Opel Astra Landmark: 10 million Cars Strong

The 10 millionth Opel Astra rolled off the assembly line today in Bochum, Germany – a Silver Lightning Astra Station Wagon 1.7 CDTI equipped with special features to celebrate this extraordinary production milestone.

With more than 500,000 models sold last year in Europe alone, Astra is the absolute best-selling car in the Opel palette and follows in the footsteps of Opel’s Kadett and the brand’s tradition of building quality compact cars.

“The Astra is synonymous with Opel. Its success is also a recognition of our expertise in the compact segment in which Opel has been playing a pioneering role since 1936 and the launch of the first Kadett” says Opel Managing Director Hans H. Demant. “The Astra symbolizes our brand; offering bold design, versatility and advanced technology that meets customer needs. And it is fun to drive.
Worldwide success story began in 1991

The Astra era began August 12, 1991 when the first model – a magma-red station wagon – left the Bochum plant. Opel adopted the name “Astra” from the car’s sister model in the United Kingdom. Vauxhall had renamed the Kadett to Astra in 1980 when the fourth-generation of the compact class car was launched. With ten million units produced worldwide, the Astra is a long-established bestseller in almost 80 countries. And, it can proudly display an array of awards.

In 2008, the Astra GTC with its panorama windshield was singled out as a stylish trendsetter when it was named “Most Fashionable Vehicle” among imported cars in China. A design center in Germany awarded its “Red Spot for High Design Quality” to Astra in 1998. And, in 2001, The Swedish ‘Gröna Bilister’ (“Green Drivers”) Association recommended the Astra 1.6 16V as a “Good Environmental Choice” based on its low emissions.

In addition, three Astra model lines hold a host of sales records. The first generation (1991 - 1998) is still the best-selling Opel model ever: 4.13 million units were produced (excluding Opel Classic), breaking the record of 3.8 million held by the Kadett E (1984 - 1991). The second Astra generation launched in the spring of 1998 also boasts an impressive production figure of 3.8 million units. That model continues to be built in Gliwice, Poland as the Astra Classic. The third generation was launched in March 2004 and is well on the way to following in its predecessors’ footsteps: Already 1.9 million units have been sold.

The front-wheel drive Astra is produced in eight plants on two continents. In Europe, the current models are built in Bochum, Germany; Antwerp, Belgium; Ellesmere Port, United Kingdom and Gliwice, Poland. As a truly global car, the Astra is also fully or partially assembled in Russia, the Ukraine, Brazil and Serbia. It also is the first compact class model since the Kadett B that is sold in the USA. The Saturn Astra is built in Antwerp, and hit dealerships in the USA and Canada in the closing months of 2007.

The British buy the most Astras. Last year, 119,082 units were sold in the U.K. The second-largest market is Germany (74,226), followed by Italy (43,128) and Spain (41,282). The most popular Astra in Western Europe is the 1.6 ECOTEC model Enjoy.

In Germany, the Astra station wagon held the top spot in 2007, selling better than any other compact wagon.

Credits: Jarvis