A Granada Competitor From Back In The Day
Discussion
https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctions/2...
Its been a few years since I saw one of these on the road , in fact back in the Day in Glasgow at least , they were always a rare sight . If my memory serves me correctly they were at one time sold in separate Dealerships from the normal Vauxhall fare before inevitably being sold alongside .
By comparison the Consul and the Granada were everywhere and looking at this Commodore its great to see the small details that made it so different . A local chip shop Owner had an Audi 100 LS in the same period and that was very similar . Just a lovely dignified delicate touch to some of the detail and design . A pleasant relief from the uniformed leased tat that we are served up nowadays . Growing up with British Leyland Triumphs I don't think I will ever forget the deep chrome lustre on an early seventies Audi 100 hubcaps , I remember old Tamburrini just with a Bucket and Sponge whilst my old man laboured for hours with Solvol Autosol on the Dolomite Sprints wheels . Great Days and incredibly nearly 50 years ago .
Its been a few years since I saw one of these on the road , in fact back in the Day in Glasgow at least , they were always a rare sight . If my memory serves me correctly they were at one time sold in separate Dealerships from the normal Vauxhall fare before inevitably being sold alongside .
By comparison the Consul and the Granada were everywhere and looking at this Commodore its great to see the small details that made it so different . A local chip shop Owner had an Audi 100 LS in the same period and that was very similar . Just a lovely dignified delicate touch to some of the detail and design . A pleasant relief from the uniformed leased tat that we are served up nowadays . Growing up with British Leyland Triumphs I don't think I will ever forget the deep chrome lustre on an early seventies Audi 100 hubcaps , I remember old Tamburrini just with a Bucket and Sponge whilst my old man laboured for hours with Solvol Autosol on the Dolomite Sprints wheels . Great Days and incredibly nearly 50 years ago .
nismocat said:
I may be wrong but Opel wasn’t officially offered for sale in the Uk, as far as I’m aware. The Consul was the German equivalent of the Granada.
My neighbor had a Consul but he was ex forces and got it in Germany (RHD) and bought it over.
Pretty sure you could buy Opels in the UK at that time, I was only a kid in the early '70s but do remember seeing Commadore GSE Coupes and thinking they were pretty cool. My neighbor had a Consul but he was ex forces and got it in Germany (RHD) and bought it over.
Also Opel Mantas from the same early '70s period were sold in the UK. I think!
nismocat said:
I may be wrong but Opel wasn’t officially offered for sale in the Uk, as far as I’m aware.
Of course it was.Opel had its own, although small, UK dealer network up until all UK Opel dealerships were merged with Vauxhall dealership network in the early 1980's, which by that time was just to see the run out of the Manta, which was the final Opel badged car sold in the UK.
My uncle and cousin both bought brand new Opels, a Rekord estate, and an Ascona Berlina SR from the Opel dealer in Alperton, West London in 1978.
That's a nice Commodore in the first post, perhaps not the best colour to suit it though. I like the Opels of that era but prefer the Ford Taunus range, being a Ford man ! They both share similar 'clean crisp" styling to my eye and both offered nice coupe versions.
There were UK Opel and for that matter Taunus dealers too. Our local vet always had big Opels like the one in the advert.
There were Consuls and Granadas in all markets upto around 1975. After that they are all Granads, until the Scorpio ers. The Consul range were the lower specification cars.
The best Consul in the UK market was the 3.0 GT. (See NHK295M in The Sweeney).
There were UK Opel and for that matter Taunus dealers too. Our local vet always had big Opels like the one in the advert.
There were Consuls and Granadas in all markets upto around 1975. After that they are all Granads, until the Scorpio ers. The Consul range were the lower specification cars.
The best Consul in the UK market was the 3.0 GT. (See NHK295M in The Sweeney).
Edited by gt40steve on Sunday 15th October 16:11
The Consul by Ford was also sold alongside the Granada Mk1 in the early Seventies though the Consul name itself dates from previous generations of Fords . By the time the Mk2 Granada was introduced the Consul name was sadly no more . Without the benefit of Google I am trying to recall the Seventies Consul , as I remember it was a base version of the Granada though I could have that wrong . I don't recall the overall shell being different ?
gt40steve said:
That's a nice Commodore in the first post, perhaps not the best colour to suit it though. I like the Opels of that era but prefer the Ford Taunus range, being a Ford man ! They both share similar 'clean crisp" styling to my eye and both offered nice coupe versions.
There were UK Opel and for that matter Taunus dealers too. Our local vet always had big Opels like the one in the advert.
There were Consuls and Granadas in all markets upto around 1975. After that they are all Granads, until the Scorpio ers. The Consul range were the lower specification cars.
The best Consul in the UK market was the 3.0 GT. (See NHK295M in The Sweeney).
In the pilot episode 'Regan' made in early '74, Regan and Carter used a very early dark blue Consul 'HGF 859K', although I'm not sure what engine size it was.There were UK Opel and for that matter Taunus dealers too. Our local vet always had big Opels like the one in the advert.
There were Consuls and Granadas in all markets upto around 1975. After that they are all Granads, until the Scorpio ers. The Consul range were the lower specification cars.
The best Consul in the UK market was the 3.0 GT. (See NHK295M in The Sweeney).
Edited by gt40steve on Sunday 15th October 16:11
I remember seeing Opels round our way growing up through the '70s and they were looked on as a cut above a lot of British made cars at the time. A schoolmate's divorced Mum had an fling with a suave looking chap who had a Rekord then a Commodore for a while, followed by an Audi 100.
P5BNij said:
gt40steve said:
That's a nice Commodore in the first post, perhaps not the best colour to suit it though. I like the Opels of that era but prefer the Ford Taunus range, being a Ford man ! They both share similar 'clean crisp" styling to my eye and both offered nice coupe versions.
There were UK Opel and for that matter Taunus dealers too. Our local vet always had big Opels like the one in the advert.
There were Consuls and Granadas in all markets upto around 1975. After that they are all Granads, until the Scorpio ers. The Consul range were the lower specification cars.
The best Consul in the UK market was the 3.0 GT. (See NHK295M in The Sweeney).
In the pilot episode 'Regan' made in early '74, Regan and Carter used a very early dark blue Consul 'HGF 859K', although I'm not sure what engine size it was.There were UK Opel and for that matter Taunus dealers too. Our local vet always had big Opels like the one in the advert.
There were Consuls and Granadas in all markets upto around 1975. After that they are all Granads, until the Scorpio ers. The Consul range were the lower specification cars.
The best Consul in the UK market was the 3.0 GT. (See NHK295M in The Sweeney).
Edited by gt40steve on Sunday 15th October 16:11
I remember seeing Opels round our way growing up through the '70s and they were looked on as a cut above a lot of British made cars at the time. A schoolmate's divorced Mum had an fling with a suave looking chap who had a Rekord then a Commodore for a while, followed by an Audi 100.
Milkyway said:
Used to love watching these race, against the big BMW’s.
Tony Lanfranchi: Oulton Park 1978.
Andy Rouse.
Golden Days , though like most I was more familiar with Gerry Marshall and the DTV Cars , Rouse also did a bit with the Dolomite Sprints though that would be possibly a bit later .Tony Lanfranchi: Oulton Park 1978.
Andy Rouse.
Edited by Milkyway on Sunday 15th October 17:03
https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic-auctions/2...
Again like the Commodore not its best colour but next to the XJ C perhaps the Premier Coupe of the Period ?
Again like the Commodore not its best colour but next to the XJ C perhaps the Premier Coupe of the Period ?
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