Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared?

rayjaycleoful · 28th June 2018, 13:52

In Delhi- NCR, one usually spots an Astra once a month, most of them are Astra Clubs with sunroof and bodykit. Corsas are a regular sight though.

Cielos, once in a while but not as much as Astras.

I would say Escort is the rarest, haven't seen one in years.

Two other noteworthy cars, which you have to be extremely lucky to see are the Opel Vectra and Ford Mondeo.

V.Narayan · 4th July 2018, 22:46

That generation of cars brought such a jump in what a car meant that it changed forever our expectations. In the 1980s it was common drawing room talk about some poor M800 getting rear ended because a hapless Amby behind could not brake as effectively and vigourously. In one case in Lutyens Delhi, in 1985, a sarkari Amby was let off after kissing a M800's rear because the cop sympathized when the Amby driver exclaimed that his car simply cannot brake that fast.

The Cielo & Astra brought a whole new meaning to interior cabin quality and finish. The jump in our perception of good quality interiors changed forever. Few new models today give that shock to the collective consciousness. Even the methods of display then were quaint. Opel placed an Astra on display under a pavillion at New Friends Colony market in early 1996 and all, including me, came and gwaked at this truly modern car that was still in production in Germany. This was quite startling for India then. The Cielo was prettier to look at and initially did better in sales. For the first time we had cars with computers in them and the ability to diagnose the car's health with a plug-in device. They sure brought in a lot of gwaking moments for us car lovers. My late father was always a little concerned for his backward child. But when I drove in a Cielo in early 1997 he for the first time felt there was hope for me!

hema4saran · 5th July 2018, 08:26

There was one Astra in our extended family driven by a uncle of mine and he spent considerable amount of time and money in maintaining that vehicle until 2011. The ride used to be smooth and build quality of that car is great. That is the first car which had a sunroof in which I was driven around. Once my uncle proudly told that somewhere in a railway crossing, some big poultry owner in TN came out of his Mercedes and admired the Astra for the way it was maintained. That guy told that he got rid of his family's Astra because of the maintenance issues.

Sadly that car had a sudden death when my uncle swerved to save a dog. In that process, lost control and hit a tree. He came out with a fracture in his leg and my cousin got bruises in his forehead and the car was declared total loss. I used to see one Corsa sail in Velachery, Chennai belongs to a doctor who was driving it till 2012.

narayans80 · 5th July 2018, 10:07

Some rare cars I've seen on Indian roads in present day:

1. Sipani Montana/Montego - This was one ugly lady and deserved to disappear. The last time I saw one was in 2001 on my street end and that was the last one. I wouldn't have noticed this car, if we weren't buying Auto India magazine in those days.

2. Maruti 1000 - Maruti's first foray into sedans. Succeeded by the Esteem, which I do spot once a while. A related thread.

3. HM Contessa - After many years spotted one in Trichy in May this year. Otherwise not an easy car to spot these days.

4. Standard 2000 - Was once a rage. There was even one Tamil song (Raja Kaiya Vecha) shot with a lineup of Standard 2000s. Its been more than a decade since I saw a Standard 2000 at all.

5. Tata Estate/Sierra - Spotted one Estate near Sriperumbudur during a trip last year. That was the only one in a decade.

6. Ford Fusion - Its only fault was being born a stationwagon in the wrong country. Used to spot 2 Fusions in my previous workplace. Nowadays its hard to spot one. I remember Moderator ampere owned one, and he sold it few years back.

7. Fiat Uno/Palio - Uno is quite rare to spot, even in the early 2010s. Do see Palio little more than the Uno. Its much more easier to spot a Palio on automotive forums where there are no dearth of Fiat fans

8. Fiat Avventura - Surprise new car entry. Very rarely have I spotted this on road. Even among Fiat owners, its either the Linea or Punto.

Couple of notable CBUs

9. Suzuki Grand Vitara - Good number of owners in team-bhp than one would spot one on road. Probably the only car in my list, that I've seen owners clock high miles.

10. Toyota Prius - Am sure there are more Camry hybrids in India than Prius due to its CBU pricetag.

v12 · 7th July 2018, 00:37

This pic pretty much sums up what happened to these cars :

sameer sultan · 12th July 2018, 12:48

Cielo was an iconic and first mass luxury car in the late 90's during my school days! We owned a second hand Cielo from 1998 which we had bought for 2.38L.I used to love driving it in the highways.It was a fuel guzzler though.We spent a lot in its maintenance had to overhaul the engine once. We had it till 2005 when we sold it to an old car scrap dealer for 30000!!!So I am responsible for the disappearance of 1 Cielo

Apart from the Cielo Astra Mondeo Escort the Peugeot 405 was also launched during that period.

v12 · 12th July 2018, 13:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by sameer sultan

Apart from the Cielo Astra Mondeo Escort the Peugeot 405 was also launched during that period.

Slight correction - it was the Peugeot 309.

Leoshashi · 26th October 2018, 16:59

Spotted this nicely maintained example:

Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared?-20181026_155656.jpg

Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared?-20181026_155712.jpg

Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared?-20181026_165824.jpg

supercars · 31st December 2018, 22:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by v12

This pic pretty much sums up what happened to these cars :

Where is this taken ? I could use parts from that Uno for mine

BeemerBug_06 · 12th January 2019, 10:44

Hello there! I am glad that I have finally become a Team BHPian as I have a story and a few photos to share of a very beautiful yesteryear car!

This here is an Opel Astra 1.6 Club! Opel Astras are now a rarity on Indian roads, the club is of course even rarer. This particular car is now a regular at Horniman Circle on Sunday mornings! Horniman Circle is the hub, where all of Mumbai's car enthusiasts meet every Sunday morning

This Astra is a one owner car since 2000 and is also daily driven. The owner is an elderly lady who loves the car too much to let it go! She has done a grand job in maintaining it over the years, so hats off to her! The car still has the original badges, wheels and Kenwood Music system. What I love about it is the period correct embossed style number plate and National Garage sticker on the rear glass. It is very humbling and nice to see the owner's love and care for her car.

Although, this car does not attract as much attention as some of the vintage and classic cars that come to Horniman Circle, it surely puts a smile on my face whenever I see it!

Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared?-img_6202.jpg

Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared?-img_6203.jpg

Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared?-img_6205.jpg

Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared?-img_6206.jpg

BeemerBug_06 · 21st January 2019, 23:45

Since the Opel Vectra has been mentioned here, I am posting the images of an Opel Vectra that I often see at Horniman Circle, in Mumbai. This car seems to be a resident of that area but hardly ever moves from the parking spot. In fact, it hasn't moved since June . Unlike the clean Astra that comes to Horniman Circle regularly this Vectra seems to be an abandoned and 'left to die' car

. To be very honest I have not seen more than say 7 Vectras in my entire life!!

Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared?-dsc_1873.jpg

Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared?-dsc_1874.jpg

Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared?-dsc_1875.jpg

V.Narayan · 22nd January 2019, 08:25

^^^^
Very nice to see a well maintained Opel Astra doing the rounds even today. 19 years ago I bought 2 Astras of different colours and they were great cars for their time and fully contemporary with what was being sold in Europe. I wonder why GM canned the Opel brand in India.

vigsom · 22nd January 2019, 09:05

^^ I have had the privilege of riding an Opel Astra Club sometime in 1997 - what a car !!!! I found the car uber luxurious then, and even today, a well kept example looks stylish.

The Cielo was a very smooth and silent ride compared to the first series of Esteems.

BeemerBug_06 · 22nd January 2019, 23:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

^^^^
Very nice to see a well maintained Opel Astra doing the rounds even today. 19 years ago I bought 2 Astras of different colours and they were great cars for their time and fully contemporary with what was being sold in Europe. I wonder why GM canned the Opel brand in India.

Yes sir! That Opel Astra really stands out in traffic these days! A big shoutout to the owner who has maintained the car throughout the years and continues to do so. Do post some pictures of your Astras if you have any

would love to see them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vigsom

^^ I have had the privilege of riding an Opel Astra Club sometime in 1997 - what a car !!!! I found the car luxurious then, and even today, a well kept example looks stylish. The Cielo was a very smooth and silent ride compared to the first series of Esteems.

Indeed vigsom! A well kept Astra looks absolutely stunning even today! What's even nicer to know is how the owners of these clean old cars have looked after and cared for their dear cars!

Unfortunately, I haven't seen a Cielo in good condition on Mumbai roads since 2010:(

BeemerBug_06 · 10th April 2019, 18:26

Spotted this Ford Escort in a by-lane at Dadar TT, last week. It looks to be a 1.8 D as per my knowledge. I spotted an Escort in Mumbai, after almost a couple of years or maybe even more! Although, the exteriors are in a sorry state, the interiors seemed quite ok. It's quite possible that this car is a runner.

28th June 2018, 13:52	#136
rayjaycleoful BHPian Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 427 Thanked: 463 Times	Re: Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared? In Delhi- NCR, one usually spots an Astra once a month, most of them are Astra Clubs with sunroof and bodykit. Corsas are a regular sight though. Cielos, once in a while but not as much as Astras. I would say Escort is the rarest, haven't seen one in years. Two other noteworthy cars, which you have to be extremely lucky to see are the Opel Vectra and Ford Mondeo. Last edited by suhaas307 : 14th June 2019 at 23:53. Reason: Spacing
	(5) Thanks

4th July 2018, 22:46	#137
V.Narayan Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Delhi-NCR Posts: 4,071 Thanked: 64,296 Times	Re: Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared? That generation of cars brought such a jump in what a car meant that it changed forever our expectations. In the 1980s it was common drawing room talk about some poor M800 getting rear ended because a hapless Amby behind could not brake as effectively and vigourously. In one case in Lutyens Delhi, in 1985, a sarkari Amby was let off after kissing a M800's rear because the cop sympathized when the Amby driver exclaimed that his car simply cannot brake that fast. The Cielo & Astra brought a whole new meaning to interior cabin quality and finish. The jump in our perception of good quality interiors changed forever. Few new models today give that shock to the collective consciousness. Even the methods of display then were quaint. Opel placed an Astra on display under a pavillion at New Friends Colony market in early 1996 and all, including me, came and gwaked at this truly modern car that was still in production in Germany. This was quite startling for India then. The Cielo was prettier to look at and initially did better in sales. For the first time we had cars with computers in them and the ability to diagnose the car's health with a plug-in device. They sure brought in a lot of gwaking moments for us car lovers. My late father was always a little concerned for his backward child. But when I drove in a Cielo in early 1997 he for the first time felt there was hope for me! Last edited by V.Narayan : 4th July 2018 at 22:49.
	(21) Thanks

5th July 2018, 08:26	#138
hema4saran BHPian Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: McKinney, TX Posts: 247 Thanked: 451 Times	Re: Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared? There was one Astra in our extended family driven by a uncle of mine and he spent considerable amount of time and money in maintaining that vehicle until 2011. The ride used to be smooth and build quality of that car is great. That is the first car which had a sunroof in which I was driven around. Once my uncle proudly told that somewhere in a railway crossing, some big poultry owner in TN came out of his Mercedes and admired the Astra for the way it was maintained. That guy told that he got rid of his family's Astra because of the maintenance issues. Sadly that car had a sudden death when my uncle swerved to save a dog. In that process, lost control and hit a tree. He came out with a fracture in his leg and my cousin got bruises in his forehead and the car was declared total loss. I used to see one Corsa sail in Velachery, Chennai belongs to a doctor who was driving it till 2012.
	(2) Thanks

5th July 2018, 10:07	#139
narayans80 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Madras Posts: 3,108 Thanked: 4,508 Times	Re: Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared? Some rare cars I've seen on Indian roads in present day: 1. Sipani Montana/Montego - This was one ugly lady and deserved to disappear. The last time I saw one was in 2001 on my street end and that was the last one. I wouldn't have noticed this car, if we weren't buying Auto India magazine in those days. 2. Maruti 1000 - Maruti's first foray into sedans. Succeeded by the Esteem, which I do spot once a while. A related thread. 3. HM Contessa - After many years spotted one in Trichy in May this year. Otherwise not an easy car to spot these days. 4. Standard 2000 - Was once a rage. There was even one Tamil song (Raja Kaiya Vecha) shot with a lineup of Standard 2000s. Its been more than a decade since I saw a Standard 2000 at all. 5. Tata Estate/Sierra - Spotted one Estate near Sriperumbudur during a trip last year. That was the only one in a decade. 6. Ford Fusion - Its only fault was being born a stationwagon in the wrong country. Used to spot 2 Fusions in my previous workplace. Nowadays its hard to spot one. I remember Moderator ampere owned one, and he sold it few years back. 7. Fiat Uno/Palio - Uno is quite rare to spot, even in the early 2010s. Do see Palio little more than the Uno. Its much more easier to spot a Palio on automotive forums where there are no dearth of Fiat fans 8. Fiat Avventura - Surprise new car entry. Very rarely have I spotted this on road. Even among Fiat owners, its either the Linea or Punto. Couple of notable CBUs 9. Suzuki Grand Vitara - Good number of owners in team-bhp than one would spot one on road. Probably the only car in my list, that I've seen owners clock high miles. 10. Toyota Prius - Am sure there are more Camry hybrids in India than Prius due to its CBU pricetag. Last edited by suhaas307 : 14th June 2019 at 23:54. Reason: Spacing for improved readability
	() Thanks

7th July 2018, 00:37	#140
v12 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,739 Thanked: 7,212 Times View My Garage	Re: Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared? This pic pretty much sums up what happened to these cars : Attached Thumbnails
	(12) Thanks

12th July 2018, 12:48	#141
sameer sultan BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 435 Thanked: 789 Times	Re: Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared? Cielo was an iconic and first mass luxury car in the late 90's during my school days! We owned a second hand Cielo from 1998 which we had bought for 2.38L.I used to love driving it in the highways.It was a fuel guzzler though.We spent a lot in its maintenance had to overhaul the engine once. We had it till 2005 when we sold it to an old car scrap dealer for 30000!!!So I am responsible for the disappearance of 1 Cielo Apart from the Cielo Astra Mondeo Escort the Peugeot 405 was also launched during that period.
	(1) Thanks

26th October 2018, 16:59	#143
Leoshashi Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: India Posts: 5,693 Thanked: 42,421 Times View My Garage	Re: Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared? Spotted this nicely maintained example:
	(25) Thanks

12th January 2019, 10:44	#145
BeemerBug_06 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Mumbai Posts: 342 Thanked: 3,324 Times View My Garage	Re: Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared? Hello there! I am glad that I have finally become a Team BHPian as I have a story and a few photos to share of a very beautiful yesteryear car! This here is an Opel Astra 1.6 Club! Opel Astras are now a rarity on Indian roads, the club is of course even rarer. This particular car is now a regular at Horniman Circle on Sunday mornings! Horniman Circle is the hub, where all of Mumbai's car enthusiasts meet every Sunday morning This Astra is a one owner car since 2000 and is also daily driven. The owner is an elderly lady who loves the car too much to let it go! She has done a grand job in maintaining it over the years, so hats off to her! The car still has the original badges, wheels and Kenwood Music system. What I love about it is the period correct embossed style number plate and National Garage sticker on the rear glass. It is very humbling and nice to see the owner's love and care for her car. Although, this car does not attract as much attention as some of the vintage and classic cars that come to Horniman Circle, it surely puts a smile on my face whenever I see it! Last edited by suhaas307 : 14th June 2019 at 23:54. Reason: Spacing
	(21) Thanks

21st January 2019, 23:45	#146
BeemerBug_06 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Mumbai Posts: 342 Thanked: 3,324 Times View My Garage	Re: Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared? Since the Opel Vectra has been mentioned here, I am posting the images of an Opel Vectra that I often see at Horniman Circle, in Mumbai. This car seems to be a resident of that area but hardly ever moves from the parking spot. In fact, it hasn't moved since June . Unlike the clean Astra that comes to Horniman Circle regularly this Vectra seems to be an abandoned and 'left to die' car. To be very honest I have not seen more than say 7 Vectras in my entire life!!
	(6) Thanks

22nd January 2019, 08:25	#147
V.Narayan Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Delhi-NCR Posts: 4,071 Thanked: 64,296 Times	Re: Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared? ^^^^ Very nice to see a well maintained Opel Astra doing the rounds even today. 19 years ago I bought 2 Astras of different colours and they were great cars for their time and fully contemporary with what was being sold in Europe. I wonder why GM canned the Opel brand in India. Last edited by V.Narayan : 22nd January 2019 at 08:36.
	(1) Thanks

22nd January 2019, 09:05	#148
vigsom Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NSEW Posts: 3,759 Thanked: 25,459 Times	Re: Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared? ^^ I have had the privilege of riding an Opel Astra Club sometime in 1997 - what a car !!!! I found the car uber luxurious then, and even today, a well kept example looks stylish. The Cielo was a very smooth and silent ride compared to the first series of Esteems.
	(2) Thanks

10th April 2019, 18:26	#150
BeemerBug_06 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Mumbai Posts: 342 Thanked: 3,324 Times View My Garage	Re: Cielo, Astra, Escort & other yesteryear Cars - Where have they disappeared? Spotted this Ford Escort in a by-lane at Dadar TT, last week. It looks to be a 1.8 D as per my knowledge. I spotted an Escort in Mumbai, after almost a couple of years or maybe even more! Although, the exteriors are in a sorry state, the interiors seemed quite ok. It's quite possible that this car is a runner.
	(4) Thanks