25 Years of the Vauxhall Corsa: A brief history

Since launching to the UK in 1993, the Vauxhall Corsa has become a staple of UK roads, with two million examples of the hatch sold since its debut.

The Corsa’s predecessor, the Nova, was one of Britain’s most popular hatches throughout the 1980’s. However, by the end of it’s run, the Nova – sold as the Opel Corsa in Europe – was starting to look decidedly dated against rivals such as the Ford Fiesta.

Fortunately, a replacement was in the pipeline…

Vauxhall Corsa B (1993-2000)

With the introduction of the Corsa in 1993, Vauxhall up-ended the hatchback market, with the cars curving, modern style proving to be a sales hit, and cemented the nameplate’s reputation as a dependable car for small families and young drivers alike.

The Corsa gradually evolved throughout the 90’s with minor facelifts, before being replaced in 2000. However, the design lived on for many years in the Chinese and South American markets.

Vauxhall Corsa C (2000-2006)

The second UK Corsa was launched in October 2000, and proved to be everything a sequel should be; bigger, sharper and more modern, with more trim and engine options than the previous generation.

The second-generation car proved that the Corsa was here to stay. It was the most popular supermini on the market from 2002-2005, before production stopped in 2006. It was also one of the best-selling cars of any type in the UK, a feat which the Corsa has continually achieved ever since.

This generation of the Corsa, and the early examples of the Corsa D that followed, are still vastly popular with young drivers thanks to their cheap running costs and insurance.

Vauxhall Corsa D (2006-2014)

When the Corsa D arrived on the market in the latter half of 2006, it was clear that the Corsa had evolved. An all-new platform and new, sweeping styling provided a sleeker, sportier edge to the Corsa. This was further accentuated by a facelift in 2010.

The Corsa D was the first to be bestowed with a VXR badge. The hot hatch launched in 2007 with 189bhp on tap and 0-62 in 6.8secs. However, those figures went up with special editions such as the VXR Nürburgring.

The Corsa D was on the market for some eight years, and as such, is the longest-running Corsa thus far, which is a further testament to its design.

Vauxhall Corsa E (2014-Present)

Much like the shift between the first and second-generation, the current Corsa is an evolution of its predecessor, rather than a clean slate.

The styling was altered to be more in line with the other stars of the Vauxhall range, with a larger, more striking grille, and an entirely revised look inside and out.

To this day, the Corsa is still one of the biggest-selling cars in the United Kingdom, and will likely continue to feature prominently on the sales charts for the next 25 years as well.

By Adam Weller