OPEL

Opel Astra F Cabriolet

Exactly 30 years ago, two convertible models were born in Germany that would face each other, with slightly different proposals. On the one hand, the Golf III Cabriolet and on the other, the Opel Astra F Cabriolet.

Both born in 1993, the Volkswagen model had the characteristic protection bar over the front seats, while the successor to the Kadett, the Astra F, debuted the convertible version designed by Bertone, in this case without a visible protection bar.

Following the motto 'who can, can', Opel had chosen the Astra sedan as the basis for the convertible, so the Cabriolet looked more elegant than its Volkswagen rival, although its length was only 4.24 meters.

The design company Bertone had not only developed the vehicle, but also manufactured the bodies on its own assembly line, so we could say that the Astra F Cabriolet had an Italian passport.

The model had a folding fabric hood that did not have a lid for its compartment, and it was necessary to cover it manually with a canvas, something that pressured drivers not to use it.

The new Astra Cabriolet's lineup of petrol engines was quite modest, with options between 71 and 115 hp, although the base 1.6-liter engine was later increased to 75 hp. Initially, the top-of-the-line engine was a 2.0-liter block, but later it became a 1.8-liter 16-valve engine.

At the time, the ADAC or German Automobile Association praised the trunk space of 390 liters, the good quality sports seats, the two standard airbags and the easy-to-handle roof, among other things, although it criticized the lack of rigidity of the model and the low power.

Starting with the Astra's autumn 1994 restyling, the Bertone logo was no longer on the rear spoiler and was much more visible on the side of the car. After the disappearance of the Astra F, the convertible version lived on as the Opel Astra Cabrio until the year 2000.

Autonews