The Vauxhall Nova between was sold between 1983 and 1993. It replaced the Vauxhall Chevette. All Nova models were made in Spain, with the first British customers taking delivery of their cars in April 1983. It gave Vauxhall a much-needed modern competitor in the UK supermini market, as the Chevette was older than the majority of its competitors, chiefly the Ford Fiesta and Austin Metro. The GTE version was introduced in 1988 and featured a 1598cc engine with a close ratio gearbox producing 100 bhp and went from 0 to 60 in 9.1 seconds.
The Nova is becoming a less and less common sight on British roads with time. Many of these cars have been modified by younger owners and gained the car a strong association with "chav" culture. Many Novas have been targeted by joyriders due to the car's minimal security specification.
A very significant security problem with the Nova, was if one was to remove the hazard light switch, turn it upside down, and insert it back into its slot, they would find that the engine starts running with no clear explanation, effectively hot-wiring the vehicle. This was demonstrated by Jeremy Clarkson in Episode 1 of the 21st Series of Top Gear.