Opel · 1977–1988

Opel Rekord E

The Opel Rekord Series E is a large family car that replaced the Rekord D on Opel's Rüsselsheim production lines in August 1977, following the end of the summer vacation plant shut-down. It shared its wheelbase and inherited most of its engines from its predecessor, but the bodies were completely new. The corresponding Opel Commodore C was essentially identical to the Rekord E, but fitted with 6-cylinder engines. In October 1982, the Rekord E was extensively reworked, retaining the central portion of the body, the same windows and the principal elements of the substructure, but with redesigned front and back ends and with several significant new engines. The pre- and post-facelift versions are commonly referred to as the E1 and E2, respectively. The Rekord E's nine-year production run was far longer than that of any previous generation of Opel Rekord. It became the third Opel Rekord to exceed a million units produced, but it took longer to reach that target than its predecessor — bearing in mind this total now also included its Vauxhall Carlton sister model produced for the UK market. By then, large increases in fuel prices had persuaded many middle-market customers to downsize. The Opel Rekord was perceived as a large family car even in its West German home market where family cars were traditionally a little larger than in southern Europe. The Rekord (and later the Omega) would also come under pressure from the entry-level models of German luxury brands such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz — the beginning of an industry trend which would, by the end of the 1990s, see mass market brands abandon the D/E-segment completely. The Rekord E was sold in the UK badged as the Vauxhall Carlton, initially identified by a reworked bonnet panel, and after 1982 differentiated by little more than the badges. Despite the UK branding, the Carltons were all produced at Rüsselsheim, leaving Vauxhall's British plants to concentrate on Cavaliers, Chevettes, Vivas and their successors. The car was developed by Opel and a direct development of a succession of previous Opel Rekords, but during the closing decades of the twentieth century General Motors displayed a growing strategic interest in internationalizing their products, and the underpinnings of the Rekord E became known as the General Motors "V-platform", and various derivative versions of the Rekord E were manufactured by other GM divisions around the world.

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Predecessor: Opel Rekord D · Successor: Opel Omega A

All Opel Rekord E data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Opel Rekord E1 (1977–1982)

=== The car === Despite sharing its wheelbase and, at least initially, its engine range with the car it replaced, the Opel Rekord E as launched at the 1977 Frankfurt Motor Show was slightly wider, longer, higher and, with larger windows, significantly heavier than the Opel Rekord D. Inside it was noticeably more spacious. Plaudits for the technologically impressive, though commercially unsuccessful, NSU Ro 80 introduced in 1968 had revived interest in aerodynamics among West German automakers, and the Rekord E came with claims of an improved drag coefficient of 0.42 Cd.) In 1982, the facelifted "E2" version was released with drag coefficient of 0.36. Of a generally smoother appearance, this version featured redesigned, more aerodynamic front and rear ends, and a reshuffling of engines and equipment levels. The E2 Vauxhall Carltons were distinguishable from Opel Rekords only by their badging, with no sheet metal differences present. Design. ==== Bodywork ==== The unibody, steel bodied cars offered seating for five. The top seller was the saloon. It was available with either two or four doors, although by now the West German market, which had for many years retained an appetite for larger cars with just two doors, was becoming more like the other major automarkets of western Europe in expecting cars the size of the Rekord to provide rear seat passengers with their own doors. The four-door Rekord comfortably outsold its two-door sibling. Saloon production was 769,086 cars, split between 127,544 2-door cars and 641,542 4-door cars. Opel Rekord E1 "Caravan" (estate) production was 167,501 cars, of which 26,652 were 3-door models and 140,849 were 5-door ones. Opel also offered a three-door delivery van for light commercial use that was in most respects identical to the estat

Opel Rekord E2 (1982–1986)

In September 1982, the Rekord E received a major upgrade. The upgrade might have been held out as marking a new Opel Rekord, but it was not: the manufacturer continued to use the "Rekord E" designation. Subsequently, Rekords assembled in Rüsselsheim between 1977 and 1982 have become known as Rekord E1s, and those assembled in that plant between 1982 and 1986 have become known as Rekord E2s. However, in other continents where the Rekord was assembled, the Rekord E2 replaced the Rekord E1 later than in Europe. The E2 also marked the end of Carlton production at Vauxhall's Luton plant — with the Vauxhall brand dropped in all GM Europe markets outside the UK, all Vauxhall Carlton-badged Rekord E2s were now also assembled at Rüsselsheim. This would continue for the next two generations of Opel Omega which followed. The new car shared the basic chassis components from the E1. The shape of the central portion of the car was unchanged. But there were several new engines, and the front hood was reshaped to give a smoother profile. At the back was a 20 mm (0.8 in) higher boot/trunk than before which improved aerodynamics and also marginally increased luggage capacity from 480 to 490 L (17.0 to 17.3 cu ft). The apparently minor changes in the shapes of the ends of the car, together with tighter tolerances applied to major pressings which permitted a reduction in the panel gaps on the car body, enabled the manufacturer to boast of an improved aerodynamic profile which marginally improved performance and reduced fuel consumption. The published drag coefficient was reduced from 0.42 Cd on the Rekord E1 to 0.36 Cd on the Rekord E2. The Opel Rekord D had been seen by many enthusiasts as a good looking car: the styling of the E1 had met with a more mixed reception. Opel now used the ex

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Specifications

name: Opel Rekord Series E
Manufacturer: Opel (General Motors)
aka: Chevrolet Rekord (ZA), Daewoo Royale (ROK), Saehan Rekord (ROK), Vauxhall Carlton (UK)
Production: August 1977 – August 1986, 1978–1994 (South Africa), 1980–1988 (Indonesia, 3-d panel van only)
Assembly: Germany: Rüsselsheim (Opel Automobile), Indonesia: Jakarta (PT General Motor), South Korea: Bupyeong (Saehan), South Africa: Port Elizabeth (GMSA/Delta)
Layout: FR layout
Class: Large family car (D)
Body style: 2/4-door saloon, 3/5-door estate, 3-door panel van
Platform: GM V platform
Related: Holden Commodore, Opel Commodore, Vauxhall Viceroy
Designer: George Gallion, Henry Haga
Predecessor: Opel Rekord Series D
Successor: Opel Omega