▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁While ▁Op el - built ▁cars ▁were ▁export ed ▁to ▁the ▁UK ▁and ▁bad ged ▁as ▁V aux h alls , ▁no ▁V aux hall - built ▁cars ▁were ▁export ed ▁bad ged ▁as ▁Op els . ▁It ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁until ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁that ▁V aux hall ▁would ▁res ume ▁left ▁hand ▁drive ▁production ▁for ▁export . ▁▁▁▁ ▁Similarly , ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁Op el ▁brand ▁on ▁the ▁UK ▁market ▁would ▁be ▁conf ined ▁to ▁sport ing ▁models , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁success ▁and ▁wide ▁range ▁choice ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁V aux hall ▁products ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁the ▁M anta ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁Op el - bad ged ▁car ▁being ▁imported ▁to ▁the ▁UK ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁When ▁the ▁M anta ▁was ▁finally ▁dis cont in ued ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁Op el ▁models ▁were ▁no ▁longer ▁officially ▁imported ▁to ▁the ▁UK . ▁Its ▁successor , ▁the ▁Cal ib ra , ▁was ▁bad ged ▁as ▁a ▁V aux hall ▁on ▁the ▁UK ▁market . ▁ ▁Early ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁V aux hall ▁moved ▁into ▁the ▁modern ▁family ▁h atch back ▁market ▁with ▁its ▁A stra ▁range ▁that ▁replaced ▁the ▁ag ing ▁V iva , ▁and ▁quickly ▁became ▁popular ▁with ▁buy ers . ▁The ▁A stra ▁was ▁a ▁re bad ged ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁front - w heel ▁drive ▁Op el