The 1983 Senator facelift wasn't just cosmetic — Opel cut the car's drag coefficient from 0.45 all the way down to 0.36.
Lead trim: 2.2E fuel injection (115 PS) · up to 178 hp
Opel Senator A1978–1986
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Opel Senator A yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe 1983 Senator facelift wasn't just cosmetic — Opel cut the car's drag coefficient from 0.45 all the way down to 0.36.
The first-generation Opel Senator, the long-wheelbase version of the Opel Rekord E that was the last part of General Motors' 1970s joint model programme for its European brands, on the V-Car (V78) platform. It was in effect the replacement for Opel's KAD cars and the flagship saloon of both Opel and Vauxhall, and shared its platform with the Opel Monza fastback coupé. It was built at Rüsselsheim and, as the Opel Kikinda, under licence in Kikinda, Yugoslavia. In the UK it was sold as the Vauxhall Royale, a badge-engineered Senator, until the merger of the Opel and Vauxhall dealer networks in 1982 saw it sold as the Opel Senator from the "A2" facelift, which was announced in November 1982 and went on sale in March 1983; it reverted to the Vauxhall Senator for the 1985 model year. The straight-six engines were all Opel cam-in-head units, and South Africa had the Chevrolet Senator with a locally built Chevrolet 250 inline-six of 132 PS, until 1982. A2 additions were the 2.0 and 2.2 four-cylinders, a 2.3-litre turbodiesel from March 1983 and, in 1985, an Irmscher-built Comprex diesel with 95 PS. The Senator and Rekord E were also the base from which the Holden Commodore was developed.
Collectors Spotted in the Opel Senator Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Opel Senator yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
8 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0E fuel injection (115 PS) | 1983–1984 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 113 hp | 118 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2.2E fuel injection (115 PS) | 1984–1986 | 2.2 L Inline-4 | 113 hp | 134 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2.3 Comprex diesel (Irmscher, 95 PS) | 1985–1986 | 2.3 L Inline-4 | 94 hp | 144 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2.3 turbodiesel | 1983–1986 | 2.3 L Inline-4 | 85 hp | 142 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2.5E LE-Jetronic (140 PS) | 1984–1986 | 2.5 L Inline-6 | 138 hp | 151 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2.5E fuel injection (136 PS) | 1981–1984 | 2.5 L Inline-6 | 134 hp | 137 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 2.8S (140 PS) | 1978–1982 | 2.8 L Inline-6 | 138 hp | 163 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| 3.0E fuel injection (180 PS) | 1978–1986 | 3.0 L Inline-6 | 178 hp | 183 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The Opel Senator B's automatic gearbox had a winter mode so smart it started pulling away in third gear to keep the wheels from spinning on ice.
The 1983 Senator facelift wasn't just cosmetic — Opel cut the car's drag coefficient from 0.45 all the way down to 0.36.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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