Vauxhall Astra used in Top Gear’s Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment goes under the hammer

The Vauxhall Astra used in Top Gear’s Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment has been put up for auction.

The unassuming red hatchback, better suited to being a grocery getter than track day hero, was driven by 22 celebrities during its time on the show, including Margot Robbie, Will Smith and Benedict Cumberbatch. It was the last ‘reasonably priced car’ to be used in the Jeremy Clarkson era.

The feature would see the stars jump behind the wheel on Top Gear’s test track after tuition from The Stig, the show’s mystery racing driver.

The Astra is a 1.6-litre petrol model with 113bhp and a five-speed manual gearbox. The car was modified for safety, with Corbeau Sprint bucket seats with five-point safety harnesses and a full roll cage.

The fastest lap in the car was set by musician Olly Murs with a time of 1m 44.6s, and actors Nicholas Hoult and Aaron Paul were tied for second with 1m 44.7s. The fastest woman was Margot Robbie with 1m 47.1s while the fastest wet lap was Gillian Anderson with 1m 48.5s.

The vehicle is up for auction on the Collecting Cars online selling platform alongside the BMW 328i used by Jeremy Clarkson on the ‘Rallycross on a Budget’ episode of the show.