1994 VAUXHALL ASTRA Mk 3 SWING, MoT October 2017, stunning example, no reserve

Welcome to the auction for my 1994 Vauxhall Astra Mk3 Swing 1. 4
The Swing was introduced as a run-out model for the pre-facelift Mk 3 and was focused at retail customers. so it got plenty of extra kit thrown in over the standard Astra LS on which it as based. These included electric windows. a sunroof. alloy wheels. a styling panel on the tailgate and body-coloured mirrors - such things were a big deal in the 1990s. after all.
This car is part of an extensive collection of 80s and 90s cars. which I'm having to slim down due to lack of storage. I'm gutted to have to sell it. to be honest. as it took me ages to find one in this condition that hadn't been modifed. red-topped or abused. but I have 13 other cars and I'm sentimentally attached to most of them. so the Astra. sadly. must go. It came from an elderly couple locally. who kept it in a heated garage in a lovely detached home. and were only selling because they'd decided they no longer needed two cars.  
The Astra has had three owners before me - the couple I bought it off. an elderly chap (a friedn of theirs) who owned it for many years. one other private owner very early in its life and a Vauxhall dealer in Ashton-Under-Lyne. from where it was first supplied. It moved to Hertfordshire early in its life. and I have the bill of sale from 1997 when it was sold via Vauxhall's Network Q used car programme. It had 18. 00 miles on the clock back then. and to date has only covered 55. 85 miles. so that's under 37. 00 miles in 19 years. or less than 2. 00 miles a year since.
It comes with a fair bit of history. including. critically. a bill for a cambelt change in 2013 at 53. 00 miles. so it won't need doing for a while yet.
Bodily. this car is stunning. The Aquamarine paint work is in superb order. with only a couple of very tiny marks. and some very slight bubbling at the bottom of the nearside front wing. which I've tried to show in the pictures. There are also some small rust bubbles on the inside of the nearside rear wheelarch. which are only visible if you look up into the arch. There's also a very slight paint defect on the bonnet. again barely visible. All of the panels are straight and tidy and the inner wings and front subframe area. where Mk3s can go a bit grotty. are exceptionally solid. The alloys. too. are superb. and it has quality brand tyres (Pirelli and Firestone) all round. with plenty of tread.  
The interior. too. is in very good order. with no notable wear on the velour seats or carpets. There's a very small indentation in the dashboard top. but apart from that it's all very smart and presentable. It also has one feature which I think is fantastic. but you may want to change. The old chap that owned the car for most of its life "didn't trust electricity". according to the couple I bought it off. so had the driver's side window converted to a manual winder. All the wiring's there if you wanted to reconnect the electric window. but to be honest I'm not that trusting of old electric windows myself. Indeed. the passenger side electric window in the car is jammed - it needs freeing off. The motor works and you can see it moving. but it won't always go down.  
Other minor faults? Yes. it has a couple. The radio doesn't currently work (though I can supply a period radio-cassette to go with it if it bothers you. as I have one in my shed that I know was working when it came out of my old Carlton) and nor does the heater blower motor. which I'm fairly sure is down to the resistor pack. It looks like an easy fix according to the Haynes manual. but I'm working away most of this week so probably won't get chance to have a fiddle. There's also a slight exhaust blow from the union where the centre pipe enters the rear box. though this isn't holed.
In summary. then. a 22-year old Astra in lovely overall condition. with no nasty mods and finished in a great colour. It drives brilliantly. and is a super rare find in this condition. I'd love it to go to a proper car fan who will love. cherish and preserve it in this condition. It's also a perfect starter classic. as the 1. 4-litre engine means cheap tax and insurance - ideal for a younger enthusiast.  
I'm a total old car geek myself. always happy to stick the kettle on for a like minded enthusiast. and I love 80s and 90s cars.
The car in is Chatteris. Cambs. and I'm happy to help collect any buyer from either Ely or March railway stations. or even deliver if the winning bid is fairly local. Please. though. no zero feedback bidders unless you contact me first to let me know you're genuine (I've been scammed on eBay before and it's a waste of everyone's time). and remember that you bid to buy. not just come and kick the tyres. I'm a decent guy. and I treat people as I expect to be treated myself.
I'm starting the bidding at just £200 - the winning bidder will drive it away. no reserve.
Happy bidding. and any questions. feel free to ask.
     

On 26-Sep-16 at 19:17:36 BST. seller added the following information:

eBay won't let me amend the body text. but I'm reliably informed the colour is Caribic Blue. Thanks Patrick!

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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