, ▁in ▁competition ▁with ▁their ▁Op el ▁counter parts . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁dem ise ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁sole ly ▁V aux hall ▁design , ▁the ▁V iva ▁( although ▁the ▁last ▁" true " ▁V aux hall ▁product ▁can ▁be ▁argued ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁Bed ford ▁CF ▁panel ▁van , ▁which ▁ceased ▁production ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 ), ▁G M ▁policy ▁was ▁for ▁future ▁V aux hall ▁models ▁to ▁be , ▁in ▁effect , ▁re bad ged ▁Op els , ▁designed ▁and ▁developed ▁primarily ▁in ▁R üss els heim . ▁The ▁original ▁A stra , ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁set ▁the ▁event ual ▁preced ent ▁for ▁all ▁G M ▁Europe ▁vehicles ▁from ▁that ▁point ▁on ward ▁– ▁apart ▁from ▁the ▁bad ging ▁it ▁had ▁no ▁sty ling ▁or ▁engineering ▁difference ▁from ▁its ▁Op el ▁sister ▁– ▁the ▁K ad ett ▁D . ▁Until ▁the ▁ ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁G M ▁deal ers ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁sold ▁highly ▁similar ▁Op el ▁and ▁V aux hall ▁models ▁alongside ▁each ▁other , ▁Op el ▁having ▁been ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁This ▁policy ▁of ▁dup lication ▁was ▁ph ased ▁out ▁when ▁Op el ▁and ▁V aux hall ▁formally ▁combined ▁their ▁British ▁market ing ▁operations ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁The ▁V aux hall ▁and ▁Op el ▁deal er ▁networks ▁were ▁merged ▁and ▁re brand ed ▁as ▁" V aux hall - Op el