1996 Vauxhall Calibra SE6

Finished in Iceland Blue (paint code 368) with a cream leather interior, this Vauxhall Calibra is one of the much-lauded SE6 special editions. 

In addition to the unusually attractive colour scheme, the SE6 brought with it unique five-spoke, 15-inch alloy wheels fitted with 205/55R15 tyres plus air-conditioning, a steel sunroof, ABS, and an alarm system and immobiliser.

Just 27 are thought to be taxed and in use, making ‘P175 GMD’ something of a survivor.

It’s had just three previous keepers too, and still shows just 59,000 miles on the odometer, a figure the online MoT record supports, including a hiatus in testing between 2009 and 2017.

The seller’s a Calibra enthusiast who used this one since 2018 to get him to gigs. Sadly, his drum kit has now outgrown the size of the Vauxhall’s boot, hence this reluctant sale.

The coachwork presents well from a distance with a healthy shine to the Iceland Blue paintwork, straight panels, and an even stance.

Closer inspection reveals a few signs of aging including rust at the top of the driver’s door, both door latches, above the rear lamp units, underneath the rubber boot seal, and on the sunroof.

But you should also take the shutlines into account, as well as the absence of serious dents and damage, and the condition of the black plastic trim, which might be faded but is all there and undamaged.

The lamp lenses are largely free of cracks and damage too, the sunroof fits the aperture well, and the badges are all good ‘n’ shiny.

As for the model-specific 15-inch alloy wheels, while they’re free of kerbing scrapes and other damage, they are bubbling in places and would benefit from being refurbished.

The tyres are a mixed bag too, with Pirelli Cinturato P6 fitted to both offside wheels, and Roadstone Eurovis Sport 04s on the nearside. All are the wrong size at 195/60R15, and the Pirelli tyres date back to 2012.  The standard size Calibra tyres fitted are a personal preference of the owner to the smaller SE6 tyre size.

Other flaws include: a small crack in the offside rear lamp unit near the boot keyhole; a couple of small dents in the bonnet; a long scratch on the roof; cracks and scratches to both bumpers; scuffs to the nearside corner of the rear bumper; and the rear bumper is a different shade to the rest of the car. 

The sunroof doesn’t work either. Well, it might – or it might not. The seller says the sunroof is a known weak point and they’ll sometimes open and then refuse to close, so he’s failed safe and removed the fuse. 

The cream leather rear and front passenger seats have survived very well, with little more than gentle creasing betraying their age. Like the front seats and the top of the door cards, they’re gently ruched, which is a bonus to our mind; after all, if you’re going to drive a classic car then you want it to have gone all-in on the period features, surely? 

The driver’s seat is more worn, with holes having developed on the outer bolsters. There’s some cracking to it too, but both it and the passenger seat are still decently firm and comfortable. 

Both front seats are heated, and the seller tells us that while the passenger seat heats up nicely and the light for the driver’s side illuminates, it’s hard to tell whether it is working or not. 

The carpets are free of holes and wear though, and they’re all still a nice vibrant golden colour. The plastic heel protector underneath the driver’s feet is free of damage too, which is remarkable and almost certainly down to the diligent use of over mats.

The door cards are free of damage too, and the white-faced dials and the switches and controls are all in a good cosmetic condition.

The SE6 brings with it air-conditioning, but the seller can’t comment on its efficacy as he’s never used it. He has confirmed the electric windows and mirrors work.

The dashboard is fitted with what looks like the original Grundig radio-cassette player. This hasn’t been tested but we note that the digital display is faulty. A replacement DAB unit is in the boot, and as this came from another Calibra the seller is confident it will fit straight in with no issues.

The boot might be shallow, but it is also wide and deep, so there’s plenty of luggage space despite the Calibra’s svelte looks. (Massive drum kits aside, of course.)

The parcel shelf is still stiff, straight, and free of extraneous holes, and the boot trim all looks good. Lifting the floor reveals a space-saver spare wheel and lifting that out in turn reveals only solid and well-painted metal underneath.

As for stuff you might like to sort out when money and motivation collide, the headlining is sagging and coming away and will need to be replaced. The gear knob and leather handbrake gaiter are patinated too, and there are a series of short cracks in the top of the dashboard near the windscreen. Finally, some of the hard plastic trim is scratched.

May 2024 saw the brakes being replaced, and there are invoices on file from the same period for service items too. The cambelt, water pump, and crank sensor were replaced in August 2022, with the offside front strut being changed in March 2022.

The service history file also contains older invoices for repair and servicing work. 

The fuel-injected engine springs into life and settles into an immediate steady idle, even from cold. It revs well too and shows a good charge to the battery. 

The oil pressure gauge goes all the way to the right, so we can’t comment on that other than to say that either it is faulty, or the engine produces spectacular oil pressure. 

Mind you, the owner is full of praise for the eight-valve engine, which he says is “bombproof” and “lasts forever”. He says the gearbox is “great” too, and overall it’s been a “faithful” car over the seven years he’s owned it.

As for the cosmetics, the engine bay is a little unprepossessing with the rusty exhaust manifold front and centre. There’s plenty of alloy tarnishing too, plus some general grubbiness.

But, peering closer brings the rust-free inner wings into focus, and the plastic trim, which is in good shape. 

We have discovered that the battery doesn’t hold its charge though, so we suspect a new one should be on the cards. 

As for the underside, it looks like localised repairs have been made over the years given the freshly painted bracket and bolts, and it did pick up an advisory on its last MoT for “Rear Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened”.

The Calibra’s MoT certificate is valid until May 2026.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the Calibra comes with two keys and fobs, a brochure for the model, and the owner’s handbook.

With a guide price of between £5,000 and £8,000, this Calibra offers the enthusiast the chance to get behind the wheel of a good example of an increasingly rare car.

Yes, it needs a bit of work here and there, but being offered with no reserve, it’s going to sell no matter what.

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