Opel Speedster and Vauxhall VX220 for sale
2 cars in stock right now, inspected in the European country where they are located, priced landed at a US port with the import paperwork done.
The Opel Speedster (Vauxhall VX220 in Britain) was built by Lotus at Hethel, on the same line as the Elise, on a bonded aluminium chassis of Lotus design, with an Opel 2.2-litre engine of 147 hp — later a 2.0 turbo of 200 hp. It weighs about 870 kg. Opel was not a US brand and the car was never sold in America.
Why Americans want it
It is an Elise with a different body and a more usable engine, and it costs less than an Elise. The US did get the Toyota-engined Elise from 2005, but never this chassis in this form, and the Speedster’s wedge bodywork is unlike anything that has ever been sold there.
What the US never got
- The model: Opel did not sell under its own name in the US, and Vauxhall is UK-only.
- Speedster 2.2 (2000–2005), 147 hp naturally aspirated.
- Speedster Turbo / VX220 Turbo (2003–2005), 200 hp.
Eligible years (25-year rule)
Cars built in 2000 and 2001 are eligible now. 2002 cars qualify in 2027, 2003 in 2028, and so on by build month. The Turbo, launched in 2003, becomes eligible from 2028.
What to look for
- Chassis: bonded aluminium. It does not rust, but accident damage is expensive and sometimes unrepairable. Check for straightness and for evidence of a repair.
- Clamshell panels: composite, costly to replace, and scraped front clams are common.
- Engine: the Opel 2.2 Ecotec is ordinary and cheap to maintain — one of the car’s real advantages over an Elise.
- Water ingress: the soft top and the door seals leak. Check the carpets and the footwells.
- Suspension: wishbones and bushes; a known and bounded job.
Typical landed price
Europe: roughly €29,000–€30,000 for good 2.2 cars. Landed at Newark or Baltimore with duty at the rate in effect on entry: roughly $49,500–$52,000.
Registration notes
- California: built after 1967, gasoline; CARB lab certification applies, not guaranteed.
- Fuel: gasoline.
- Title: 17-character VIN. US title from Salvage Motors LLC; a US decoder will not return an Opel.
Our take
A Lotus chassis with a GM engine is the cheap way to own this kind of car, and the engine is the reason. Inspect the chassis and the clams; everything else on it is affordable.
FAQ
Was the Opel Speedster sold in the United States?
No. Opel did not sell cars under its own name in the US, and the Vauxhall VX220 was a UK model.
Is it really a Lotus?
It was built by Lotus at Hethel on the Elise production line, with a Lotus-designed bonded aluminium chassis and Opel engines.
Which years can I import now?
2000 and 2001 cars. Later years follow build month by build month, and the 200 hp Turbo, launched in 2003, becomes eligible from 2028.