2002 Vauxhall Astra 888 Coupe Registration Number: S888 AST...

Estimate

£7,000 - £8,000

2002 Vauxhall Astra 888 Coupe

Registration Number: S888 AST
Chassis Number: WOLOTGF072B005361
Recorded Mileage: 150,500 miles

- Built in honour of the 2001 BTCC championship win
- Number 82 of 100 units
- Rebuilt engine, uprated 6-speed gearbox

Built for the 2001 British Touring Car Championship season by Triple 8 Race Engineering, who ran Vauxhall's official works program, the Astra Coupe was the first BTC Touring-specification car to be unveiled in late 2000. Triple 8 had worked on the Astra in the summer of that year and as a result the car was far more advanced in its development than anything else in the field, allowing it to win 25 out of 26 races in 2001. A 3-way battle for the championship lasted throughout the season, with Jason Plato emerging victorious by 18 points. In fact, so dominant were the cars that the lowest placed Astra driver, Phil Bennett, who finished 4th in the Driver's Championship, was 58 points clear of the next driver.

The 888 was Vauxhall's celebratory special from 2001 - fresh from their motorsport success, Triple Eight created an uprated Astra Coupe which both looked and drove more sharply than the standard Turbo. Investment in suspension, braking and tuning produced an interesting alternative to the Integra Type R. With just 100 registered, the 888 is a rare model to find for sale in the current market.

This car, number 82 of 100, has had much attention lavished on it in the last 10 or so years. In 2014 (at c.110,000 miles), the engine was fully rebuilt by RND Motorsport, featuring fully forged PEC rods, oversized Supertech pistons and race bearings (a full specification is available in the history file). A KO6 turbo with forged parts is fitted, as are VXR injectors, an alloy radiator with twin fans, upgraded 6-speed transmission, and the clutch replaced with a competition item. The Astra presents well with a particularly clean interior featuring its original blue and black Sparco seats. 

Offered complete with a detailed history file, V5C, and MoT certificate valid to June 2026, this rare and involving fast road car will make an interesting addition to any collection.