The Astra Mk1 spent most of its first forty years being treated as transport rather than something worth investing in. Now that has shifted. The cars that survived are going through proper restorations, and a standard set of Mk1 seats is usually the first thing to replace once someone actually sits in them again after the floors and the engine bay are sorted. The foam has gone, the backrest mechanism is sloppy on most of them, and the original seat height puts you further from the wheel than makes sense.
The Cobra subframe we stock for the Astra Mk1 is the direct-fit version, bolting to the factory mounting points without any drilling. It comes with the runner included in the price, which is worth knowing because most frames do not. Cameron tends to start with the Stuttgart Signature for a classic like this, but the guide runs through four other options as well, from the entry pair to the built-to-order premium single.
There is one fitting frame in stock for the Astra Mk1: the Cobra direct-fit subframe. It locates on the factory mounting points, so nothing is cut on a standard floor. The sliding runner is included in the price, which is not the case with most other brands where the runner is a separate purchase. Buy one frame per seat; if you are doing both sides, order the pair together because frames for cars this age are made in small runs and a second one can be difficult to source a year later.
£231.66 inc VAT each. Runner included in the price. Takes Cobra recliners (291mm x 330mm pattern) and Corbeau recliners (drilled for both 291mm and 345mm). Sold individually, one per seat.
Every reclining seat bolts down through a base mount pattern, and on this car there is one that matters: 291mm x 330mm, which is what the Cobra subframe is built around. Three of the five seats in this guide use that pattern directly. The Corbeau PSR and SVR are drilled for both 291mm x 330mm and 345mm x 271mm, the latter being the Sparco pattern used on other frame routes on other cars. On the Astra Mk1, use the 291mm holes. All five seats bolt to the one frame we stock for this car.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Cobra subframe |
|---|---|---|
| Corbeau PSR | 291 or 345 | Fits |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | Fits |
| Cobra Stuttgart Signature | 291 x 330 | Fits |
| Corbeau SVR | 291 or 345 | Fits |
| Cobra Misano Anniversary | 291 x 330 | Fits |
Sold as driver and passenger together, which is the practical approach on a two-door where both seats need matching. Coming back for the second one a year later almost always means a different trim run that does not quite line up with the first, and it is an unnecessary headache on a car you are putting proper money into.
The PSR is cloth trim at the entry price. On a car that is actually going to be driven rather than just shown, cloth is the sensible call because it does not crack along the fold lines the way vinyl does in a car that changes temperature through the seasons. It fits the Cobra subframe through the 291mm x 330mm bolt holes in its dual-drilled base, so no adaptor is needed.
The Daytona is where the Cobra recliner range starts and the quality is better than the price suggests. Built to order through Cobra, which means fabric, vinyl or leather, with lumbar support or heating available if the car is going to see winter use or longer road trips between events. The 291mm x 330mm base pattern puts it straight onto the Cobra subframe.
Worth knowing: the Daytona has a slightly higher base than other seats in the Cobra range, which helps if the standard Mk1 driving position already feels too low relative to the wheel. On a taller driver this is the Cobra recliner to start with. Same frame, same runner, no extra parts to source.
The Stuttgart is the seat Cameron pulls up first when someone walks in with a classic. Cobra designed it for older cars, which shows in the shape and the available trim. The Signature comes in leather or vinyl. The wider Stuttgart range also includes fabric editions in Tartan, Houndstooth, Basketweave and Corduroy, which are a different product at a slightly different price but the same seat family and well worth a look if the interior is going back to period-correct textiles from a car of this era.
The profile is upright and traditional rather than modern-aggressive, which reads correctly against a Mk1 dashboard in a way that a deep-bolstered contemporary seat does not. On a car going to sprint events the lateral support is modest; the Misano is a better choice for that brief. On a restored Mk1 being enjoyed on the road, the Stuttgart is the right seat. Same Cobra subframe, same 291mm pattern.
The SVR is the top of the Corbeau recliner range and it shows in the shoulder bolsters and thigh support, which are firmer and deeper than the PSR. That extra hold matters at sprint events or on any car being pushed, where the PSR’s more relaxed bolstering starts to feel like it is guiding rather than holding.
Sold as a pair the same as the PSR, so the price covers both seats. The base is drilled for both 291mm and 345mm patterns; on the Astra Mk1 with the Cobra subframe, use the 291mm holes. If the budget runs to it and the car is going to events, the SVR is the Corbeau worth going to. The PSR is the sensible starting point; the SVR is the one you are still happy with in five years.
If the seat is the last thing on the list and the budget runs to it, the Misano Anniversary is where the money goes. The bolstering is firmer and more precise than anything else in this guide, it holds rather than guides, and the Anniversary specification is a step above the standard Misano in terms of finish. It is a single seat, so driver and passenger together means two orders and the price scales accordingly.
The 291mm x 330mm pattern means the Cobra subframe only, which is the one frame on this car. On a practical build it works well as a solo driver seat alongside a standard or lower-spec passenger seat, which is how a number of Mk1 owners run it because the passenger side rarely needs the same level of lateral support.
The Cobra subframe for the Astra Mk1 comes with the sliding runner included in the price. Most other frame brands sell the runner as a separate line item, so this is a practical difference worth factoring into the total cost. The frame bolts to the factory mounting points with no drilling on a standard floor. Once the seat is in, torque the floor bolts to the manufacturer’s figure and check the seat belt buckle clearance. A sport seat often relocates the buckle compared to the standard position, so it needs to be accessible without looking for it.
For the Corbeau PSR and SVR, which have dual bolt patterns drilled into their bases, use the 291mm hole set when fitting to the Cobra subframe. The 345mm holes in those same bases are for other frame brands on other cars.
| Your seat | Runner needed | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Corbeau PSR (pair) | None, runner included with Cobra subframe | Cobra subframe (use 291mm bolt holes) |
| Cobra Daytona | None, runner included with Cobra subframe | Cobra subframe |
| Cobra Stuttgart Signature | None, runner included with Cobra subframe | Cobra subframe |
| Corbeau SVR (pair) | None, runner included with Cobra subframe | Cobra subframe (use 291mm bolt holes) |
| Cobra Misano Anniversary | None, runner included with Cobra subframe | Cobra subframe |
If a runner needs replacing or you want a spare set, the Cobra 291 sliding runners are listed separately below.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Waist | Height | Weight | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corbeau PSR | 291 or 345 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | £558.00 (pair) |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | £599.00 each |
| Cobra Stuttgart Signature | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | £709.00 each |
| Corbeau SVR | 291 or 345 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | £1,020.00 (pair) |
| Cobra Misano Anniversary | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | £1,649.00 each |
Prices include VAT and were correct on 27 September 2026. Where a weight figure says not published, the manufacturer has not published one and we will not guess it. Waist and height ranges are the manufacturers’ published fitment figures; if you are close to a boundary, ask before ordering.
No. The Cobra subframe bolts to the factory seat mounting points, so a standard floor is not modified. Torque the floor bolts correctly after fitting and check that the seat belt buckle sits somewhere easy to reach, because a sport seat often moves it compared to where the standard seat had it.
Yes. The Cobra direct-fit subframe for the Astra Mk1 includes the sliding runner in the price. Most other frame brands sell the runner separately, so this is a genuine difference in the total cost of the installation. One frame per seat is all you need, along with the seat itself.
Every seat in this guide is listed by its manufacturer as 4 point compatible, with belt slots through the backrest. If you are planning to run harnesses, let us know when you order and we can make sure the harness bar or cage arrangement works with the seat height and backrest angle.
Probably not as the sole seat choice. The Stuttgart is built for road use and restoration; the lateral support is modest compared to the deeper-bolstered seats in this guide. For a Mk1 going to sprint events, the Cobra Misano Anniversary is a better fit. The two are not competing directly: the Stuttgart is the right seat for a restoration, the Misano is the right seat for a competition build.
Some owners prefer a fixed-back bucket over a recliner, particularly on a car built primarily for track use. We have fitted Corbeau Clubsport bucket seats to an Astra before, and the frame route for a fixed bucket differs from the recliner route in this guide. If you have an Astra Mk2 rather than an Mk1, we have a separate reclining seat guide for that chassis: Top 5 reclining seats for the Vauxhall Astra Mk2.
The PSR if you are doing both seats and want to get on with the build at a sensible price. The SVR if the car is going to events and you want to buy once and have it done properly. The Stuttgart Signature if the rest of the interior is going back to period-correct, which for an Astra Mk1 in a genuine restoration is usually the right call. Have a look at the Stuttgart Vinyl editions too, the Tartan and Houndstooth options are worth the extra and they suit a car from this decade of interiors better than plain vinyl does.
The Daytona if you want a single Cobra recliner that will not look like it belongs in a newer car. The Misano Anniversary if the seat is the centrepiece of the build rather than just part of it.
For all five: the Cobra subframe for the Astra Mk1 is in stock, the runner is included, and trim and sizing are worth talking through before anything is ordered. Call 0115 9893488 and Cameron will go through the options with you.
The five reclining sport seats we recommend for the Vauxhall Astra Mk1 (Kadett), built around the Cobra direct-fit subframe that bolts to the factory mounting points. Runner included in the frame price.
A customer building a BMW track car has his harness bar mounted well back and asked if he needs longer shoulder straps. Saloon length is the default, and it is cut to reach.
The Corbeau Sportsman is one of the narrowest reclining seats we sell, 41.5cm at its widest. The actual dimensions, real customer cars it has gone into, and the honest limit of how compact it is: the cushion is narrow too, so it is not the seat for a larger driver.
The five reclining sport seats we recommend for the Vauxhall Astra Mk2, built around the Cobra Adaption Subframe that bolts to the factory mounting points. Runner sold separately for fore-aft adjustment.
Recaro SR seats are Recaro Japan, not part of the European range, so nobody here sells you the fitting kit with the seat. They mount on the 405mm Recaro base pattern, which means a Planted Technology bracket and a Recaro double locking runner per seat. Here is the stack, a worked BMW E46 example with the numbers, and the cars we do this on most.
A four point needs two shoulder anchorages and the centre rear seat has none. Why a three point is usually the answer, what road legal actually means, and what to look for under your own back seat before you order anything.
