- This article is about the General Motors car made in Europe between 1978 and 1994. For the General Motors car made in Australia since 1992, see HSV Senator. The HSV Senator is a luxury Sports sedan variation of the Holden Commodore, produced by Holden Special Vehicles in co-operation with Australian automaker
| Opel Senator | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Opel |
| Production | Senator A: 1978–87 Senator B:1987–94 |
| Predecessor | Opel Kapitän Opel Commodore (coupé replaced by Monza) |
| Successor | Opel Omega (second generation; replacing Senator saloon) |
| Class | Full-size |
| Body style(s) | 4-door saloon 3-door fastback coupé |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related | Opel Monza Opel Rekord Opel Omega |
The Opel Senator was a large motor car, two generations of which were sold in Europe by the German General Motors subsidiary, Opel, from 1978 until 1994. The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles Adam Opel GmbH (commonly known as Opel) is a German automaker part of General Motors. The Opel Kapitän was a car made in several different generations by the German car manufacturer Opel from 1938 to 1970 The Opel Commodore was an Executive car produced by General Motors German Subsidiary Opel. There was also an Oldsmobile Omega, an unrelated vehicle that was produced during the 1970s and 1980s The Opel Omega was an Executive car Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories or do not fit well into any A full-size car is a Marketing term used in North America for an Automobile larger than a Mid-size car. Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production while others are of historical interest only A fastback is a Car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back In Automotive design layout specifies where on the car the Engine and Drive wheels are found The Opel Rekord is a Family car which was built in several generations by the German car manufacturer Opel, latterly a subsidiary of General There was also an Oldsmobile Omega, an unrelated vehicle that was produced during the 1970s and 1980s The Opel Omega was an Executive car Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. General Motors Corporation ( GM) ( is a multinational automobile manufacturer founded in 1908 and headquartered in the United States. Adam Opel GmbH (commonly known as Opel) is a German automaker part of General Motors. A saloon, its first incarnation was also available with a fastback coupé body as the Opel Monza and Vauxhall Royale Coupe. A fastback is a Car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back
Through the international divisions of General Motors, it was also known in various markets as the Chevrolet Senator, Vauxhall Royale and Vauxhall Senator.
The original Senator shared its platform with the smaller Opel Rekord, the latter being lengthened to make the Senator. An automobile platform is a shared set of common design engineering and production efforts as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of The Opel Rekord is a Family car which was built in several generations by the German car manufacturer Opel, latterly a subsidiary of General
The later car, from 1987, shared its base with the Opel Omega, which was again lengthened to produce the Senator. There was also an Oldsmobile Omega, an unrelated vehicle that was produced during the 1970s and 1980s The Opel Omega was an Executive car
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Senator A
The Senator A (the "A" being used for differentiation here, but not a marketed name) was a six-light, lengthened version of the Opel Rekord E, complemented by a three-door fastback coupé version on the same platform called the Opel Monza, which was planned as a successor for the Opel Commodore coupé. The Opel Rekord is a Family car which was built in several generations by the German car manufacturer Opel, latterly a subsidiary of General The Opel Commodore was an Executive car produced by General Motors German Subsidiary Opel.
Different market names
The Senator A and Monza were initially sold in the United Kingdom as the Vauxhall Royale (and Vauxhall Royale Coupé), because the Opel marque was not so well established, but they were also under their Opel names. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The vehicle was also available in South Africa as the Chevrolet Senator until 1982, when it was re-badged as an Opel. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Engines
The engine range for the first phase of the model's life included the 2. 0E, 2. 5S (and later the fuel-injected E), the 2. 8S and the new developed 3. 0E, which had 180 bhp and 248 Nm with fuel injection. The 3-speed Borg Warner automatic transmission from the Commodore range needed to be modified to cope with the new and improved power outputs. An automatic transmission (commonly "AT" or "Auto" is an Automobile Gearbox that can change Gear ratios automatically as the vehicle Opel's own 4-speed manual transmission was not up to the job and, instead of putting in a more modern 5-speed manual gearbox, Opel turned to transmission producer GETRAG, and installed their 264 4-speed manual gearbox in the early Monzas. A manual transmission (also known as a stick shift or just 'stick' 'straight drive' or standard transmission) is a type of transmission used in Getrag (sometimes written GETRAG) is a leading manufacturer of Automobile Manual transmissions The company was founded on 1 May, 1935 This was soon replaced with the Getrag 240 for the 2. 5 and 2. 8 engines, and the Getrag 265 for the 3. 0E; both 5-speed manual gearboxes.
The straight 6-cylinder engines where all of the CIH (camshaft in head) type and were based on an existing straight-4 design from the preceding Commodore. The straight-6 or inline-6 engine (often abbreviated I6 or L6) is a six cylinder Internal combustion engine with all six cylinders The straight-4 or inline-4 engine (often abbreviated I4 or L4) is a four cylinder Internal combustion engine with all four cylinders
With the 3. 0 litre engine, the Monza was the fastest car Opel had built up until then, capable of speeds of 215 km/h (133mph), and 0-100 km/h (0-62mph) in 9. 5 seconds.
Mid-life facelift
The original Senator and Monza were face-lifted in 1982/3. In the UK, the Senator "A2" (as it is sometimes referred to) initially sold only as an Opel, before being re-badged for the UK (as a Vauxhall) in 1984. The A2 Monza was only sold as an Opel.
The facelifted car looked similar to its predecessor, with relatively minor changes: headlights increased in size, and chrome parts were changed to a matt black or colour-coded finish.
Interiors were improved, and engines changed. Now, straight-4 CIH 2. 0E and 2. 2E engines from the Rekord E2 were available. The 2. 5E was given a new Bosch fuel injection system. Fuel injection is a system for mixing fuel with air in an Internal combustion engine. The 2. 8S was taken out of production, and the 3. 0E and a new 3. 0H engines were at the top of the range. The 3. 0E received upgraded Bosch fuel injection.
Monza GSE
The last incarnation of the Monza was the GSE edition; basically the A2 car, but a high-specification model which had Recaro sports seats, digital LCD instruments, and an enhanced all-black interior. RECARO GmbH & Co KG, commonly known as Recaro, is a German company based in Kirchheim unter Teck in the vicinity of Stuttgart, known for their It also featured a large rear spoiler on the boot.
By the time the Senator was updated to the new Senator B, and the Monza cancelled, 47,008 Monzas had been built. There was no direct Monza replacement, although the idea of a large Opel/Vauxhall sporting car was also seen in the Lotus Carlton / Lotus Omega saloon. The Lotus Carlton (in mainland Europe the Lotus Omega) was a Vauxhall Carlton saloon upgraded by Lotus Cars to be a 177 mph (285 kph sports Opel's next coupé was the slightly smaller Opel Calibra. The Opel Calibra also known as the Chevrolet Calibra in South America and North America, the Holden Calibra in Australia and
Variants
In the UK, a four-wheel drive conversion was available, engineered by Ferguson, who had previously provided similar modifications for the Jensen Interceptor. Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4x4 ("four by four" is a four-wheeled Vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four Wheels to The Jensen Interceptor was a sporting GT -class car (semi hand-built in the United Kingdom by Jensen Motors between 1966 and 1976
Other uses of the Monza name
This Monza should not be confused with the South African Opel Monza, which was a saloon version of the smaller Opel Kadett. The Opel Kadett is a Small family car produced by the German automaker Opel between 1937 and 1940 then from 1962 to 1992 To complicate things further, there also was a Chevrolet Monza in Brazil, which was a version of the 1981 German Opel Ascona but with a three-door fastback body not available anywhere else. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Opel Ascona was a mid-sized car produced by Opel, the German subsidiary of General Motors. There was also an unrelated Chevrolet Monza in the United States. See also Opel Monza, an unrelated vehicle marketed by General Motors' European subsidiary The Chevrolet Monza was a rear-wheel drive subcompact The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
Senator B
A new model, the Senator B (marketed without the "B" suffix), arrived in 1987, a long-wheelbase version of the Opel Omega (which was the Vauxhall Carlton in the UK). There was also an Oldsmobile Omega, an unrelated vehicle that was produced during the 1970s and 1980s The Opel Omega was an Executive car The Vauxhall Carlton is an Executive car that was sold by Vauxhall in the United Kingdom from 1978 to 1994 There was no Monza equivalent. This model, and the Omega, formed the basis of the Holden VN Commodore in Australia, which used its own stretched and widened platform. The Holden VN Commodore was the sixth model of the Holden Commodore, a Full-size car produced by the Australian automotive marque Holden.
There were various versions of the Senator B: 12-valve 2. 5 L and 3. 0 L sized engines were released in 1987 along with a luxury "CD" model with the 3. 0 L engine. The CD version boasted adjustable suspension, air conditioning, heated seats, trip computer and cruise control. The term air conditioning refers to the cooling and dehumidification of indoor air for Thermal comfort. A trip computer is an onboard Computer device fitted to Cars which can generally record distance travelled average speed average fuel consumption and display Cruise control (sometimes known as speed control or autocruise) is a system that automatically controls the rate of motion of a Motor vehicle. The cars were available with either 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic gearboxes. Leather seats were also available as an extra-cost option.
A 24-valve 3. 0 L was introduced in 1989, generating 204 bhp (compared with 177 bhp for the older 12-valve version). This model was very popular with the police force in the UK, with several cars being supplied to upgraded police specification. Law enforcement in the United Kingdom is organised separately in Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales (administration of Police matters The main feature of the new engine was a "Dual Ram" system, increasing torque at low engine speeds by means of a redirected air flow system engaged at 4,000 rpm.
Later in the model's lifespan, the 2. 5 L was replaced by a 2. 6 L Dual Ram, and the 3. 0 L 12-valve was deleted in 1992. CD versions of the 2. 6 L and 24-valve 3. 0 L were available up to the model's withdrawal in 1994.
Only 26,000 units were sold in the UK during the lifespan of the Senator B.
When the second-generation Omega was released in 1994, Opel considered that it was sufficiently represented in the upper end of the market by the top-specification Omega Elite. Consequently, the Senator was cancelled after 1994 and not directly replaced.
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