2002 Opel Speedster with Hardtop

- One owner from new

- Complete with original books, service records and bill of sale

- With Hardtop

The Opel Speedster, also known as the Vauxhall VX220 in the UK, was developed in collaboration with Lotus, based on the Lotus Elise platform but with a longer wheelbase and lower door sills. Designed to offer a lightweight, nimble, and engaging driving experience, the Speedster was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1999, to go into full production the following year.

Due to changes in European crash safety regulations for the 2000 model year, Lotus needed to replace the original Elise. The new model was sold by Vauxhall as the VX220 in the United Kingdom, sharing much in common with the Lotus Elise, although Opel claimed few parts were interchangeable. A deal was made between Lotus and General Motors to generate sufficient funds to develop a new Elise, with Lotus agreeing to develop and produce the Opel Speedster and Vauxhall VX220 variants. Lotus expanded its Hethel factory with 3,500 slots allocated to the Speedster. A futuristic design, the Speedster employed a lightweight 72 kilo aluminium frame clothed in fibreglass bodywork. Weighing in at a mere 875 kilos, and with its 2.2 litre,145 hp engine, the Speedster was considerably more powerful than the Series 2 Elise at launch. Production ended in July 2005, and with no direct successor. A rare model, the Speedster is now seen as a collectible modern classic.

This head-turning example has been in the current ownership since new, covering a mere 47,000 miles in that time. Garage-kept, the Speedster was last serviced at 46,151 miles (in 2018). At around the same time all new shock absorbers were fitted and the coolant header tank was replaced. Since then the Opel has been largely stored and barely used, with the most recent MoT certificate expiring in May 2025. We understand that the fibreglass panel work is in good order, the paintwork presents well, the interior well preserved, and the car is in good mechanical order with no known faults.

The owner’s pride and joy, sadly the Speedster is only offered for sale due to ill health. The Speedster is offered complete with a file of invoices, original purchase invoice from 2002, MoT test certificates, service and hand books in original wallet and the V5C registration certificate. A genuine example and surely one to tuck away for the future.

Auction Date: 2 August 2025