Opel Rekord Series E

Opel Rekord Series E

Overview
Manufacturer	Opel (General Motors)
Also called	Chevrolet Rekord (ZA) Daewoo Royale (ROK) Saehan Rekord (ROK) Vauxhall Carlton (UK)
Production	1977–1986
Assembly	Germany: Rüsselsheim
Body and chassis
Class	Executive car (E)
Body style	2/4-door sedan/saloon 3/5-door wagon/estate 3-door panel van
Related	Holden Commodore Opel Commodore Vauxhall Viceroy
Chronology
Predecessor	Opel Rekord Series D
Successor	Opel Omega

The Opel Rekord Series E is an executive 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.^[1] It shared its wheelbase and inherited most of its engines from its predecessor, but the bodies were completely new.

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. By now eye watering increases in fuel prices had persuaded many middle market customers to down-size. The Opel Rekord was perceived as a large family car even in its West German home market where, traditionally, family cars were 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 would 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/hood 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". Cars based on the Rekord E (V-platform) were also built at several General Motors plants outside Europe.

Opel Rekord E1 (1977 - 1982)

Opel Rekord Series E1

Overview
Manufacturer	Opel
Production	1977/82 962,218 units^[1]
Assembly	Rüsselsheim
Body and chassis
Body style	2/4-door sedan/saloon 3/5-door wagon/estate 3-door panel van
Powertrain
Engine	Petrol/gasoline: 1,698 cc I4 (till 1980) 1,897 cc I4 1,979 cc I4 Diesel: 1,998 cc I4 (Italy and Belgium) 2,068 cc I4 (till 1978) 2,260 cc I4 (from 1978)
Transmission	4-speed manual 3-speed automatic optional (not offered with the 1.7)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,670 mm (105.1 in)
Length	4,595 mm (180.9 in) sedan 4,620 mm (181.9 in) wagon
Width	1,725 mm (67.9 in)

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, slightly longer, slightly 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 prompted a revived interest in aerodynamics among West German automakers, and the Rekord E came with claims of an improved drag coefficient of 0.42 C_d.)^[2] In 1982 the facelifted "E2" version was released with drag coefficient of 0.36. Of a generally smoother appearance, this version featured redesigned, more aerodynamical 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.

Design

Bodywork

By this stage most Opel Rekords came with four doors

For UK consumers, the Rekord E1 based Vauxhall Carlton was identified by a "droop snoot" bonnet/hood. The Rüsselsheim plant produced both right hand drive Rekords and Carltons which, until 1983, competed with each other in the United Kingdom.

Two-door sedans and three-door station wagons still represented a significant proportion of Opel Rekord production

Most buyers of the estate/station wagon nevertheless opted for a second set of doors, permitting direct access for the back seat passengers. This is the Vauxhall Carlton version of the estate/station wagon.

The monocoque steel bodied cars offered seating for five. Top seller was the saloon/sedan, 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.^[3] There was also a "Kombi" station wagon with three or five doors, accounting for approximately 20% of Rekord E1 sales.^[2]

Opel also offered a three-door delivery van combining the driving experience of a car with the load carrying capability of a small commercial vehicle: this was in most respects identical to the station wagon except that the rear side windows were replaced with metal panels. This configuration of vehicles offered self-employed small traders tax advantages in some countries. 30,477 Kasten-Lieferwagen (delivery van) Opel Rekord E1s were produced.^[4]

For the first time since 1961 no Opel Rekord coupé was listed. However, customers wishing to enjoy style at the expense of rear seat headroom had not been abandoned to the competition, having been catered for since September 1970 by the company's stylish new Manta.

Petrol engines

Opel had introduced a new generation of petrol/gasoline engines in 1966 with the Rekord B and these were the engines that reappeared in the Rekord E in 1977. As before, the stroke length was fixed at 69.8 mm: differences in engine size were achieved by varying the cylinder bore. The engine featured an unusual Camshaft in Head (CIH) configuration. The chain-driven camshaft was positioned directly above the cylinders but this was not a conventional ohc design. The camshaft operated the valves using rocker arms because the camshaft itself was positioned too low above the cylinders to permit direct action from the camshaft on the valves ends. One reason for this may have been cosmetic. Opel's so-called (CIH) engine configuration allowed the Rekord to incorporate the low bonnet/hood lines that style-conscious product development departments called for.

The smallest power unit at launch was a 1698 cc engine with the low 8.0:1 compression ratio and 44 kW (60 hp) as on the predecessor. The engine had seen its power output reduced during its time in the previous model following the reduction in standard octanes on West German forecourts in response to reductions in permissible lead levels in motor fuel. This, combined with the increased weight, of the Rekord E to provide rather an underpowered package. The engine presumably cost much the same to produce as similarly configured larger engines and from the point of view of the costing department it no doubt made sense that customers specifying a car with this "1.7N" engine were, according to the manufacturer's price list, charged exactly the same as customer specifying the greater power (and barely enhanced fuel economy) available from the Rekord E when power by the low compression "1.9N" engine. Few Rekord E customers selected the 1.7 litre engine and it disappeared from the list in 1980.

The more popular entry level power unit during the early years of the Rekord E was the 1897 cc engine, also with a low compression ratio and so content to use basic grade low octane petrol/gasoline. Powered by this unit, the Rekord E's maximum claimed power output was 55 kW (75 hp), just as it had been when the same unit was fitted in the Rekord D.

Two years before production of the Rekord D came to an end, Opel had added to its engine palette a bored out 1979 cc version of their (CIH) engine, and this engine size reappeared in the Rekord E1 with three different power output levels, being 66 kW (90 PS), 74 kW (100PS) and 81 kW (110) PS. The first of these, known as the "2.0N" came with a low 8:1 compression ratio and used basic grade fuel. The 74 kW unit, the "2.0S", had a 9:1 compression ratio and drivers using this engine were required to pay for "super" grade higher octane fuel. Available from the time of introduction, the new 81 kW "2.0E" engined Rekord also called for higher octane fuel and was the first Opel Rekord to feature fuel injection. This was rendered the more significant because during the 1980s legislators across western Europe would require automakers to fit catalytic converters to petrol/gasoline fueled cars, and these would need to be used in conjunction with fuel injection because of a belief at the time that the imprecision of the fuel amounts injected with traditional carbureters created a risk of unburnt fuel emerging from the engine and burning or exploding in the converter, permanently and expensively damaging it. However, when the Rekord E was introduced in 1977 the challenges of catalytic converters, although already a familiar current challenge for General Motors in North America, were still a few years ahead for the European automakers. The Fuel injection system on the Rekord E came from Bosch who had already acquired extensive expertise of the relevant technologies working with Volkswagen. The system employed on the first fuel injected Rekords was the Bosch L Jetronic system, replaced towards the end of 1981 with the LE Jetronic. Rekord 1981 was also equipped with methanol resistant fuel system.

Diesel engines

The 2068 cc diesel engine with which in 1972 Opel had made their bid for a slice of the lucrative stranglehold that Mercedes-Benz enjoyed over the taxi market reappeared on launch in the Rekord E still offering 44 kW (60 PS) of maximum power. However, the new car was heavier than its predecessor and the market had also developed in the intervening half decade. Just a year later, in August 1978, the larger bored out 2260 cc version for which 48 kW (65 PS) was claimed was introduced.^[2] The smaller 2.1 was soon discontinued. As before, the diesel engine was taller than the petrol units designed for the Rekord and diesel powered Rekord Es were differentiated by a long hump shaped ridge along the centre of the bonnet /hood, necessary to accommodate the engine block. Usually equipped with the larger 2.3 litre engine, the diesel Rekords were particularly popular in France, Italy, and the Benelux countries.

By now Ford were also looking for a share of the taxi market with a Peugeot-powered diesel version of their Granada model and Peugeot's own diesel powered 504 was itself becoming an increasingly serious competitor, especially in shared European export markets. The diesel powered Rekord E matched its competitors in many respects and - at least in terms of undiscounted published prices - was generally cheaper than the Mercedes models, but somehow Mercedes-Benz continued to dominate the taxi market in Germany and the surrounding western countries.

For markets - notably Italy but also Belgium - where car tax increased savagely for car with engine capacities above two litres, a reduced diesel engine of 1998 cc with a maximum power output of just 58 PS (43 kW) was available.^[5] This was the engine more usually specified for diesel powered versions of the smaller, lighter Opel Ascona. Top speed of a 2.0D with the automatic transmission is a leisurely 132 km/h (82 mph).^[6]

Transmission

The standard transmission package was a manual all-synchromesh four speed gearbox, controlled using a centrally positioned floor mounted gear lever. There were plans to offer a new five-speed transmission, as in the Opels Senator and Monza, but when, in the summer of 1980,^[6] this was still not ready the manufacturer instead offered to buyers of the 1,979 cc petrol/gasoline powered Rekords, for an extra DM 520, the option of a newly developed four-speed manual transmission incorporating an overdrive: this was intended to provide the chance to achieve improved fuel economy at a time when fuel efficiency was moving up the agenda of European car buyers coming to terms with the belief that the "era of cheap fuel" was over for good. Nevertheless, relatively few customers opted for the "four speeds with overdrive" transmission option.

Buyers could also specify a three-speed automatic transmission. The system used was the three-speed TH180 unit from the manufacturer's transmission plant in Strasbourg.

Suspension

At the front the suspension was redesigned, now incorporating MacPherson struts. The result was more compact, lighter, and probably cheaper to assemble than the uneven wishbone arrangements on the previous model, and the car's handling benefitted. Unfortunately Opel approached the Rekord's suspension upgrade "one end at a time", however. At the back the Rekord E retained from the previous model a beam axle tamed with four trailing connector arms, a Panhard rod like system and an anti-roll bar, in combination with coil springs and shock absorbers. Commentators felt that by now the rigid-rear axle based rear suspension fell short of mainstream west European standards in terms of the handling characteristics that it provided. However, customers wishing for more control over the back axle during fast bumpy rides could specify a "sports package" in the Opel Rekord E: the package included replacement of the standard oil-filled shock absorbers at the back of the car by gas-filled shocks. There will no doubt have been a trade-off in terms of a firmer ride in exchange for reduced wallow.

Brakes

The braking configuration was also essentially that from the previous Rekords, with a dual circuit hydraulically controlled system along with the brake servo as before, and incorporating, on larger engined versions, a brake force limiter for the rear brakes. The car used disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the back.

There was a handbrake control light included in order to discourage drivers from setting off without fully releasing the handbrake.

Trim and equipment packages and special editions

Various different packages of trims and options were offered. These was a "base" Rekord, a luxury version branded as the "Rekord Luxus" and a "Rekord Berlina" which offered a still more opulent level of comfort and equipment.^[1] On the outside all cars other than the base version featured a rubber "protection strip" along the side of the car, and further differentiation was apparent from the differing levels of chrome trim and differently shaped steel wheels. On the inside trim qualities and fabrics varied according to version, and the "Berlina" featured a steering wheel with four thin spokes rather than two thick ones.^[2] Between 1977 and 1982 the precise details of which items were included in which trim package was periodically modified.

The extensive list of optional extras included a "Sports package" offered on all except the 1.7 litre cars, including various extra dials on the dash-board, halogen head-lights and gas filled shock absorbers for the rear wheels. Customers could also choose from a range of radios and speakers. One of the most eye catching options, featured for the first time on an Opel Rekord, was air conditioning, but for this feature the price was provided only "on application".^[2] The very small number of Rekord E1s delivered with air-conditioning suggests that the prices quoted were very high, and that air-conditioning was more a marker for Opel's future than a realistic option for Rekord customers in 1980.^[2]

The tactic continued of stimulating sales at quiet times of year by offering special editions - cars equipped with a package of options and advertised at a lower price than the buyer would face if simply equipping a Rekord with the same options from the standard price list. With the Rekord E1 the special editions included the "Rekord Regent", the "Rekord Royale", the "Rekord Classic", the "Rekord Touring" and the "Rekord SR/E".^[2]

UK Models

A rebadged Rekord E2 — the Vauxhall Carlton

Type	Saloon	Estate	Engine	Years Av.
Rekord	X	-	2.0	1978–80
Rekord DL	-	X	2.0	1978–80
Rekord Berlina, HL	X	-	2.0	1978–80
Rekord S	X	X	2.0	1980–82
Rekord Berlina S	X	-	2.0	1980–82
Rekord Berlina CD	X	-	2.0	1978–82
Rekord Diesel DL	X	X	2.3D	1978–80
Rekord Diesel	X	X	2.3D	1980–82

Commercial Success

Overall the Rekord E1 sold at approximately the same rate as its predecessor and in that respect experienced commercial success. Nevertheless, the automarket in West Germany and the surrounding countries had grown substantially in the 1960s and (if somewhat erratically) the 1970s. West Germany remained Europe's largest automarket, and here the latest Rekord did not dominate the market for family cars in the way Rekords had done fifteen years earlier. Data from long-standing rival, Ford Germany, showed the Ford Granada/Consul being produced at a far higher rate than the Rekord, with 1,619,265 cars produced between 1972 - 1977,^[1] although these figures did not take into account the large proportion of Granadas sold in the UK, another major European auto-market and one where the Granada inherited the market niche formerly occupied by the home grown Ford Zephyr.^[7]

Back in West Germany, Audi now enjoyed the commitment and financial backing of Volkswagen enabling them in due course to expand production at their Ingolstadt facility in response to demand of the Audi 100. Between 1976 and 1982 Audi produced 896,299 Audi 100 models,^[1] while between 1977 and 1982 Opel produced 962,218 Opel Rekord E1s.^[1] Half a class down Volkswagen's competent and modern Passat captured the mood of the market place, seducing potential Opel customers in a way the K70 had not. Half a class up from the Rekord BMW, close to bankruptcy in the early 1960s, now had the financial muscle to invest in growing production capacity for their 5 series at their own new plant in Dingolfing. The Opel Rekord retained a powerful position in the market place, but that position was increasingly constrained on several fronts. By the time the Rekord E1 was replaced, in 1982, by the extensively upgraded Opel Rekord E2, Opel Rekords were losing market share, and the Rekord E2 would be produced at a significantly lower rate than the Rekord E1.

Technical data

Engine	1.7N	1.9N	2.0N	2.0S	2.0E	2.1D	2.3D
Opel Rekord E1 (1977–1982)
	1977 - 1980	1977 - 1982	1977 - 1982	1977 - 1982	1977 - 1982	1977 - 1978	1978 - 1982
Motor:	4–cylinder in-line Petrol / gasoline engine					4–cylinder in-line Diesel engine
Cylinder capacity:	1698 cm³	1897 cm³	1979 cm³			2068 cm³	2260 cm³
Bore x Stroke:	88 x 69.8 mm	93 x 69.8 mm	95 x 69.8 mm			88 x 85 mm	92 x 85 mm
Max power kW /(PS) at rpm	44 kW (60 PS) at 4,800 rpm	55 kW (75 PS) at 4,800 rpm	66 kW (90 PS) at 5200 rpm	74 kW (100 PS) at 5,200 rpm	81 kW (110 PS) at 5,400 rpm	44 kW (60 PS) at 4,000 rpm	48 kW (65 PS) at 4,200 rpm
Max. torque at rpm:	112 N·m (83 lb·ft) at 2,600 rpm	132 N·m (97 lb·ft) at 2,800 rpm	142 N·m (105 lb·ft) at 3,400 rpm	165 N·m (122 lb·ft) at 3,600 rpm	159 N·m (117 lb·ft) at 3,000 rpm	118 N·m (87 lb·ft) at 2,500 rpm	126 N·m (93 lb·ft) at 2,500 rpm
Compression ratio:	8.0 : 1	7.9 : 1	8.0: 1	9.0 : 1	9.4 : 1	22.0 : 1	22.0 : 1
Fuel feed:	Single downdraft carburetor		Single twin-choke downdraft carburetor		fuel injection: Bosch L-Jetronic until 1981, LE-Jetronic from 1981	Bosch diesel injection pump
Valve gear:	Chain driven Camshaft in Head (CIH) chain driven camshaft with hanging valves driven using short rods and "stamped from sheet steel" rocker arms					overhead valves and chain driven camshaft
Cooling:	Water, incorporating pump and thermostat
Transmission:	4-speed manual with floor mounted stick shift
.....Overdrive			Overdrive on top gear optional from 1980
.....Automatic			GM "Strasbourg" TH180 3-speed automatic optional
Front suspension:	MacPherson struts with coil springs and a transverse anti-roll bar
Rear suspension:	Rigid rear axle with four trailing arms, "five-link" suspension arm and coil springs
Brakes:	servo-assisted hydraulically powered: disc brakes at front, drum brakes at rear
Body construction:	Steel bodied (chassisless) monocoque
Track front/back:	1435 / 1412 mm
Wheelbase:	2668 mm
Length:	4620 mm
Unladen weight:	1140–1305 kg
Top speed: Km/h mph	143 km/h 89 mph	147 km/h - 152 km/h 91 - 94 mph	157 km/h - 162 km/h 98 - 101 mph	165 km/h - 170 km/h 103 - 106 mph	171 km/h - 176 km/h 106 - 109 mph	130 km/h - 135 km/h 81 - 84 mph	132 km/h - 137 km/h 82 - 85 mph
0–100 km/h (0 - 62 mph):	21.50 s	17.5–19.0 s	15.0–16.5 s	13.5–15.0 s	13.0–14.5 s	26.5–31.5 s	25.0–29.0 s
Fuel consumption Liter/100 km mpg	12.0 20 mpg (US) 24 mpg (UK) Normal octane	12.0 - 13.0 18 - 20 mpg (US) 22 - 24 mpg (UK) Normal octane	12.0 - 13.5 17.4 - 20 mpg (US) 20.9 - 24 mpg (UK) Normal octane	12.0 - 13.5 17.4 - 20 mpg (US) 20.9 - 24 mpg (UK) Higher octane	12.0 - 13.5 17.4 - 20 mpg (US) 20.9 - 24 mpg (UK) Higher octane	10.0 - 10.5 22.4 - 24 mpg (US) 26.9 - 28 mpg (UK) Diesel	10.5 - 11.0 21 - 22.4 mpg (US) 26 - 26.9 mpg (UK) Diesel

Holden Commodore

The Rekord E1 was the basis of the original 1978 Holden VB Commodore. However, to cope with Australian conditions it was strengthened substantially and used the Senator's nose (like the Opel Commodore) to accommodate the Holden straight-six and V8 engines.

Vauxhall Carlton

The first Vauxhall Carlton was an Opel Rekord E adapted for the United Kingdom market. At the front it featured a different bonnet/hood echoing the "droop-snoot" front, as also used on the Chevette and Cavalier. The Carlton quietly succeeded the (by then long since discontinued) Vauxhall Victor FE, and was joined by the short lived Vauxhall Viceroy, a rebadged Commodore C. In the UK both models were outsold by the Ford Granada. At the back, between the rear light clusters, where the Rekord provided space for the license plate holder, the Carlton was provided with a black panel on which the word "Vauxhall" was spelled out in upper case letters. Carlton owners were expected to mount their rear license plates slightly lower than on the Rekord, screwed directly onto the bumper.

There was only a single trim package offered for the Carlton, corresponding approximately with the "Rekord Berlina", and only one engine could be ordered with the Carlton, being the 1,979 cc 74 kW (100 PS) "2.0S" unit.^[2]

The Carlton and the Rekord were assembled on the same production line at the manufacturer's Rüsselsheim plant, and until 1982 right hand drive versions of both cars competed together in the UK market. Buyers attracted by the Carlton but looking for a trim and engine combination not featured on the Vauxhall could accordingly choose a car from the Opel Rekord range. From 1982, the facelifted E2 Vauxhall Carltons were distinguishable from Opel Rekords only by their badging, with no sheet metal differences.

Chevrolet Rekord

The Rekord E1 was sold in South Africa where initially it was branded as the Chevrolet Rekord, with either the four-door sedan or the five-door wagon bodywork. It was first announced in early July 1978, in standard or GL versions.^[8] It was powered by a locally produced small-bore version of Chevrolet's "153" four-cylinder engine, of 2,319 cc and 90 PS (66 kW) at 4,800 rpm.^[9] The Rekord was soon followed by the more luxurious Chevrolet Commodore, with which it shared most of its bodywork.

Import duties in South Africa were prohibitively high, but anticipated volumes did not justify a car plant. The cars were therefore delivered as kits and then assembled at Port Elizabeth.^[2] Local modifications, aside from the engine, included particular attention to dust protection.^[8] After the fall of 1980 the Chevrolet Rekord was also available with the 1,979 cc four as used in Europe, with 100 PS (74 kW).

Saehan Rekord

The Saehan Rekord and Saehan Royale were Korean built versions of the Opel Rekord E1. The General Motors company which assembled them later became known as Daewoo and the car became known as the Daewoo Royale and continued to be based on the Rekord E1 till 1985, by which time Rüsselsheim had been producing the upgraded Rekord E2 for more than two years.

The Korean cars came with a choice of 3 Camshaft in Head (CIH) engines, all of them delivered from Germany by Opel. The petrol/gasoline engine sizes were 1,492 cc, 1,897 cc, and 1,979 cc, and the maximum power outputs were respectively 60, 85 and 102 PS.^[2] All three engines were broadly similar and they shared the same 69.8 mm cylinder bore, with the variation in overall displacement achieved by varying the stroke length, although the smallest of them had not been fitted to a German assembled Opel Rekord since being phased out in 1970 during the time of the Opel Rekord C. From May 1980 the Korean car was also available with a 1,998 cc diesel unit. This was the same unit as used in Europe to power diesel Rekords in markets such as Italy with taxation regimes that punished cars with engines of above two litres capacity.^[2] Claimed top speed with this diesel unit was just 130 km/h (81 mph).

Despite using European engines, the Korean petrol/gasoline fueled cars rejected the German cars' Solex carbureters, using Nikki-Stromberg ones instead.^[2] Body panel pressings came not from Europe but from Holden in Australia who were producing their own Rekord derived model, although the Australian car was closer to the slightly longer Opel Senator, itself a lengthened version of the Rekord E.

Opel Rekord E2 (1982 - 1986)

Opel Rekord Series E2

Overview
Manufacturer	Opel
Production	1982/86
Assembly	Rüsselsheim
Body and chassis
Body style	2/4-door sedan/saloon 3/5-door wagon/estate 3-door panel van
Powertrain
Engine	1796 cc 18N/18S/C18NV I4 1979 cc 20S/20E I4 2197 cc 22E I4 2260 cc 23D diesel I4
Transmission	4-speed manual (with optional OD) 3-speed automatic optional

Ever since the introduction of the first diesel powered Opel Rekord in 1972, the diesel engine had been too tall for the standard car's engine compartment, giving rise to a hump shaped ridge along the centre of the bonnet/hood. Diesel powered Rekord Es continued the tradition.

After 1982 it became impossible to distinguish between a Vauxhall Carlton and an Opel Rekord without getting close enough to see the badges on the wheels. This is a Vauxhall Carlton.

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 slightly higher boot/trunk than before which increased luggage capacity. 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 C_d^[2] on the Rekord E1 to 0.36 C_d^[10] 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 extra length at the car's ends to produce a Rekord E2 with a more conventionally mainstream appearance than the E1.