McRae spec Vauxhall Nova Sport for sale

Let’s all agree: paying almost £40,000 for a 40-year-old Vauxhall Nova is insane. It defies reason. That’s of course not an uncommon sentiment when discussing older cars, many of which are only now worth what anyone is willing to pay for them – but it’s hard to see how anyone in their right mind could justify spending Mercedes-AMG A45 S money on such a rudimentary old hatchback, which is now surely only appreciated by a middle-aged niche, most of whom would openly admit to the blatant objective weaknesses of the car.

Nevertheless, if you Are Beyond a certain age, the Nova, alongside a host of other cheaply bought front-wheel drive cars from the ’80s and ’90s, tends to conjure up memories of summers long gone, when you were freer, lighter and more easily satisfied. Fortunately, there are easier and cheaper ways to access those feelings than wasting a small fortune on a used Opel. But admittedly, if you’re convinced there’s only one way back to the good times, you won’t find much better or rarer than this.

To give the Nova Sport its due, its status as a true homologation special is not in question. After all, this is the car that a young Colin McRae cut his teeth on. Vauxhall produced 500 examples so it could have something for the Group A rally, another good reason – apart from the Nova’s usual pace of disintegration – that so few survive. This particular car, in case there was any doubt about the validity of the Polar White paint and model-specific livery, has apparently been authenticated by Vauxhall Heritage’s archivist.

Either way, the Sport is recognizable by its distinctive red muffler and custom 1.3-liter engine, which boasts twin Weber DCOE carburetors, an Irmscher intake manifold and a performance camshaft for a heady 93 horsepower. As modest as the improvement over the standard SR engine was, the Nova’s lack of extra weight meant it translated into solid performance gains: the seller’s claim of a two-second improvement to 62mph might even be true.

Inside, it’s predictably spartan, with brown Daytona plaid Recaro seats that barely look out of place, and an early SR dash with orange-needle instruments. There’s obviously no air conditioning, no power steering and certainly nothing as new as airbags. A two-speed fan is a standard luxury on the Sport; the only thing odd about the kit list seems to be 15-inch Compomotive Motorsport alloys, although (assuming they’re add-ons) we can all agree they look good.

Otherwise, the car is a testament to originality, love and careful use – remarkable really, given the Sport’s mission. Its history does show some light eventing on the track (it would be a shame not to, right?), but with a comprehensive service just carried out, including overhaul of the timing belt, water pump and brakes, it is ready to go. Where exactly is more difficult to fathom. Despite its motorsport origins, the Nova is certainly too commonplace for a serious collection – and yet it’s arguably too rare and expensive to play as a thrashy B-road time machine. Suggestions welcome below. Either way, it will help to have some love for it.