This is the reluctant sale of my (very) low mileage 2003 Mk4 Vauxhall Astra Coupe Linea Rossa. The car is one of only 200 Linea Rossas that left the factory, and one of only 17 in this finish, making this trim and spec level very rare (the rarest limited edition Mk4 Astra that they produced). I will outline the specifics and trim level below but as you can see from the pictures, particularly those of the interior, this is a very special car. The car has just been serviced using genuine Vauxhall/GM parts (receipts to prove) and comes with 12 months MOT.
The car is completely standard; I have not modified it in any way other than fitting an Irmscher grille (car will come with standard grille). The car comes with all of the Linea Rossa optional extras. This gives you the ideal opportunity to personalise the car to your own taste, or to leave it standard as I chose to do.
This particular Astra comes equipped with the Z22SE 2.2-litre engine. Most Linea Rossa Astra’s are just 1.8-litre but this is the pokier more desirable option. It produces great power when you need it, but it is amazingly economical for a fast car. We found it used less fuel than our ‘regular’ car on similar journeys.
Fast facts:
- 2003 Astra Linea Rossa Coupe
- 2.2-litre 16-valve Z22SE engine
- Just 69990 miles from new (very low mileage)
- 12 months MOT
- Recent full service using genuine Vauxhall/GM parts
- Full service history, most of it at a Vauxhall dealer, including receipts for all genuine Vauxhall parts used
- Automatic gearbox with addition of Sports Mode and Winter Pack options
- Full Vauxhall Tech2 diagnostic check/service on all electronic components including engine ECU and gearbox
- Comes with official Vauxhall car-pass for radio code etc
Comfort and style:
- Full leather interior including special edition sports seats
- Seats, head restraints and door trim inserts in red and anthracite coloured leather
- Red stitching on seats, headrests, gear gaitor and handbrake surround
- Electrically heated seats
- Red and black two tone leather Sports steering wheel with red stitching and onboard stereo controls
- Air conditioning
- Cruise control
- Limited edition white instrument dials with red needles (not available on any other Astra)
- Brushed aluminium door sill covers with official ‘Linea Rossa’ emblem printed
- Complete set of four floor mats stitched with official ‘Linea Rossa’ emblem and finished with red piping (these retail at almost £75 each!!)
- Front seats feature rear pockets for passengers or map storage
- Factory CD player, with radio and travel programme functionality
- Limited edition ‘SE2’ 17-inch alloy wheels (16-inch spare in boot well)
- Digital display incorporating trip computer, driver information, temperature, error codes.
- Colour coded wing mirrors
- Colour coded door strips
- Color coded Irmscher rear spoiler
- Smoked headlights
- Smoked rear lights
- Smoked indicators
- Clear side repeaters
- Front splitter
- Factory lowering springs (typically painted in Linea Rossa red)
- Linea Rossa chrome tailpipe
- Bee-sting aerial
**Security and safety: **
- Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
- Traction control
- Electronic stability program (ESP)
- Twin front airbags
- Front seat side mounted airbags
- Remote ultrasonic security alarm
The car really does combine stunning looks with practicality (the boot is surprisingly large and the rear seats fold down to create even more room if needed). The car is gutsy but produces a very smooth ride. The Coupe was designed by Bertone of Italy and combined with the Flame Red Linea Rossa paintwork makes this a beautiful car to be seen in.
It is an exceptional example of this car and really needs somebody to make more use of it than I do. The car has just been serviced and comes with a full 12 months MOT so is pretty much ready to drive away. There were NO advisories on the MOT at all!
The car has an extremely comprehensive service history, 90% of it from Vauxhall dealers for genuine Vauxhall parts and it has every MOT since new and a stack old tax discs (see the picture). It has brand new Bosch windscreen wipers. The car does not come with road tax but I can tax this at buyers expense if required. The car comes with the original Vauxhall leather handbook carrier and all the original manuals.
The engine is very strong and gives a good power delivery and the gearbox is very smooth, pulling through every gear without a moment’s hesitation. The Sports Mode means that you can chase the redline when you feel like putting your foot down, whereas the Winter Pack gives you additional grip and stability in the colder months where the weather isn’t as great as we’d like (it seems like that’s all year round at the moment!).
The only other things that I can think of that you might need to know are that there are a few stone chips on the bonnet but these could be easily fixed with a touch up pen. The front tyres are almost new and have 6/7mm on them whereas the rears have less tread depth and will probably need replacing within the next year. Red cars have a tendency to suffer from paint fade, and while I’m pleased to say that this isn’t one of them the front bumper plastic has faded slightly. It’s barely noticeable, but either a polishing mop or T-Cut should bring it back to its former glory (following an unexpected family bereavement I have not had the time to do it yet). Your local body shop could undertake this work for you if you didn’t want to do it yourself, it is a very small job for them. There are a few minor kerb marks on the alloy wheels but nothing major. Otherwise the car is pretty much spotless.
All the electrics work as they should and the car comes complete with limited edition white dials (with Linea Rossa red needles). The car features pillar-less doors which are a fantastic design feature and give that really sporty feel to your driving. The centre console (which houses the stereo and heater controls) is gunmetal grey with a special Bertone badge fixed to the face of the ashtray, as opposed to the standard black in other Astras.
The car has never been smoked in. To the best of my knowledge the car has had passengers in the back once or twice. The leather is like new.
Astra Mk4s came with galvanised steel body panels. This means that there isn't a spot of corrosion anywhere on the car; the underside is the cleanest I have seen.
I’ve tried to be as honest as possible and I’m sure there are loads of features that I have forgotten, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. In conclusion it is a very attractive car at a very attractive price and one of the rarest Astra Mk4s that were ever produced. The car has had just 3 owners including me. The first was a single lady who used to travel by train everywhere, the second owner was a police officer who had a squad car to travel about in and then I bought the car.
It has been the best car I have ever owned and I am only selling as I have just bought an estate so that we can get a dog (an Alsatian in the back of an Astra Coupe is probably asking for trouble...!). This really has been a ‘pride and joy’ for us but it’s now time to let someone else enjoy the car.
Thanks for your interest. You are obviously invited to test drive the vehicle before you drive it away but I would ask that you bring proof of insurance with you to do so. The car is located in Cambridgeshire. The car is in occasional use so the mileage might go up slightly between now and when you collect it.
£2500 takes it. Let me know if you want any further info 🙂
