Opel Commodore celebrates its 50th birthday….do you remember this car?
It arrived in Malaysia at the time when the Ford Cortina was the preferred family sedan for many with money. The Volvo 122 was the segment king followed by the Mercedes 116 and lagging behind was BMW and Holden. The British motoring brands took center stage in this segment and Opel was ready to challenge the Ford Cortina with their large and well equipped Commodore.
This week is the 50th anniversary of the Commodore an executive sedan that debuted in 1967 and was manufactured until 1982. Sold in three generations, it is the predecessor of the Omega and the Insignia Grand Sport which failed to arrive in Malaysia.
If you are unfamiliar with Opel’s history, think of the Commodore as the six-cylinder version of the Rekord one of the brand’s most popular models ever. At launch, it was offered with a 2.5-liter inline-six, single-carburettor unit, capable of delivering 115 horsepower.
A couple of months later, it was joined by a double-carburettor version of the same motor, generating 130 hp.
Initially, Opel offered the car with either a 4-speed manual or a 2-speed automatic, which was replaced by a new 3-speed auto in 1969. Three body styles were available for customers – two- and four-door sedans, and a two-door stylish coupe. A total of 156,330 Commodores from the first generation were produced.
In 1972, the Commodore B was introduced offered as a coupe and a sedan with power ranging from 115 hp to 160 hp. An extreme racing version with a 6.0-liter V8 was even created, but it never enjoyed big success despite its massive powertrain and impressive output. Commodores from the second generation were manufactured in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Iran, and South Africa.
Five years later, in 1977, the Commodore C was revealed for the first time, but entered production several months later. There was no longer a coupe version, as it was replaced by the two-door, Senator-based Monza coupe. However, a station wagon was introduced for the first time to the lineup. Only one engine was available the well-known 2.5-liter six-cylinder unit with 115 hp or 130 hp.
Today we have not been able to see any of these cars around the country but we are quite sure some collectors have them hidden away in a covered garage.
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