Opel Rekord

In 1953, the pre-war Opel Kadett / Opel Olympia family was replaced by a newly developed car of the same name. About 580,000 copies were produced.

The Olympia of the new generation has become larger and has actually occupied an intermediate position between the previous generation and the model of a higher class, Opel Kapitän . The car differed from its predecessor in the first place by a completely new body, made in the then modern pontoon style . The engine remained essentially the same, but now with a volume of 1488 cm³ it developed 40 liters. with. (since 1956 - 45 hp).

The first generation Rekord was a product of deep modernization of the Olympia Record model. The car received a slightly enlarged body of ultramodern forms with panoramic windows and a rich shiny American-style decor, reminiscent of GM models of the North American market - Chevrolet and, in particular, Buick . Actually, in the markets where the Buick brand was present, the Opel Record was sold under this brand and serviced through the Buick dealer network.

Until 1959, the car existed in two trim levels - the base model was called Opel Olympia, and the version with an improved design - Olympia Rekord. Technically, it was one car with a 1,488cc 45-horsepower engine. The choice of bodies included a two-door sedan, a three-door station wagon ( Car-A-Van ), a van. The price in Germany ranged from 5.785 to 6.845 Deutschmarks.

In 1959, the Olympia was discontinued, and its place in the lineup was taken by the Opel 1200 model with a new 1.2-liter engine (1196 cm³, 40 hp) - its cost was 5.935 marks. The base Rekord cost between 6.545 and 7.110 Deutschmarks. Both models - both 1200 and the base Record - were modernized, electric wipers appeared (they were pneumatic), the instrument panel received soft upholstery for safety, the ignition switch was moved to protect the driver’s knee. The production of a four-door sedan was launched.

Only about 307,000 Rekord PIs and 67,952 copies of the 1200 were produced, with the Opel 1200 being released until December 1962, after the release of this generation's record. In 1959-60, the company Autenrieth in the city of Darmstadt released its versions of coupes and convertibles based on the two-door sedan Rekord P1, in very small quantities. However, the coupe price was DM 9,380, and the convertible was DM 11,180, which did not add to their popularity.

Rekord P2 slightly increased in size relative to its predecessor, a pickup was added to the gamut of bodies. The design has become more modern and seriously distanced itself from American designs. The flat roof panel and the overall increase in size made it possible to make the car more spacious and comfortable.

Since August 1961, a coupe version was on sale, it differed from a two-door sedan in a different roof line (fasttop, that is, a roof rounded over the rear seats; the car's capacity was actually 2 + 2, since this form of the roof limited the space above the rear seats). In addition, since June 1962, a luxury version of the L was available, equipped with a 1,680 cc 1700 S engine with an increased compression ratio (60 hp). Late-release cars could have an optional four-speed manual transmission instead of the standard three-speed. Some cars were equipped with an automatic Olymat clutch.

The price of P2 in Germany ranged from 6,545 to 7,770 brands, only 787,684 cars were sold. Autenrieth built a small number of convertibles based on P2, sold at a price of DM 11.635.

The third generation mechanically repeated the previous one, but had a completely new body, the design of which was developed on the basis of the latest American model GM - Chevrolet Chevy II (in the series since 1962).

The lineup of bodies included a two- and four-door sedan, a two-door station wagon, a van and a coupe. The engines were installed as four-cylinder (1,500-1,488 cm³, 55 hp; 1700 S - 1,680 cm³, 60 or 67 hp), and - from March 1964 - in-line six-cylinder (2,600-2,605 cm³, 100 liters. p.), borrowed from the model of a higher class Opel Kapitan .

The price in Germany ranged from 6.830 to 9.370 marks; as options were offered: front disc brakes: + DM 200; four-speed manual transmission with floor lever: + DM 180. 885,292 units were produced. In addition, the body shop Karl Deutsch from Cologne in very small quantities produced convertibles with 1700 S or 2600 engines, they cost 11,765 and 13,060 brands, respectively.

Externally, the Rekord B was not much different from the Rekord A, having survived only a small restyling, mainly reduced to the design of the ends of the body; however, this generation was the first to receive new upper-engined engines - 1500, 1700 S and 1900 S - with a capacity of 60, 75 and 90 liters, respectively. with. Modifications to these engines will be installed on all Rekord until production ceases in 1986. The six-cylinder engine has not changed, the line of modifications also remained unchanged.

In Germany, a car cost from 6,980 to 9,570 marks; of the options offered: brake booster: + DM 95, automatic transmission: + DM 950; four-speed manual gearbox: + DM 95. 296,771 units were produced.

Rekord C received a new body. A four-door station wagon was added to the lineup. The range of engines included engines 1500, 1700, 1700 S, 1900 and (until 1968) six-cylinder S 2200. Only in 1967 a special modification of a taxi with an extended wheelbase was produced. In addition, the Karl Deutsch studio again offered a small-scale convertible.

The fifth generation was the most commercially successful in the history of the brand - 1,276,681 copies sold. Buyers were attracted by reliability, a spacious lounge and a stylish design in the American spirit. There was a sports modification Rekord Sprint, it had an exclusive engine 1900 H (two two-chamber carburetors, 106 hp), accelerating it to 174 km / h.

Since 1967, the Opel Commodore A was produced on the basis of Rekord C with the bodies of a two- and four-door sedan and a hardtop coupe, equipped with six-cylinder engines of 2.2 and 2.5 liters. In Brazil, the car was produced under the brand names Chevrolet Opala and Comodoro, but was equipped with American six-cylinder engines manufactured by Chevrolet in the volume of 2.5 and 4.1 liters. With several restylings, this model was produced in Brazil until 1992.

In the 1970s, the Rekord C was produced in South Africa under the designation Ranger, and the coupe - Chevrolet SS. In Antwerp ( Belgium ), Rekord C was produced under the designation Ranger for the European market. This model was distinguished by a four-head system of head lighting. The model range included modifications of the Ranger 130 and Ranger 153. In 1970, the Ranger 1900 and Ranger 2500 were added to them, as well as the sports version of the SS based on the Ranger 153. In Germany, the car cost from 7,630 to 9,560 brands; Rekord Sprint - in 1967, 9.775 marks.

This generation, in advertising designated as Rekord II , was larger than the previous ones and was equipped with more powerful engines - 1897, 1698 and 2068 cm³ (all four-cylinder, top-mounted). A 2.1-liter diesel engine (later 2.0 liters) was also used. The six-cylinder modifications were completely made into a separate model, the Opel Commodore B. The standard transmission was a four-speed manual, the shift lever could be placed both outdoor and on the steering column. The automatic transmission model TH-180 was optionally offered. The range of bodies was reduced to two- and four-door sedans, station wagon and coupe. Complete sets were offered: basic, L, Berlina, diesel modifications were designated Diesel.

In Belgium, the car was produced as the Ranger 1700 , 1900 and the top-end Ranger 2500 . In 1974, a 2.8-liter engine appeared on Belgian models. However, the Ranger family was not in demand, and in 1976 production was discontinued. In South Africa, Chevrolet 2500 , 3800 and 4100 cars were produced in this body, the last two engines were six-cylinder in-line, and cars with them had four round headlights instead of two rectangular. A total of 1,116,088 vehicles were produced.

Rekord E was produced from 1977 to 1982, and after modernization from 1982 to 1986, respectively, distinguish between dorestyling Rekord E1 and post-restyled E2. A total of 962,218 cars were produced. Sports cars with two and three-door models were also produced with the GM platform. Sports Three-Door Station Wagons Class E

The engines were gasoline and diesel had a displacement of 1979 and 2260 cm³. A four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission was offered for four-door city cars with a direct gear lever. For two and three door cars considered to be sports cars, mechanical sports four-speed manual gearboxes with a bent gear lever were installed.

In Australia, the Holden Commodore VB was created in 1978 on the basis of an extended body of this generation, and I6 and V8 engines were installed on it. In South Korea, the car was produced as a Daewoo Royale with a slightly modified front end design. Later on his platform, the Daewoo Prince / Daewoo Super Salon model was created, which was produced until the end of the nineties. In South Africa, the car was produced until 1982 under the brand name Chevrolet, later as Opel. There Rekord E2 was produced until the early 1990s. After the mass legal import of foreign cars into the USSR became available in the early 1990s, a considerable number of used Opel Rekord appeared on the streets of Moscow, Leningrad and other large cities .

• Official site opel.de