Rüsselsheim/Bochum

FOR RELEASE: August 13, 2001

Happy Birthday, Opel Astra!

1991 - 2001: More than seven million units worldwide

First-generation Astra was the most successful Opel of all time
A varied model range meets every customer's needs
Astra Eco 4 is the first compact family car to consume only 4 liters per 100 km
Broad range of engines, special motor-sport models
Built on four continents, sold in almost 90 countries

Rüsselsheim/Bochum - Happy birthday, Opel Astra! Ten years ago, on August 12, 1991, a Magma red Astra station wagon left the assembly line at Opel's Bochum plant - the first of a new model line that took over from a succession of legendary Kadett models. More than seven million Astras have since been built at eleven production plants worldwide and sold in almost 90 different countries. 6.5 million Astras have been built in Europe, more than half a million in Africa, Asia and South America.

"The Astra has built on the Kadett's success story", says Opel's Director of Brand Management, Alain Uyttenhoven. "More than any other model, it has created a corporate image for us and communicated important Opel messages to the world at large. These include expressive design, versatility for the user, dynamic performance and genuine value for money."

The first-generation Astra (1991 - 1998) was the top-selling Opel of all time. 4.42 million of them were built, superseding the previous best-seller, the Kadett E (1984 - 1991) of which 3.8 million had been produced. The current Astra model line could well set up a few records of its own, since 2.59 million have already been made and sold. This is the second Astra generation, launched in the spring of 1998. In addition to its sporty styling and dynamic chassis, it features engines from the advanced ECOTEC program, provides its occupants with ample interior space and comes complete with a full list of safety equipment. Furthermore, it was the first Opel to have a fully galvanized body.

Europe's drivers are evidently convinced by such qualities as these, as confirmed once again by the Astra's most recent offshoot, the Cabrio that was launched this March. It is already in such strong demand that Opel will be increasing annual output at Bertone, where this model is built, from 11,000 to 14,300 units from September 2001 on. Another success: in the first half of 2001 the Astra station wagon was the second most popular wagon in any category in Europe - alongside the equally successful Zafira compact van, too. From 1993 to 2000 the Astra was the undisputed - and uninterrupted - leader in European station-wagon registrations.

The highest-volume Astra market is Germany, which took 79,498 units between January and June 2001. After this came Great Britain (62,699), Italy (32,295) and Spain (27,501). The most popular version in Western Europe is the five-door Astra 1.6 hatch with 62 kW (85 hp) engine. Second and third places in the public's favor are taken by the Astra wagon 1.7 DTI (55 kW/75 hp) and the five-door Astra hatch with 1.6-liter, 74 kW (100 hp) gasoline engine. Outside of Europe, the largest markets are Brazil and Australia: In the first six months of 2001, Chevrolet Astra sales in Brazil reached a total of 22.028 while in Australia 19,636 buyers chose a Holden Astra.

Several Million Different Model Specifications
The exceptionally wide choice of variants and equipment is a further powerful selling point in the Astra's favor. Scarcely any other model can match this variety. In effect, every buyer can obtain a car that matches his or her personal preferences and mobility needs very closely indeed.

The full choice is immense; depending on the national market, it can encompass:

up to eight body styles (three- and five-door hatchbacks, 4-door sedan, station wagon, Coupé, Cabrio, Astravan delivery vehicle and the Astra Classic sedan based on the previous model)
up to nine engine options (from 55 kW/75 hp 1.2 16V with four-valves per cylinder to powerful 141 kW/192 hp 2.0 16V turbocharged engine)
up to six décor and trim schemes

For even greater individuality, there are more than 50 optional extras, from trailer tow hitch to central locking with radio-operated remote control - and a big program of original Opel accessories. In theory, more than a hundred million Astras differing in some aspect of their specification could be built. Special Versions to Save Fuel or Win Races

With its excellent aerodynamics, intelligent weight-saving construction and modern ECOTEC engines, the Astra is predestined for economical driving. All its versions are among the most economical cars in their respective categories, and also have impressively low exhaust emissions: all gasoline-engined versions comply with the Euro 4 emission limits that do not come into force until 2005. The absolute economy champion is the Astra Eco 4, the first compact-class family car that is content with only four liters of diesel per 100 kilometers. With its average fuel consumption (MVEG-test) of a mere 4.4 l/100 km, this 1.7-liter (55 kW/75 hp) direct-injection turbocharged diesel sets new standards in economical driving.

Astra models with alternative powertrains are convincing proof that high environmental acceptance can be combined with suitability for day-to-day use. In 1992 the 'Impuls 2' electric car was built on the basis of the Astra Caravan, and was followed a year later by the Impuls 3, which proved successful during large-scale practical trials held on the German island of Rügen. Ten experimental, electrically propelled vehicles covered more than 350,000 kilometers between 1993 and 1997. In 1996 a batch of 500 Opel Astra Caravan CNG station wagons designed to run on compressed natural gas was produced in order to permit trials in conditions closely related to actual practice.

The Astra has demonstrated its versatility in motor sport too: versions based on series-production cars have been successful in circuit racing, ice racing and rally cross. The competition cars are modified to suit the category in which they are to be entered, and may have front-, rear- or all-wheel drive, four-, six- or eight-cylinder engines and power outputs anywhere between 160 and about 540 horsepower. The Opel V8 Coupé, Astra OPC, Astra Kit Car, Astra V6 4x4 and Astra T16 4x4 are the models that have performed so well in events as diverse as the German Touring Car Championship (DTM), the Veedol Long Distance Trophy and the various national rally championships. Many private teams still put their trust in the dynamic qualities and excellent reliability of older Astra GSi versions. At the Geneva Motor Show in spring 2001, Opel exhibited the Astra Coupé OPC X-Treme supersport design study, the fastest roadgoing Opel ever built. Propelled by a 326 kW (444 hp) four-liter, eight-cylinder engine, this car with its gull-wing doors uses much of the pure racing technology of the DTM Astra.

World Car - Eleven Plants on Four Continents
The Astra is a genuine 'world car'. It is built at eleven plants on four continents. The six European plants are: Antwerp (Belgium), Bochum and Eisenach (Germany), Ellesmere Port (Great Britain), Grugliasco (Italy), the Bertone plant where the Cabrio and Coupé are built, and Gliwice (Poland) where the Astra Classic is produced. Outside Europe, the Astra has been built as a Chevrolet in Brazil since August 1998. It is assembled from CKD ('completely knocked down') component kits in Argentina, India, South Africa and Taiwan.