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Vauxhall Is Auctioning Off Top Gear's Reasonably Priced Car, the Astra

Vauxhall has announced an online auction for what is arguably the most famous Astra K in the world.
Vauxhall Is Auctioning Off Top Gear's Reasonably Priced Car, the Astra 1 photo
Photo: Vauxhall
The British carmaker is selling Top Gear’s “Reasonably Priced Car” and handing the proceeds to automotive industry charity BEN.

The Top Gear “Reasonably Priced Car” only has a mileage of 2,908 and is fitted with a full rollcage and a set of Corbeau Sprint Racing seats with a five-point safety harness. Installing said rollcage involved disabling the airbags, so the car is not currently type-approved.

The carmaker suggests that it should not be driven on the road and states that converting the vehicle back to its public roads-compliant form would incur “significant” cost. We might add that buying this car and stripping it of its rather famous interior would be a shame because you would take away some of its charm.

The BBC Top Gear’s Reasonably Priced Car had an estimated 350 million views in 170 different countries per week. Among the stars who drove this exact vehicle on the Top Gear Test Track in Dunsfold Park, Surrey, we can mention James Blunt, Ron Howard, Margot Robbie, Olly Murs, Jimmy Carr, Warwick Davis, Brian Johnson, and Joss Stone. We hope the next owner enjoys it more than the guy who bought a BMW M3 once driven by Jeremy Clarkson.

In the eBay auction, it is also stated that the car is fitted with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine with 115 BHP. Its equipment also includes 17-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, Sat-nav system with a seven-inch color monitor, multi-function trip computer, three-spoke leather-covered sports steering wheel, digital radio with six premium speakers, chrome-effect exterior side window surround trim, mobile phone system with Bluetooth, and a USB Connection with iPod control.

The BEN Charity’s goal is to bring help to people’s lives in the automotive industry and to support them in times of difficulty. Through the donations it receives, BEN is helping families of those who work in the auto industry, offering services that range from nursing to end-of-life care via its four residential centers across the United Kingdom.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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