A stylish German from General Motors
The last record
Opel uses a letter to indicate model order. Rekord E is thus number 5 in the series, and the last time Rekord was used as a model name. Rekord was in production from 1953 to 1986. The last Rekord was in production from the 1978 model year up to and including 1986. It received a facelift for the 1983 model year. The two series are often referred to as E1 and E2. The facelift involved a completely new front and rear, as well as new engines.
Model history
Like its predecessors, Rekord E was produced in different variants. The most popular were the 4-door sedan and 5-door station wagon, but it was also available as a 2-door sedan and 3-door station wagon. The latter are more rare - and considered by many to be more beautiful. The engines found in most Rekords are 2,0 S with 100 HP. Other engines are 2,0E with 110 HP. The Rekord E2 could be supplied with the 2,2i – an engine that was chosen by many. The diesel option was the 2,1 D and 2,3 D as well as the 2,3 TD for the E2. Standard gearboxes were 4-speed manual, but cars after the facelift could order 5-speed gearboxes. A 3-speed automatic was optional.
About the pictures
Opel Rekord were proper utility vehicles. As a new car, it was popular as a company car, often chosen by well-advised customers. In the next phase, it was driven as a family car for most people. Finally, they were often used as youth cars. Many ended up as robber cars. There are actually very few well-preserved copies left. The green Record is the pre-facelift E1 photographed at Frognerkilen Marina in Oslo. The red 2-door car is a Rekord 2.0 S E1 which was photographed at the Veteran Car Day 2022 at Tofte. The ivory car on the right is also photographed in the same place. The pictures of the beige car in winter light were photographed at Fornebu. It is a 1985 model year E2 with a 2.0 S engine.
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