The Holden Astra is a 5-door hatchback from Holden, built from 1984 to 2020, in the age of turbocharging and the first electronic engine management.
Where it came from
The Holden Astra is a small car formerly marketed by Holden. The first two generations of Astra were made only for Australia, and was a derivative of the locally produced Nissan Pulsar. With the Button car plan coming into effect, it was replaced by the Holden Nova, a rebadged Toyota Corolla. In 1995, Holden commenced selling the TR Astra in New Zealand. The TR was a rebadged version of the Opel Astra, which had been sold locally as an Opel since 1993.
Holden discontinued the Nova line in Australia in favour of Opel's TR. Following its implementation as an Opel, it quickly became successful in its TS (1998) generation, where it came close to becoming Australia's best selling small car. The AH (2004) continued its success, before Holden discontinued Opel-sourced product range, replacing Astra with GM Daewoo's Cruze. On 1 May 2014, Holden announced plans to import the Opel Astra J GTC and Opel Astra J OPC with Holden badges into Australia and New Zealand, and the following generation replaced the Cruze officially in 2017. In late 2016 a new Holden Astra range was released comprising rebadged European Vauxhall/Opel Astra hatchbacks, (coded the BK series). This was followed in 2017 by rebadged Chevrolet Cruze sedans (coded BL), and rebadged Vauxhall Astra wagons (coded BK).
Under the skin
The record carries the shape — a 5-door hatchback. The engine, output and weight have not yet reached the open record, and MotorJury does not guess at them.
In context
Its family tree is legible: its successor was the Holden Nova (LD), Holden Cruze (AH), Peugeot 308 III (BK); assembly was at Clayton South, Victoria, Australia. Its contemporaries in the catalogue — the Toyota MR2, the Ferrari Testarossa, the SEAT Ibiza — show what else the money bought that year. Nearby in the Holden catalogue sit the Holden 48-215 and the Holden Adventra.
What it costs now
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Holden Astra has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.