▁production ▁of ▁its ▁replacement ▁moving ▁to ▁Ell es m ere ▁Port ▁alongside ▁the ▁A stra . ▁Man ufact ure ▁of ▁v ans ▁( s old ▁under ▁the ▁V aux hall , ▁Op el , ▁Ren ault , ▁and ▁N iss an ▁bad ges ▁throughout ▁Europe ) ▁continued ▁at ▁the ▁I BC ▁Ve h icles ▁plant ▁in ▁L ut on . ▁On ▁ 1 7 ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁V aux hall ▁announced ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁ 9 0 0 ▁jobs ▁from ▁Ell es m ere ▁Port ' s ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁staff , ▁part ▁of ▁significant ▁world wide ▁staff ▁redu ctions ▁by ▁G M . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁the ▁all - new ▁V ect ra ▁went ▁on ▁sale , ▁alongside ▁a ▁large ▁h atch back ▁bad ged ▁as ▁the ▁Sign um , ▁which ▁arrived ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁The ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁ever ▁for ▁V aux hall ▁sales ▁in ▁the ▁UK . ▁The ▁C ors a ▁was ▁Britain ' s ▁second - most ▁popular ▁new ▁car , ▁and ▁gave ▁the ▁marque ▁top ▁spot ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁super min i ▁car ▁sales ▁charts ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁The ▁A stra ▁was ▁Britain ' s ▁third - best ▁s elling ▁car ▁that ▁year , ▁while ▁the ▁V ect ra ▁and ▁the ▁Z af ira ▁( a ▁compact ▁MP V ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ) ▁were ▁just ▁outside ▁the ▁top ▁ 1 0