'The car was my medication' - Shropshire classic car owner crowned winner in nationwide restoration competition

Lancaster Insurance is proud to introduce the winner of the 2025 Pride of Ownership award - a one-of-a-kind Vauxhall Astra GSi.

This year’s winner comes from Dave Wootton of Ludlow , and his 2004 Vauxhall Astra GSi 2L Turbo - the very last Astra GSi to roll off the production line and thus holding a special place in Vauxhall history.

Owned by Dave for nine years, the Astra also holds huge sentimental value for him. “I lost my grandad back in 2018,” he said. “He loved my Astra GSi – I would always take him shopping every Saturday in it. The Astra was the last car he ever went in, so it was important for me to restore it in his memory.”

Dave rebuilt the car on his driveway in 2024 as a form of therapy during a difficult period in his life. “The car was my medication,” he explains.