▁K ad ett , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁and ▁was ▁sold ▁alongside ▁the ▁A stra ▁for ▁several ▁years . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁the ▁company ▁released ▁the ▁M k 2 ▁Caval ier , ▁the ▁first ▁V aux hall ▁of ▁this ▁size ▁to ▁offer ▁front - w heel ▁drive ▁and ▁a ▁h atch back ▁bod yst yle . ▁Bu ilt ▁at ▁the ▁L ut on ▁plant , ▁it ▁really ▁boost ed ▁V aux hall ' s ▁fort unes , ▁with ▁the ▁Caval ier ' s ▁sales ▁for ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁almost ▁tre bling ▁its ▁total ▁for ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁and ▁pe aking ▁at ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁by ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁During ▁that ▁time , ▁sales ▁of ▁the ▁V aux hall ▁brand ▁more ▁than ▁double d . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁complement ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁with ▁an ▁estate , ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Cam ira ▁produced ▁in ▁Australia ▁by ▁Hold en , ▁with ▁the ▁tail g ates ▁for ▁the ▁V aux hall ▁version ▁being ▁built ▁there ▁and ▁sh ipped ▁to ▁L ut on . ▁It ▁was ▁Britain ' s ▁second - best ▁s elling ▁car ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁and ▁spent ▁most ▁of ▁its ▁production ▁life ▁v ying ▁with ▁the ▁Ford ▁Sierra ▁for ▁top ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁large ▁family ▁car ▁market . ▁The ▁Caval ier ▁was ▁rela unch