Vauxhall Carlton: two generations of Vauxhall’s big saloon

The Vauxhall Carlton was Vauxhall’s large family and executive car from 1978 to 1994, sold in two distinct generations. The first was based on the Opel Rekord E and the second on the Opel Omega A, and only badges and trim separated the Vauxhall from its Opel sisters for most of that time.

Vauxhall Carlton at a glance

Written from the English Wikipedia article on the Carlton, with the German article on the Rekord E for the first generation.

History of the Vauxhall Carlton

The first Carlton arrived in September 1978 to replace the VX1800 and VX2300 saloons. It was built at Luton from components made at Opel’s Rüsselsheim plant, and although it shared its body with the Opel Rekord E it wore Vauxhall’s “droop snoot” front with no traditional grille, plus a different rear end with the number plate moved down into the bumper. Inside there was a hooded instrument binnacle running across the whole width of the car with wooden embellishment. It was a rear-wheel-drive saloon or estate, offered in L trim only with a 2.0-litre carburettor Opel CIH engine, but options such as central locking, alloy wheels and electric windows gave it an advantage over similarly priced rivals. It was aimed directly at the Ford Granada, and also at the Princess, Rover SD1, Citroën CX and Renault 20/30.

Above the Carlton sat the Viceroy, a Carlton with a 2.5 or 3.0-litre six-cylinder Opel cam-in-head engine, otherwise known as the Opel Commodore, with a chrome grille in place of the painted droop snoot. The Royale and Royale Coupé were long-wheelbase versions with six-light styling, badge-engineered Opel Senator and Monza respectively. The 1982 “E2” facelift ended the difference: the droop snoot gave way to a conventional angled grille shared with the Rekord, the boot lid was raised, the rear lamps were new and the interior was redesigned. UK production stopped and all Carltons were then built alongside the Rekords in Rüsselsheim. The facelift also widened the engine range, adding a 1.8-litre Family II unit from the Cavalier alongside the 2.0-litre CIH in carburettor and fuel-injected forms, with a 2.2-litre injected engine in CD trim from 1984 and a 2.3-litre diesel; trim levels became L, GL and CD.

For 1986 Opel renamed its Rekord replacement the Omega, but Vauxhall kept the Carlton name. On its launch in November 1986 the Carlton and Omega range won European Car of the Year, the second Vauxhall/Opel product to do so after the Astra and Kadett two years earlier. The Mk2 Carlton was the same car as the Omega A, again differing only in badges and trim, and it was built in Germany rather than Britain. The fastest version, the Lotus Carlton, was developed with Lotus and became one of the most famous fast saloons of its era.

The Carlton was replaced by the Omega B in 1994, as General Motors standardised model names across Opel and Vauxhall.

Design and features

• Droop snoot: the Mk1’s grille-less Vauxhall nose, shared with the Chevette and Cavalier.
• Two generations: Rekord E underpinnings first, then the Omega A.
• Award winner: European Car of the Year in 1986 for the Mk2 range.
• Lotus Carlton: the high-performance version developed with Lotus.
• British and German build: Luton at first, then Rüsselsheim only.

Vauxhall Carlton versions

• Carlton Mk1 (1978–1982): 2.0-litre CIH, L trim, droop snoot nose.
• Carlton E2 (1982–1986): conventional grille and a wider engine range.
• Viceroy: six-cylinder Carlton with a chrome grille.
• Carlton Mk2 (1986–1994): the Omega A-based car, European Car of the Year.
• Lotus Carlton: the Lotus-developed performance saloon.

The Carlton sat above the Cavalier, and its six-cylinder sister was the Viceroy; the Mk2 became the Omega. More cars are in the Vauxhall collection.

Sources

• Vauxhall Carlton, English Wikipedia: both generations, engines, facelift, award
• Opel Rekord E, German Wikipedia: Mk1 background