Holden Astra

The Astra was a compact family vehicle that was manufactured by the Holden Motor Company. Due to the fact that Holden enjoyed the privilege of having General Motors as its umbrella company, the Astra was able to enjoy no less than five different generations of vehicles. The first Astra was introduced to the Australian public in 1984 while the final model rolled off of the assembly line in 2009, only to be discontinued entirely shortly thereafter. The Astra was replaced by the Holden Cruze and this model is still manufactured at the present.

The Astra was known as a family-size compact car; its characteristic hatchback being one of the most prominent features on each model. It was available in both manual and automatic driving options and the standard engine was a 1.5 litre six cylinder variant. Thus, the Astra was less known for its speed and more for its reliability and fuel economy. It was not until fuel economy and leaded petrol laws changed that the engine was upgraded to a 1.6 litre model. Later models saw a greater amount of interior space and as was common into the early part of the 20th century, a more streamlined and flowing design became dominant.

While the Astra was never exceedingly popular in the United Kingdom or the western hemisphere, it was a known brand in both Australia and New Zealand throughout its life cycle. Although currently discontinued, the Astra represents an important phase in the history of the Holden Motor Company.