1980 Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS

The vendor has owned this genuine Vauxhall Chevette HS (LDD976V) for 7 years. 

He has finished a comprehensive restoration and refurbishment project started by his predecessor, a professional car restorer who had owned the car since 1992.

The vendor is the first to admit that his predecessor, who is sadly no longer with us, did most of the heavy lifting required to not just preserve this car for posterity but also ensure that it could be driven and enjoyed in the manner for which it was intended.

Nicknamed ‘Fred’ because of its no-nonsense, gruff soundtrack and a correspondingly no-nonsense driving experience, this car has been a labour of love for many of its owners, and the quality of the work that’s gone into it is a testament to the skills and passion of its various curators over the years – particularly those of the penultimate owner.

We have driven the car and can attest to its intoxicatingly noisy eagerness, willingness to press on enthusiastically, and finely-honed roadholding manners.

It’s as much fun to drive as it is to look at. 

And it’s a lot of fun to look at.

The car was completely rebuilt by the penultimate owner from 1992, using many new body panels to repair accident damage and tackle any rust that had set in. 

Always garaged (at least since 1992) and never driven in the wet in recent years, the car is in fine dynamic, mechanical and aesthetic condition.

It has been used very sparing in recent years and we have no reason to doubt the veracity of the car’s current odometer reading of 60,242 miles.

The mileage in 2014 was 58,019 and, in 1987, 28,717.

This car hails from an era when cars were largely unencumbered with luxuries such as air bags, crumple zones and other things that take up a lot of space.

Consequently, it looks refreshingly compact, well-proportioned and, thanks to the front air dam, Kamm-style rear spoiler, go-faster red decals and chunky alloy wheels, like it’s ready to come out swinging for any pesky Ford Escort that dares to show its face.

In general, the bodywork is very straight and is free of any dents, dinks, creases or folds that shouldn’t be there.

The door-shuts and panel gaps are consistent and even, and the Starfire Silver paintwork has held on to a good deal of shine and lustre.

The red decals and stripes are all present and correct, as far as we’re aware.

The wheels are decent but have lost whatever shine they may once have had.

They are shod in matching Nankang TourSport 611 rubber which appears to have a decent amount of tread left on it.

Flaws are few and far between on this magnificent machine, but it’s our job to find them, so here goes.

In no particular order, we found: a few stone chips and scratches around the front valance and the ‘nose’ (in this case, we should say ‘snoot’) of the car; a rusty paint chip on the leading edge of the bonnet; a few spots of nascent blistering on the leading and bottom edges of both doors; some splits to the paint around the hatchback lock; a small scratch to the middle of the driver’s door; a few scratches on the driver’s door window; a scratch on the o/s/r wing near the door; a few chips atop the offside sill; a paint chip near the headlamp on the o/s/f wing; and a small, shallow dink just above the tailgate.

None of which amounts to anything remotely worth worrying about or losing any sleep over.

From what we can see, the badging, lights, lenses, and other exterior fixtures and fittings are all in fine fettle.

Basically, it’s all really very good indeed.

The interior of this car is a true time-warp experience and is powerfully redolent and evocative of the late 70s and early 80s.

The first thing that will hit you squarely between the eyes, of course, is the interior trim.

There’s more tartan in here than you’d find at a Bay City Rollers convention.

And it’s all in really good condition, has lost none of its vibrant, cheery countenance and has somehow managed to pull off the difficult trick of being both undeniably old but not stylistically dated.

The seats, front and back, are beyond reproach and are in exceptional condition.

They are also supportive and comfortable.

The door cards are fine, save for a little bit that’s lifting away from the underlying structure on the passenger side. 

The red carpets and mats are also unworthy of any criticism, as is the headlining.

You won’t be remotely surprised to hear that the same Dorian Gray-like denial of time and ageing applies to the dashboard, instrument binnacle, steering wheel, handbrake, gear lever, dials, knobs, levers and switches.

As far as we’re aware, everything does what it’s supposed to do without hesitation, repetition or deviation.

The boot is as good as the rest of it, aside from a few scuffs to the underside of the parcel shelf. It contains a full-sized spare wheel. 

The very neat and tidy engine bay contains Vauxhall’s very strong and dependable twin cam engine fitted with 48DCOE Dellorto carburettors.

Everything on it and ancillary to it - including all hoses and leads - is reassuringly dry, orderly and as it should be.

The undersides of the car look to be sound, solid and free of any lurking unpleasantness.

Absolutely nothing we’ve seen has given us any cause to tut, frown or otherwise question the car’s structural or mechanical integrity.

There are bills, invoices and receipts aplenty attesting to the huge amounts of work carried out on this car.

More recent work includes, but is by no means limited to, the following.

New Bilstein front shock absorbers; front and rear road springs; Wilwood 4 pot front brake callipers and ventilated discs; new rear discs and callipers; rebuilt rear axle/diff assembly; reconditioned steering rack and steering universal joint; uprated cooling fan and new viscous coupling; new HT leads; new rubber fuel lines; P. D. Gough stainless-steel exhaust system with tubular exhaust manifold; uprated gear change mechanism; battery isolator switch; Bosch electronic distributor with fixed timing.

The vendor tells us that various bits and pieces can be made available with the car, if desired. 

These include front door cards with speakers fitted, and a rear parcel shelf with (large) speakers fitted.

The car has appeared at many car shows and events including several Goodwood Breakfast Club meetings. 

It is well-known to members of the Droop Snoot Group and other afficionados of fast Vauxhalls.

All of the servicing, maintenance and ongoing repair work has been carried out by marque and model specialists, principally Sheldon North in Andover. 

The car comes with its original book pack, including a well stamped service book, a Haynes workshop manual, various relevant articles and magazines, some old MoT certificates and copies of V5s, a recent HPI report and a current V5C. 

When we said this car is rare, we really meant it.

Bugatti built 450 Veyrons in the model’s decade of production.

That’s 50 more than the number of Chevette 2300 HS cars that ever saw the light of day.

Today, there are just 89 licenced for UK roads and a further 70 with SORN status.

Very few of those, we confidently suggest, will be as good as this sublime example.

This is our first ever Chevette 2300 HS and we’re not expecting another one to turn up in the near future.

So, if you’re hoping for a better one than this to come along any time soon, don’t hold your breath.

We’re confident to offer this fine car for auction with an estimate of £27,000 - £32,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) 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’.