Cars with history: Opel Ascona

From 1970 to 1988, Opel kept in its lineup a model that was destined to compete against another car that also left its mark: the Ford Cortina. Opel divided the life of the Ascona into three generations, simply called A, B and C, beginning by offering engines of just 1.2 litres.

From the first generation, my favourite together with another Opel from that same era: the sporty version of the Ascona, the Manta Coupé, stands out for the triumphs achieved in the World Rally Championship, using the model with the 1.9 engine, the largest displacement of the Ascona. The rally victories turned the Ascona into a fearsome machine that continued in 1982 with another title. But we still remember the road model of the Ascona, after the jump.

In generation B, the first diesel engine of the Ascona was introduced, the 2.1D. The engine and trim options of the Ascona were among the most numerous in Europe, with no fewer than 15 different models, the most powerful being the 2.4-litre with 144 horsepower.

By 1981, the third generation of the model was launched. Among other things, it had the distinction of being the last model from Opel before the brand changed its name in Great Britain. With the third version, Opel began to equip the Ascona with more comfort accessories, along with a convertible model. In addition, and as I recall, the Ascona was one of the first Opel models to include a catalytic converter in all its variants.

The Opel Ascona, a car also well remembered in Spain, was replaced in 1988 by another model from the brand that also contributed greatly to Opel: the Opel Vectra.