The European Opel Corsa A was rebadged as the Vauxhall Nova in the UK from 1983 to 1993 when it was then replaced by the Corsa B. According to rumour, the name Nova was never used in mainland Europe as the word meant “no go” in Spanish!

The Nova was Vauxhall’s first foray into the supermini market, although Luton’s design team had been working on a similar concept called the Scamp in the mid-1970s which never made it past the prototype stage. The Nova arrived a little late to join the supermini party of the seventies, but it replaced the aging Chevette and became a consistent top ten seller through the eighties. It eventually became the incredibly successful Corsa that is still in production today.

The car on display is a 1.2-litre, four-door saloon Merit, which denotes the most basic trim level and is a rare survivor. It was donated to the collection in 2025 after being in the same family ownership from new. It had not been used for more than twenty years at the time of entering the Museum’s collection and had been kept outside on a driveway. It is currently undergoing restoration by the Museum’s Workshop team.