50 Years Ago: Walter Röhrl Wins European Rally Championship in Opel Ascona

• October 13, 1974: Röhrl/Berger take title with a maximum of 120 points
• Top class: Röhrl also wins 1982 World Rally Championship in the Ascona
• ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup 2024: Electrifying rally sport

In record time: From young talent to rally ace

Born in Regensburg in 1947, Walter Röhrl focussed on sport from an early age: football, rowing, skiing – and finally motorsport. According to his own statement, the young Bavarian consciously chose “rally instead of circuit.” It proved to be the right decision.

His breakthrough, which turned him from “nobody” (as he once said himself) into a surprise frontrunner in the rally circus, came in 1972. Röhrl played a dominant role in the Poland Rally, the Baltic Rally and the Olympia Rally. From 1973 onwards, the then 26-year-old drove for Opel – with Jochen Berger at his side. He gives Röhrl the route instructions and plays a significant role in the coming successes. Even back then, the co-driver was sure of Röhrl's driving qualities: “Driving through a special stage with Walter is safer than crossing the road in the city.”

He turns out to be right: in the same year, with just a few starts and almost the same number of overall victories, the two of them finish as runners-up in the European Championships in an Opel Ascona. For Röhrl, this proved to be the perfect springboard for the coming season with the recently founded Opel Euro Dealer Team.

Convincing display: Röhrl/Berger win 1974 European Championship in Opel Ascona

And so, in 1974, Walter Röhrl and Jochen Berger attacked the competition with great ambitions. Their car is again a factory Ascona A. This has an engine that has been bored out to two litres with an overhead camshaft and crossflow cylinder head. This means that the car produces between 141 kW (192 hp) and 156 kW (212 hp). Special springs and special shock absorbers as well as internally ventilated disc brakes at the front and ventilated drum brakes at the rear adapt the chassis of the rally car based on the production model to the tough competition conditions. In his biography “Aufschrift” Röhrl remembers: “The engine was easy to drive. Power came from around 2,000 rpm and continued to 7,600 rpm. But I refrained from revving it up so high. My moral limit was 7,000 rpm. Mostly."

However, Röhrl/Berger have to be patient until their first big success of the season. At the 8th International Firestone Rally – the 5th round of the European Rally Championship at the end of March 1974 – the time had finally come. As the top team in the Opel Euro Dealer Team, the two achieved a superior start/finish victory after 1,517 kilometres and 19 special stages in the northern Spanish mountains. From then on, things happened in quick succession: just four weeks later, Röhrl/Berger took the lead right from the start at the Tulip Rally in the Netherlands. After 1,250 kilometres and 38 special tests, they achieved their next impressive overall victory in their Ascona. The local authorities cause a moment of shock: They suspect Röhrl of significantly exceeding the permitted speed limit. Fortunately, this turns out to be a mistake. The law enforcement officers did not catch the German duo with starting number 1 speeding - instead the Polish team with number 7 were caught on camera.

Further victories follow in the Hessen Rally, the Moldau Rally and the Danube Rally in Romania. The Opel drivers clearly lead the overall standings – and the 13th Rally Internazionale di Lugano is scheduled to take place from October 11 to 13. Röhrl/Berger can already secure the European title. They once again took “pole position” among the 52 competitors right from the start. The 28 tough special stages in the mountains between Lugano and Lake Maggiore take their toll: only 18 teams cross the finish line on October 13 – with the Opel Ascona with Walter Röhrl and Jochen Berger leading the way. After 1,000 kilometres they are more than ten minutes ahead of the second-placed team. With their sixth overall victory and 120 points – the highest number of points ever achieved to date – they won the European Rally Championship in 1974 with three races remaining.

1974 European Championship: Start of Röhrl and Opel's further rally success

But after this success, Walter Röhrl has even greater ambitions. He writes: “With the European title I had achieved what I wanted. But one dream kept me going: winning the Monte Carlo Rally once in my life.”

In 1975, Röhrl achieved the first victory in a World Rally Championship race for himself and Opel, but in 1977 the exceptional driver and the brand with the Blitz went their separate ways. At this point in time, no one had any idea that their greatest sporting triumph was yet to come. In 1982, Röhrl returned to Opel. While Jochen Berger is manager of the motorsport department, his new co-driver Christian Geistdörfer also makes a decisive contribution to the success of the “Mission Monte Carlo” – along with the 191 kW (260 hp) Ascona 400. With Geistdörfer and the Ascona 400, Röhrl wins the legendary Monte Carlo Rally for the second time. A tailor-made start to the rally season, which ultimately culminated in a spectacular victory in the 1982 Drivers' World Championship.

Fast, exciting and electrifying – three words that perfectly describe the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe”. With the world's first fully electric one-make rally cup, Opel, ADAC and everyone involved are showing how modern, sustainable rallying works today. Luca Pröglhöf has just secured this year's title and thrilled the fans in exciting competitions. But Pröglhöf and his colleagues have famous “forerunners”. Because Opel and rallying are closely linked.

Watching cars drift and master difficult conditions has thrilled motorsports fans for many years. Today, they can see the battery-electric Opel Corsa Rally Electric in action. In the 1970s and 1980s legendary Opel rally cars and drivers thrilled the masses. Two names are inextricably linked to the rally successes of the time: the Opel Ascona as a reliable competition vehicle and Walter Röhrl as a young, aspiring rally driver who would ultimately become the best in his profession. The exceptional driver won his first major title exactly 50 years ago: Together with his co-driver Jochen Berger, he won the European Rally Championship on October 13, 1974 – with a maximum possible tally of 120 points.

35 Years Ago: Opel Ascona 1.8i First German Car with Catalytic Converter Engineered for Europe

• Forerunner: after the Ascona the whole Opel model range got catalytic converters
• Complicated operation: Opel Ascona significantly modified for three-way catalytic converter
• Eye for detail: even fuel tank filler neck redesigned for unleaded petrol
• Major commitment: Opel invested DM 1.0 billion in catalytic converter development

Opel Ascona 1.8i GT

Thirty-five years ago, the era of the catalytic converter began at Opel. In 1985, the Opel Ascona 1.8i was the first German car with a catalytic converter developed especially for the European market, instead of merely modified for export from the USA.

Opel Ascona 1.8i  for Rhineland-Palatinate Police

Rhineland-Palatinate Police force took delivery of the first Opel Ascona 1.8i with three-way catalytic converter actually produced, on December 7, 1984. During the course of the following year, Opel introduced catalytic converters across the model range – from Corsa, Kadett and Ascona, to Rekord, Monza and Senator. German manufacturer was the first European brand to offer three-way catalytic converters standard.

Catalytic converters are not all the same

Opel’s engineers were well aware that European traffic conditions necessitated the appropriate technology and quality. They therefore developed a catalytic converter especially for European driving conditions – just as they would when it came to bodywork, suspension, engines and brakes. For Opel, it was about more than just installing a catalytic converter in the exhaust system; reducing emissions via catalytic converter represented a complicated operation on the “internal organs” of the automobile.

Compared with a conventional car, the design of a vehicle with catalytic converter required numerous alterations. For example, the converter radiates a lot of heat when it has reached its operating temperature (600 degrees Celsius). Heat-sensitive components and the passenger compartment therefore needed protection from reflective shields.

In order for the catalytic converter to operate at optimum efficiency, it required an electronic mixture preparation system and a multitude of controls, which in turn made further modifications necessary. Even the filler neck of the fuel tank needed a redesign to prevent drivers from mistakenly filling the tank with leaded instead of unleaded petrol.

One billion Deutsche Mark for the environmentally friendly automobile

Opel committed more than one billion Deutsche Mark (DM) as well as hundreds of engineers to the development of catalytic converters and the environmentally friendly automobile. Company invested DM 100 million alone in new test rigs and test equipment for durability and high-speed testing.

New facilities also included a 13-storey-high “soak tower”. In this insulated building, more than 130 cars could be prepared simultaneously for emissions testing. The standards required that, before the emissions test, each car had to be stored for at least 12 hours at a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius.

As well as offering cars with a three-way catalytic converter installed at the factory, Opel offered customers a kit for retrofit. However, the carmaker was not content to innovate only in technology. Opel also took new paths in Public Relations. Company offered people the opportunity to inform themselves actively about catalytic converters and retrofitting. For a few hours every day, motorists and interested parties could call a telephone “hotline” and get answers to their questions first-hand from the company’s experts.

Opel Ascona 1.8i GT

Today, 35 years after introducing the three-way catalytic converter on the Ascona 1.8i, Opel continues to take its responsibility for the environment seriously. Following the Opel Grandland X as plug-in hybrid and the battery powered Opel Corsa-e, the brand recently unveiled all-new Mokka-e, the Vivaro-e and the Zafira-e Life, all with pure electric drive and therefore locally emission-free.

30 Years Ago: Opel First to Offer 3-Way Catalytic Converter as Standard

• From Opel Corsa to Opel Senator: Three-way catalytic converter on every model
• Pro-environmental investment: DM 1.0 billion for new test facilities and equipment
• Opel Ascona 1.8i: First German car with catalytic converter especially for Europe
• Today: All Opel passenger cars meet strict EURO 6d-TEMP emissions standard

Thirty years ago, on April 21, 1989, Opel announced it would become the first German car manufacturer to offer the three-way catalytic converter as standard equipment on all its passenger cars – from Corsa and Kadett, to Vectra, Omega and Senator. Or as Opel’s Managing Director at the time, Louis R. Hughes, told the journalists at the press conference in Bonn: “Opel is the first carmaker to offer the best environmental technology as standard across the model range, from compact car to limousine.”

3-Way Catalytic Converter

But true to the entrepreneurial motto, “do the unexpected”, Opel went even further: in order to make it easier for customers to buy a car with the climate-friendly technology, the company also lowered prices for many models.

Opel continues to take its responsibility for the environment seriously today. All current Opel passenger cars already meet the strict Euro 6d-TEMP emissions standard; and on the eve of the breakthrough for electric mobility, the carmaker is now putting the finishing touches to two of its next big steps towards sustainable mobility: Opel Grandland X as plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and the battery-powered version of the next-generation Corsa. Opel will open the order banks for both cars later this year. Every European Opel passenger car model will have an electrified version by 2024.

From Corsa to Senator: Three-way catalytic converter on every model

March 1988: with 20,451 units, Opel has established itself as the leader in new registrations of cars with three-way catalytic converters in Germany. By the end of the year the number had increased to 208,000. The amount of Opel cars equipped with catalytic converters rose again in early 1989 following the introduction of the Vectra, which Opel offered with the three-way catalytic converter as standard right from the start of sales.

The automotive engineering community at the time was convinced that there was no alternative to the three-way catalytic converter if exhaust emissions were to be reduced as much as possible. While the three-way converter removed around 90 per cent of the emissions, it was only about 50 per cent with a conventional two-way converter or 60 percent with a lean-burn engine. The three-way converter performed even better when it came to nitrogen oxides, with a reduction of 90 percent.

Opel’s smallest car with three-way catalytic converter in 1989 was the Corsa, fitted as standard with a 44 kW (60hp) 1.3-litre fuel-injection engine. Then came the 1.3-litre Kadett in the compact class, while the midsize Vectra featured not only a 55 kW (75 hp) 1.6-litre base engine, but also an 85 kW (115 hp) 2.0-litre power unit.

In the upper midsize class, the Omega was equipped as standard with the 85 kW (115 hp) 2.0 engine. The top-of-the-line model with three-way catalytic converter was the Senator. The Opel flagship was available with two 3.0-litre, in-line six-cylinder engines that produced 115 kW (156 hp) and 130 kW (177 hp) respectively.

Offering the three-way catalytic converter as standard across the range was the provisional climax of an environmental offensive that Opel had started five years before.

Exemplary behaviour: Opel shows responsibility for environmental protection

In the early 1980s, a discussion about acid rain and dying forests took hold in Germany. Emissions of nitrogen oxides were identified as a contributory factor. Road traffic, as well as industry, was seen as a cause.

Opel immediately recognised its responsibility for the protection of the environment and committed more than one billion Deutsche Mark (DM), as well as hundreds of engineers, to the development of catalytic converters.

Opel invested DM 100 million alone in new test rigs and test equipment for durability and high-speed testing. The new facilities included a 13-storey-high “soak tower”. In this insulated building, more than 130 cars could be prepared simultaneously for emissions testing. The legal standards required that, before the emissions test, each car had to be stored for at least 12 hours at a temperature of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius.

Initially, most catalytic converters in Europe were just modifications of the U.S. version. But with the introduction of the Opel Ascona 1.8i in early 1985, Opel was the first German manufacturer to bring a model onto the market with a catalytic converter that was specially developed for European conditions. The first example actually produced was delivered to the Rhineland-Palatinate police force.

Environmental offensive: Catalytic converter at no extra cost

Environmental offensive continued the following autumn, when Opel presented the first European small car with three-way catalytic converter, the Corsa 1.3i. In 1986, the carmaker offered the new Opel Omega at no additional cost for the catalytic converter. Launches of the Opel Senator (1987) and the Opel Vectra (1988) followed the same strategy. Additionally, all Opel cars with three-way catalytic converter were equipped with active carbon filters for capturing hydrocarbons that escaped from the fuel tank.

!NEW! Opel Delights Visitors of 43rd Oldtimer Grand Prix

Historic racing cars from Rüsselsheim make the fans’ hearts beat faster 

The visitors of the Opel exhibition at the 43rd Oldtimer Grand Prix and the fans along the Nürburgring race circuit really got their money’s worth. Numerous Opel legends from the company’s 115 years of motorsport history were exhibited and thundered round the track on their demonstration laps.

Opel Motorsport legends: The renowned cars from Opel’s long history in circuit and rallye racing were on show and in action at the Nürburgring.

Opel CFO Michael Lohscheller also visited the Nürburgring and got behind the wheel of the Opel Manta A "24 hours Spa-Francorchamps" from 1974 for a lap. “The visitors are really enthusiastic when they see our racing circuit and rallye legends. This show of pure joy is something that will serve as additional motivation back in the office. Our brand really has deep roots in the population. This is even more proof that our ambition of being approachable, exciting and German is absolutely right,” said Lohscheller.

The Opel racing cars from all eras reminded some of the visitors of their own youth when Opel cars made rallye and racing circuit history. The ‘Black Widow’, a Rekord C touring car with 150 hp, gave many a Porsche driver a fright in the 1960s when the middle class car, normally reserved for families, suddenly appeared in the rear view mirror. The Ascona A designed for the Rallye World Championship was also a real winner and gave Opel its first ever win in a world championship round; Le Mans winner Joachim Winkelhock was behind the wheel at the Oldie GP and showed that he still has the special touch. The black and yellow Kadett C GT/E Coupé driven by legendary duo Walter Röhrl and Jochen Berger when they finished fourth at the 1976 Rallye Monte Carlo was also present. The car was nicknamed the ‘moral winner’ because it could only be beaten by three Lancia Stratos racing prototypes.

The equally impressive 1914 Green Monster, the biggest racing car ever built by Opel with a 12.3-liter four-cylinder engine with four-valve technology, was the center of attention at the exhibition in the paddock. The ADAM R2, the latest successful example of Opel’s motorsports pedigree, was also on show. Three weeks ago, Emil Bergkvist and co-driver Joakim Sjöberg steered the 190 hp rallye version of the lifestyle pocket rocket to FIA ERC Junior glory.

The Opel motorsports legends thundered around the track during the traditional demonstration laps on Saturday. A total of 11 cars left the marquee set up in the new paddock and were treated to enthusiastic applause from the thousands of fans lining the Nürburgring Grand Prix track.

!NEW! Pioneering climate friendliness: 25 years of catalytic converters at Opel

• Opel first European manufacturer to install catalysts on entire range as standard
• Commitment to environmental leadership, emissions lowered by over 90% in 25 years
• Never so clean: Converters today complemented by more efficient powertrains

Catalytic converter technology 

When Louis R. Hughes took over at the helm of Opel in April 1989 – 25 years ago this month – he was faced with a myriad of tasks, but his attention immediately turned to catalytic converters. His first decision also became a first for any volume European manufacturer: the entire Opel gasoline range would be fitted with catalytic converters as standard.

The measuring procedure: On the exhaust test rig, the engineers at the Technical Development Center investigate exhaust emissions from various engine concepts. The closed-loop catalytic converter reduces pollutants to about one- tenth of the previous amount. 

By mid-1989, 19 of every 20 gasoline-powered Opels sold had a converter installed as standard, proving that Hughes’ decision, spurred by environmental concerns and tax incentives, and not a little business acumen, was timely.

Catalytic converter for everyone: From 1989 on, the Opel bestsellers Corsa and Kadett also featured a catalytic converter as standard

Today, emissions have been reduced drastically – to less than 10 percent of pre-catalytic converter levels – and Opel is committed to lowering them even further: “We are at the forefront of developing environmentally friendly technology to reduce the carbon footprint of our automobiles. This is not only being done through constantly improving our catalytic converter technology, but also by developing clean and efficient engines,” says Michael F. Ableson, Vice President GME Engineering. “Between 2013 and the end of 2016, Opel will bring in three fully new engine families and 13 new variants including numerous frugal derivatives with even lower emissions. Additionally, the company is proactively rolling out products that go over and above compliance with legal requirements.”

The rationale behind the decision

Andreas Dindorf, Engineering Group Manager, Product Regulations, explains why the decision was taken to install catalytic converters as standard in 1989: “Cars equipped with converters were environmentally friendly and customers benefited from tax breaks. Additionally, since we are part of General Motors, we leveraged the know-how and technologies used for the U.S. – which required converters – and therefore were better prepared to take the plunge.”

As early as 1984, Opel was working on the project and was the first volume manufacturer in Europe to introduce a European-made catalytic converter on a 1.8 liter Opel Ascona made for the German Police and handed over on December 7 that same year.

First volume manufacturer in Europe with a European-made catalytic converter: The first car featuring this, a 1.8-liter Opel Ascona made for the German Police, was delivered on December 7, 1984.

This was more than a PR stunt. By the end of 1984, Opel had committed 1,000 employees to work on catalytic converters and invested a staggering DM1 billion, more than €500 million. Previously, modified U.S. converters were imported into Europe. GM, Opel’s parent company, was the biggest manufacturer of converters at the time.

A step ahead – from Euro 0 to Euro 6

“We have made evolutionary steps in the way converters are designed to ensure maximum environmental protection,” said Staff Engineer, Engine Management Systems (EMS) Components, Roland Maucher. “Diagnostics have also improved considerably and today sensors are placed on either side of the converter to ensure the system is functioning properly. Another significant change was to integrate the converter with the exhaust manifold, making it far more efficient. Opel is committed to environmental leadership.”

Green fleet: From 1989 on, Opel introduced the catalytic converter in all gas-driven models as standard

Environmental awareness started gaining traction in the 1980s, leading car manufacturers, such as Opel, to take a decision that has since prevented billions of tons of pollutant gases from entering the atmosphere. Converters were made obligatory in the EU in 1992. The reduction in emissions from the initial Euro 0 level to Euro 6 is staggering.

Strong and clean sports coupé: The Opel Calibra built from late 1989 was also equipped with a catalytic converter as standard

“Emissions regulations started being introduced in the 1970s, but the biggest impact was felt in 1992 when Euro 1 became effective. At that time, having a catalytic converter was not obligatory and depended on various factors,” he says.

Diesel offensive: The particulate converters are coming

Diesel offensive with particulate converters: In 2005 Opel introduced particulate filters for diesel-powered cars across the range, cutting particulate emissions to almost zero. This was done four years earlier than the 2009 Euro 5 requirements.

Euro 4 became mandatory in 2005, the same year Opel introduced particulate filters for diesel-powered cars across the range, cutting particulate emissions to almost zero. This was done four years earlier than the 2009 Euro 5 requirements. Opel has begun production of two new systems – the Lean Nox Trap (LNT) and the AdBlue Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR) system, both of which reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) from exhaust gases. The results have been staggering: Effectively, the emissions of one diesel-powered car in 1992 is equivalent to 140 diesel cars in 2014.

“This year, Euro 6 standards become effective on new models and provide for further incremental reductions. With Euro 6, emission limits for diesel and petrol cars will be similarly tough. The focus of regulations is clearly shifting towards more stringent testing and tighter diagnostics requirements. We are now entering a new phase,” Dindorf says. “It’s no longer the case of whether cars are clean or dirty – they are all relatively speaking clean, and being made cleaner.”

The future will bring even further tightening through a new testing protocol. “We now expect a new test cycle, the World Light-duty Test Procedure, to be introduced. Additionally, we will eventually see the start of additional testing requirements on Real Driving Emissions (RDE), whereby mobile equipment will be used on cars on the road to check emission standards” Dindorf explains.

More efficient powertrains

“It is not only a matter of dealing with exhaust gases after they leave the engine “ says Dr Maucher, “but also reducing the amount of gases produced by the engine in the first place. Improved efficiency reduces so-called ‘engine-out’ emissions, so our engineers are putting a great deal of effort into making the combustion better and more effective.”

Between 2013 and 2016, Opel is renewing 80 percent of its engine portfolio, with three new engine families and 13 derivatives. This includes new families of powerful yet frugal 1.6 liter gasoline and diesel engines with lower CO2 emissions. Additionally, a new standard-setting 1.0 liter three-cylinder gasoline engine will be introduced this summer.

The new generation four-cylinder 1.6 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo gasoline engine is focused on optimized fuel economy, high low-end torque and outstanding elasticity. Compared to Opel’s previous 1.6 liter turbo engine, CO2 emissions and fuel consumption are 13 percent lower, while peak power and torque are up to 30 percent higher. The new Cascada mid-size convertible was the first Opel model available with this new engine, which now also powers the Astra, Astra GTC, and Zafira Tourer.

Opel ECOTEC 1.6 Direct Injection Turbo - New gasoline engine

Opel’s all-new 1.6 CDTI Turbo diesel engine delivers class-leading performance across all key engine parameters. It was launched in the Zafira Tourer and is now already available in the Meriva and Astra. Both Opel’s BlueInjection Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system in the Zafira Tourer and Lean Nox Trap (LNT) technology in the Meriva and Astra are Euro 6 compliant, making the 1.6 CDTI as clean as a gasoline.

All-new Opel ECOTEC 1.6 CDTI - Euro 6 Turbo diesel engine

The new ADAM ROCKS and the ADAM will be the first Opel models to feature the new generation 1.0 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo three-cylinder gasoline engine. This “pocket-powerhouse” already complies with Euro 6 emission standards and raises the bar for three-cylinder engine refinement.

Opel ECOTEC 1.0 Direct Injection Turbo - Three-cylinder gasoline engine

!NEW! 25 Years Ago the First Opel Vectra Modernized the Mid-size Class

• Leading in technology, aerodynamics and design
• Over 20 national and international awards
• Market leader in highly competitive mid-size class

Opel Vectra A GL hatchback, 1988

Everything about the Opel Vectra was new when it hit the streets in the fall of 1988 – exactly 25 years ago: the name, the shape and the technology it encapsulated. Opel’s new mid-size model had a tough act to follow in replacing the successful Ascona, which was introduced in 1970 and had evolved through three model generations. The Vectra’s name and its aerodynamic design were inspired by the progressive looks of the Omega. Available as a notchback and hatchback, the Vectra introduced new technologies in series production: it was the first Opel model which could be ordered with all-wheel drive. And by the model change in the late summer of 1995, the Vectra A had won more than 20 national and international awards, provided the technical base for the Calibra sports coupé and achieved up to 20 percent market share at its peak. With 2.5 million units sold across Europe, the Vectra was the most successful mid-size model in Opel’s history until then.

Opel Vectra A GL notchback, 1988

Progressive in design, advanced in technology

More than 3.9 million Asconas had been sold during its 18 year production run, but when the Vectra arrived 25 years ago it was the future, consigning the Ascona to its place in history. Only its front-wheel drive layout and size was carried over, while space was dramatically increased. With five seats and 530 liters of trunk volume, the new Vectra rivaled Opel’s high-end Senator model. And when the rear seatbacks were folded down, load volume increased to 840 liters.

Opel invested over five million hours of development time in creating the Vectra, with 20,000 hours alone devoted to perfecting the aerodynamics of its slippery new body shape.  Boasting an impressive drag coefficient of just 0.29, the Vectra was one of the most aerodynamic cars in its class, just like its role model, the Omega, which had brought advanced design language and a new nomenclature into the Opel model portfolio in 1986. The Vectra, conceived for the European market of the 1990s, was “progressive in design, leading in aerodynamics and advanced in technology”, according to the press kit.

Opel Vectra A notchback 1.8 S 4x4

Changes in construction were numerous. In addition to an optional, newly developed, electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission with three driving modes (economy, sport and winter), the Vectra was the first Opel passenger car available with a factory-fitted All-Wheel-Drive system (AWD). Developed in co-operation with Steyr-Daimler-Puch, the system featured a viscous coupling that enabled variable power distribution to the rear axle according to driving and road conditions, and a multi-disk clutch that decoupled the rear axle during braking, thus guaranteeing high directional stability. 

Vectra A 4x4 was the first Opel passenger car available with factory fitted All-Wheel Drive system.

Optional all-wheel drive was available for the Vectra with 1.8 or 2.0-liter engines. The top-of-the-line model was the four-door Vectra 2000 16V 4x4, with a 150 hp, 2.0 liter DOHC four-cylinder unit with four-valve technology, all-wheel drive, electronically controlled ABS, a semi-trailing-arm rear axle with independent rear suspension from the Omega, and disc brakes fitted all-round. The 215 km/h Vectra 2000 16V was also available only with front-wheel drive, and it occupied a special place in the Vectra range, with a sporty character similar to the Kadett GSi and Omega 3000 models.

Opel Vectra A 2000 16V

The Vectra came standard with a 75 hp, four-cylinder 1.6 liter OHC engine and a lambda-probe-equipped three-way catalyst. More powerful models were the four-cylinder with 1.8 liters and 88 hp and the 2.0 i CAT engine with 115 hp. The 1.7-liter diesel with 57 hp was new to the range. The Vectra was offered in two body styles – as a classic, four-door notchback and as a five-door hatchback model – and four equipment lines. The notchback was available as a GL, GLS or luxury CD, and the hatchback in GL and sporty GT versions. A dynamic lifestyle station wagon like the Voyage from the first Ascona generation was not offered.

Sporty Opel Vectra GT was offered in two body styles – as a classic, four-door notchback and as a five-door hatchback 

Market leader in the mid-size class

During the first model year, 364,000 units of the Opel Vectra and its British sister model Vauxhall Cavalier were built. In the late summer of 1989, the dynamically styled coupé version, the Calibra, was introduced. The Vectra served as the technical base for the sporty two-door coupé. After just 30 months, in April 1991, the one-millionth vehicle rolled off the assembly line.

The continuous further development of the model range, which at times was produced simultaneously in Germany, Belgium, the UK and Turkey, played a major role in this success. In 1990 the powertrain portfolio was expanded with a newly developed 1.8 liter four-cylinder with fuel injection and lambda-probe-equipped catalyst (90 hp) as well as a 1.7 liter turbo diesel (82 hp). From June 1992 the Vectra was the only car in its class in Europe to feature ABS as standard, and in August 1992 the bestseller was given a more modern look with a newly designed front, color-coded bumpers as well as optimized safety equipment with standard seat-belt pretensioners and side impact protection in the doors.

Opel Vectra A 2000 16V 4x4

In 1993 the model line got two completely new, innovative and very differently designed top models within just six months. In the spring of 1993 the luxurious Vectra V6 was introduced, the first Opel model in its class offered with a six-cylinder engine. The V6 power plant was also a premiere for the company: the 2.5-liter, 170 hp 24V ECOTEC unit was the first Opel engine with V-cylinder arrangement. The Vectra GT 16V with 150 hp replaced the Vectra 2000 as the model line’s sporty spearhead.

In the fall of 1993 the Vectra family grew again with the Vectra turbo. It featured the top Calibra model’s propulsion technology and combined the established all-wheel drive with a standard six-speed manual transmission and a supercharged 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine with 204 hp. The turbo was the only member of the first Vectra generation to reach a top speed of 240 km/h and come with 6 J x 16 light alloy wheels as standard.

Opel Vectra A 2.0 16V Turbo 4x4, 1993 

The last update already anticipated the future. In the spring of 1994 the Vectra CDX was presented with a newly-developed 2.0 liter 16 V four-cylinder engine with 136 hp that was also used in the successor Vectra B model. At this time in its seventh year of production, the Vectra A was number 2 in European registration statistics. When it was replaced in model year 1996, around 2.5 million units had been sold, making it the most successful car in the mid-size class at the time.