1991 Vauxhall Calibra

This silver ‘red top’ 16-valve Calibra was registered in December 1991 to a lease company for use as a company car.

Its first driver liked it so much he bought the car from the lease company and went on to enjoy and cherish it for the next 21 years.

It was then purchased by someone who kept it stored, until it was sold to the vendor a decade ago.

The car is in very decent overall condition, due partly to only having been run in dry weather by the current owner, and has been deliberately kept as original and authentic as possible.

It also benefits from having an exceptionally modest mileage of just 48,052 miles.

The car presents very well from every angle and is reassuringly free of any significant dents or dinks that we can see.

The shut-lines and panel gaps are excellent and the doors close with plenty of accuracy and certainty.

The silver paint has held up well in general, and the smooth and consistent finish attests to a life well-led and consistently curated.

The refurbished wheels look to be in very good condition.

There are a few places where paint has bubbled up on the plastic front bumper/nose section and, at the rear, the bumper section just below the boot lid has warped and lifted away a little.

The rubber seal around the sunroof is a little ragged in places. The vendor tells us that the sun-roof hasn’t worked for a while and that the fault probably lies with some pesky relay.

There are some spots of discolouration on the black ‘A’ pillars and some bubbling under the foil/paint on the Vauxhall bonnet badge.

A pristine replacement badge can be found waiting in readiness for deployment in the glove compartment.

There are a couple of small patches of what looks like nascent delamination at the bottom corners of the windscreen.

We also found some surface rust stains at the inside bottom corners of the boot lid.

What we didn’t find anywhere was the kind of rust, rot and endemic corrosion that has consigned so many lesser examples of this fine coupé to the history books.

The interior is very much of its era and consists of the kind of fabrics and patterns that wouldn’t have looked out of place on some Miami Vice leisurewear or Mr. Motivator’s spandex mankini.

Again, the very good overall condition of the interior is far more a reflection of the car’s low mileage than its age.

Aside from a little wear to the outer bolster on the driver’s seat backrest, the blue/grey patterned upholstery has resisted the vicissitudes of time with commendable stoicism.

So, too, have the door cards, which are very decent.

The black plastic elements of the dashboard and centre console have not cracked or faded.

The carpets and mats are fundamentally sound but, like the rest of the interior, would almost certainly thank their next owner for a vigorous deep clean.

Some of the headlining around the sunroof has seen better days.

As far as we’re aware, all knobs, buttons, switches, dials and toggles do what they’re supposed to do, but the vendor tells us that he’s never used the air-con or the radio so can’t vouch for their efficacy.

Aside from the odd stain here and there, the luggage bay is as solid, decent and honest as the rest of the interior. It currently contains the original SFI induction box, which will come with the unit’s bolts and breather hose.

The addition of a power cap to replace the induction box is one of the very few deviations from originality allowed by the vendor.

The engine bay looks fine to us, and everything appears to be clean, dry and in its right and proper place.

In short, it looks like the kind of engine you’d expect to see on a car that’s covered less than 49,000 miles.

The car was fully recommissioned and serviced – at a cost of nearly £2,600 – by a marque specialist in July 2024.

As a part of the recommissioning, it had the timing belt changed, gearbox and engine oil and filter changed, and the front and rear brake discs and pads changed.

The vendor also had a few small dents and scuffs attended to.

The undersides seem to be particularly well preserved and everything we can see appears to have a reassuring abundance of structural integrity.

The car comes with an original service book that‘s fair bristling with stamps up to the time it went into storage and put its feet up for a few years.

It has been kept warm, dry and cared for ever since.

There are bills and invoices covering recent work and receipts for work carried out over the years.

It is MoT'd until 24th July 2025 with a couple of minor advisories.

The car comes with its original wallet of manuals and guides and a recent, clear HPI report.

It’s been a very long time since any of us here at HQ have seen one of these in the flesh and we’re of the opinion that the years have done very little to diminish the intrinsic appeal of its design.

It still looks stylish, slippery and sporty today, and its rarity value is sure to turn heads and spark conversations wherever you go.

And this car really is rare.

As far as we can tell, there are only 5 red-top variants from 1991 still taxed and MoT’d in the UK.

And we’re pretty confident that you’ll struggle to find a more authentic low-mileage example than this.

We are happy to offer this car for auction with an estimate in the range of £5,000 - £8,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.