not as much of a Frontera fan as the writer of this inexplicably is. Ed.)

There’s lots more of the model to see at Fedor’s ”99 Opel Frontera / Isuzu Rodeo’ album, and you can head to peak ’90s SUV-ness via the link above. You might even leave with a mysterious liking for the real thing. (Probably not though. Ed.)

Black Box

Previous bloggee 3D supercarBricks doesn’t just build, well… supercars. No, he also builds mediocre European hatchbacks, such as this 2010s Opel/Vauxhall Corsa. The model includes a detailed engine, opening everything, and is enhanced by his trademark 3D-printed parts (in this case the door window frames and wheels). Take a look at 3D’s photostream via the link above, where more exotic vehicles are also available.