Vauxhall VX220

The story

General Motors paid Lotus to develop and build a sports car on a version of the Elise's bonded aluminium chassis. It was sharper-edged than the Elise and had a bigger, lazier engine. Few people expected a Vauxhall badge on something this good.

Inside

Bare aluminium and two simple seats, much like the Elise, with a single dial pod and a stubby gear lever.

In period colours

Tap a colour to respray the drawing.

Meanwhile, in 2000

The Millennium Dome opened, fuel protests emptied the petrol stations and BMW sold Rover for ten pounds.

Best-selling single of 2000: Can We Fix It? by Bob the Builder

Before you buy a 2000s car

• Check the service history, especially for timing belts, clutches and cambelts where fitted.
• Electronics, air conditioning and suspension repairs can be expensive.
• Many parts are still made, but some low-volume models rely on specialists.

General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.

Rivals of its day

Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.

See the real thing

These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.