1983 Opel Senator 3L CD E Automatic
(Featured on 9th January 2012)
Make: Opel
Model: Senator
Year: 1983
Mileage: 56,000
Registration: A828 J0D
Sellers original description:
An opportunity to acquire a well above average 1983 example of this sought after top of the range Opel the Senator 3.0 E CD Auto.
All of is panels and much of its paint work would seem original.
Just 56,000 miles supported by every MOT since its first.
Strut tops and all of the usual problem areas for rust seem excellent.
Presenting and driving very well with an excellent interior and, for a 30 year old Senator, remarkably rust free body.
The Opel Senator was First Launched in Europe in 1978 but sold in the UK under the better known Vauxhall brand name as the Royale.
In the early eighties GM launched the, considered more upmarket then the Royale, Opel Senator in the UK in direct competition to Ford Granada Ghia X, which had gained a strong foothold in the by now established executive saloon market.
The Opel senator did that job very well indeed with the top of the range 3.0 E CD auto giving the Granada 2.8i Ghia a run for its money in terms of size, standard equipment, looks, handling and performance. The Opel Senator 3.0 E CD Auto was a car aspired to by many.
In 1982 the 3.0 E CD was given a minor facelift which included upgraded Bosch fuel injection. These were to be the final changes made to the Opel Senator before GM decided to withdraw the Opel brand from the UK in 1984 and replace it with Vauxhall.
To many the Vauxhall senator was just not the same and the loss of the Opel name was greatly mourned by enthusiasts.
Far less Opel Senators were produced compared with Vauxhall Royale’s and the Vauxhall version of the Senator, consequently it is the Opel that is the most highly sought after version and the one most highly praised but collectors and enthusiasts alike.
Whether Vauxhall or Opel though both did suffer with rust and today nearly 3 decades since the last one left the production line the most important factor to most will be to find one that is solid and that has not been the subject of a full restoration involving the replacement panels or excessive welding to the underside or inner wings especially around the turret tops.
The body/paintwork of A828 JOD is well above average for an Opel Senator that is almost 30 years old. It is remarkably solid in the areas that were prone to rust on this model. We can find no traces of welding having been carried out anywhere in the past nor any that is required now or that will be required in the foreseeable future. All of the panels would seem original.
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