Opel Commodore: История модели и мировые версии

The Opel Commodore is an executive car (E segment) produced by Opel from 1967 to 1982. It is the six cylinder variant of the Rekord with styling differences. The Commodore nameplate was used by Opel from 1967 to 1982. However, its nameplate/lineage continued until 2020 with the Australian Holden Commodore. The last generation was sold in the United Kingdom primarily as the Vauxhall Viceroy although Opel models were also sold.

The Commodore B was based on the Rekord D, and launched in 1972. As in the previous generation, four models were offered: 2500 S, 2500 GS, 2800 GS, and 2800 GS/E, as a four door saloon and two door hardtop coupé (although the fastback design was replaced by a more conventional three box design). Power of the 2.5 litre engine was depending on the specifications (25S/25H), while carburetted 2.8 liters had The fuel injected 2.8 used in the GS/E has
The Rekord and Commodore were also assembled as CKD kits in Belgium and Switzerland in the 1970s. These cars carried the name Ranger and differed from the originals in having different grilles and trim. These cars were exported to various countries. In 1974, due to new regulations regarding pollutant emissions, the 2.5 litre models were dropped and the 2.8 L models were detuned to Commodore B production ended in 1977. The Commodore B series was like the A series briefly used in motorsports, and the extreme "Jumbo" Commodore raced in the 1974 "interserie". It used a 6.0 litre V8 engine and had large wings which almost made it unrecognizable as an Opel. It never enjoyed much success despite its massive powerplant and impressive output.

Opel Commodores were also built in Iran between 1974 and 1976 under the name Chevrolet Iran 2800 , 2500 , Royal and Custom with both 2.5 L and 2.8 L engines by Pars Khodro (General Motors Iran). The first Royale, also the first Chevrolet car built in Iran, left the production line on 15 January 1974. The Royale sold well initially, but the car had not been re engineered for Iranian conditions and the low ground clearance coupled with carburettor troubles led to its reputation quickly being tarnished. The car was withdrawn by early 1977, replaced by the locally built versions of the Buick Skylark, Chevrolet Nova, and Cadillac Seville (American origins). It was also assembled in South Africa, where it was called the Chevrolet 2500, 3800, and 4100, and was a top seller in that market. These received inline four or six engines of Chevrolet origins, built locally.

The Commodore C was first shown in late 1977, at the same time as the Rekord E. It only entered series production in October the following year, however. The South African version of this car, the Chevrolet Commodore, was actually ahead of the European original model to enter production, in September 1978. The Commodore continued to be a larger and more luxurious version of the Rekord. There was no coupé version of the Commodore C, as it was replaced by the Opel Monza, the coupé version of the Opel Senator, but a two door notchback saloon was available until June 1981. The single engine used by the Commodore in Europe was the well known straight six 2.5 litre unit with or when fitted with fuel injection. The Commodore C was never a success, occupying an uncomfortably narrow niche between the Rekord and Senator. Another concern was the fuel mileage, with a fuel injected Commodore taking considerably more fuel than the larger three liter Senator. The outdated engine also had little torque available at lower engine speeds, and was noisy. The new model featured a similar front end to the larger Senator. It was sold in the UK under the name Vauxhall Viceroy, with the Viceroy being a slightly more luxurious version of the Carlton. There was an estate version (dubbed the "Voyage" in Germany) offered in the Opel range from April 1981 until the end of production in 1982, which became a mainstay in the Holden range in Australia and was also available in the Chevrolet range in South Africa. It was never offered by Vauxhall in the UK as a Viceroy, although a one off estate car was built in 1981 for Queen Elizabeth II, for her to carry her Corgi dogs. The car still survives today, one of only 15 Vauxhall Viceroys left registered in the UK, as of 2006. The Commodore was dropped by Opel in Europe and was replaced by the Opel Omega, which occupied a higher class than the Rekord, like the Commodore once did. It is this model which the early Holden Commodore models were based on, introduced in late 1978, and eventually replaced (after several facelifts) in 1988, with the VN Commodore, a model based on the then current Senator and Omega models.

It was the Opel Commodore and Vauxhall Viceroy that formed the basis for the first Holden Commodore in Australia, and was sold in South Africa as the Chevrolet Commodore until 1982, when it was rebadged as an Opel. The South African Commodore was introduced in July 1978, at the same time as the Rekord E went on sale there. These originally had Chevrolet engines, pushrod inline sixes of 3.8 or 4.1 liters. Sold as a standard or a GL (with the 4.1 only available as a sedan with automatic transmission), the South African version replaced the earlier Chevrolet 3800 and 4100, also based on the Commodore. It was also sold there with the same 3 litre inline six, producing .