The Thatcher government in the UK created a tax break at 1.8 L, with any company car having a larger engine than this attracting higher personal benefit taxes, thus effectively giving the Cavalier an advantage over its rivals soon after its launch.
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When the Cavalier was first introduced, the cars were built at Opel's plant in Belgium, but production quickly moved to Luton.
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The original version, which first appeared in the Astra GTE, Calibra and Vauxhall Cavalier/Opel Vectra between 1988 and 1991, was cast by Cosworth and was marketed under the name 'Coscast'.
The platform was intended to replace both division's J-cars, the Opel Ascona C and the Vauxhall Cavalier Mk.2, although the platform eventually branched out to Holden, Chevrolet's Latin American branch, and even Saab and Saturn.