The Opel Commodore was Opel’s executive car from 1967 to 1986, a six-cylinder Rekord with different styling. The Commodore A of 1967 grew from a comfortable 2.5-litre six into the fuel-injected GS/E of 1970, which with 150 PS and a top speed of nearly 200 km/h was the fastest Opel of its time.
Opel Commodore at a glance
| Maker | Adam Opel AG, Rüsselsheim |
|---|---|
| Production | 1967–1986 (Europe to 1982) |
| Class | executive car, six-cylinder Rekord |
| Commodore A | 1967–1971, based on the Rekord C |
| Commodore B | 1972–1977, based on the Rekord D |
| Engines | 2.2 to 2.8 litres, all six-cylinder |
| GS of 1967 | 2.5 litres, twin carburettors, 130 PS |
| GS/E of 1970 | 2.5 litres, Bosch D-Jetronic, 150 PS |
| GS/E top speed | 197 km/h |
| Commodore A built | 156,330, including 2,574 GS and GS/E |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Opel Commodore.
History of the Opel Commodore
A faster Rekord
Opel had offered a Rekord-6 with a 2.6-litre six from the Kapitän, Admiral and Diplomat since March 1964. In February 1967 it went further and launched the Commodore as a faster, more upmarket version of the Rekord C. The new car came with the proven 2.2-litre six and a 2.5-litre unit of 115 PS on a single carburettor. Its 2,239 cc engine shared bore and stroke with the 1,492 cc Rekord four on which it was based, and had first appeared in the short-lived six-cylinder Rekord; that engine became the entry-level unit of the Commodore after July 1967. Bodies were a two- or four-door notchback saloon and a two-door hardtop coupé. The sporting Commodore GS with 130 PS from a twin-carburettor 2.5 followed in September 1967.
The GS/E and electronic injection
In March 1970 came the Commodore GS/E, whose 2.5-litre engine used Bosch D-Jetronic, the company’s first series-production electronic fuel injection. Unlike later systems the fuel was injected directly at the cylinder, so the engine needed its own cylinder head, which made the model expensive to build and to buy. With 150 PS at 5,800 rpm and 196 Nm at 4,500 rpm, the injected 2.5 was more powerful than the larger 2.8-litre carburettor engine, and the GS/E reached 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds and a top speed of 197 km/h — close to a Porsche 911 of the period at a fraction of the price. A Steinmetz-prepared GS/E also went racing, and the coupé became known as the “German Charger”. A carburetted 2.8-litre GS 2800 of 145 PS followed in April 1970.
Later cars
From September 1969 the base 2.5 was raised to 120 PS, all engines gained hydraulic lifters and an extra camshaft bearing, the handbrake moved from under the dashboard to between the front seats and the tank grew from 55 to 70 litres. The Commodore B of 1972 used the Rekord D and was offered as 2500 S, 2500 GS, 2800 GS and 2800 GS/E, as a four-door saloon and a two-door hardtop coupé, now with a conventional three-box tail instead of the fastback. The Commodore A’s platform was also used by General Motors for other cars around the world, among them the Ranger sold in mainland Europe and South Africa and the Opel-based GM Opala built in South America until 1992.
Design and features
- Six-cylinder Rekord: the Commodore was the Rekord’s smooth, faster brother, with its own front and rear styling.
- Bosch D-Jetronic: the GS/E was among the first production cars with electronic fuel injection.
- 197 km/h: the GS/E was the fastest Opel of its day, and quicker to 100 km/h than many sports cars.
- Three bodies: two- and four-door saloons and a two-door hardtop coupé.
Opel Commodore versions
- Commodore 2.2 (1967): the entry-level six.
- Commodore 2.5: single-carburettor six of 115, later 120 PS.
- Commodore GS (1967): twin carburettors and 130 PS.
- Commodore GS/E (1970): fuel-injected 2.5 with 150 PS.
- GS 2800 (1970): carburetted 2.8 of 145 PS.
- Commodore B (1972): 2500 S, 2500 GS, 2800 GS and 2800 GS/E.
The Commodore was the six-cylinder version of the Rekord and sat below the Diplomat. More cars are in the Opel collection.
Sources
- Opel Commodore, English Wikipedia: engines, models, GS/E, production figures
