I bought a green metallic 83 Senator 3.0 about 12 years ago and sold it after 2 years. The car had been parked for many years and looked very sad. I made a very low offer and the owner accepted after a couple of days. I like to think I saved the car by repairing the brakes, injection, electric windows etc and it passed inspection. I sold it to a German enthusiast who took it back to Germany, its place of birth. It was a very comfortable and quite fast car but the fuel cost wasn't fun.
Both have very modern rear lights for the time. The Senator has the more modern grille. The smaller headlights made it look a bigger car than the facelift when both versions became the Senator. The styling influenced a lot of future Vauxhalls and Opels.
Our dealer was the same Vauxhall GM Opel centre. where sold from the same dealership they shared a showroom the opel had 3.0 that was a big difference.
I had a few of the re badged Australian version Holden Commodore. I think the front was extended to fit our 6cyl and V8's into as well as beefed if body and running gear to handle our still crappy roads. We never had the coupe only sedan and wagon and carried that body shell through to the VL Commodore in 1986. We did have the 4cyl version using a dud Aussie made Starfire engine but that idea was quickly scrubbed. Just to make it even our first Commodore was a Vauxhall/Opal from Europe and our last Commodore we sent to you guys as a Holden rebadged as a Vauxhall. So one good deed deserves another I guess.
I really love these big vauxhall opal's: I owned several of these luxurious vauxhall/ opal's. In the late 80's to mid 90's) a royale 2:8: Auto, in Gold. V reg. Also a viceroy 2:5 Auto in red: X reg: which I've recently discovered is still in existance" and in summer use.) a 85 B reg vauxhall senator 2:5i Auto in silver: in 1995: plus a, opal Monza 3:0E Auto) in light metallic green with plush green velour seats" : they were all lovely car's to drive, so Comfortable too, but my absolute favourite" was the Monza 3:0E . It also went like a rocket! . Thanks for the brilliant broucher review..
I have mentioned many times that my late parents had a Royale? 😅 1979 silver saloon with burgandy interior, reg KEX 460V, bought used in 1985 I think for £2,000. Sold the following year because it was too expensive to run. 😟 Wished they had given up smoking cigarettes to afford to run it! 🙄 This big model perhaps is one that shouldn't have been badge engineered. I too think that the Opel Senator is better looking and the Royale really struggled here. Are the Senator and Monza the first ever cars to have smoked tail lights? 🤔 No mention of the Vauxhall Viceroy 2.5 in this brochure. Did this arrive a bit later?
The Viceroy is a bit of a strange one. They didn’t sell too many and I believe between 1980 and 1982 so probably just missed this brochure. I believe they only sold just over 2000 of them.
Interesting. 140 / 150 doesn't sound much, but these still weighed in at about 1.3 tons. The same weight as a modern Civic. I never had a Senator. But I did have two Omega's at the same time, a 2.6 24 valve CD and my Dads, a 2.2. 2.2 is not so smooth, I only sold them a few years ago, still see them around, still going. A living room on wheels basically. Lovely cars. I think these were on a Monza base, always wanted a Monza. I had to make do with a Manta, similar CIH engine just a 4 not a 6. Rock solid, never need attention. Keep up the good work.
The last Vauxhall , I saw in Denmark, was a 77 Chevette 4 door . I think they did quit the name in Europe, because GM decided to keep devellopment in Germany . Also peculiar, that you had both the chevette and the Astra, when in Europe, the Chevette was the Kadett c and the Astra, was the Kadett D . The big Opels , had a tough time , much competition in Europe .
They were a bit out of my league. But I am guessing that both the Royale and Senator would have been decent executive cars. Nine thousand plus seems expensive for the time.
Great video - Opel all the way in my mind. Looking forward to the next one as I had a Monza - a car I should never have sold!!!
I bought a green metallic 83 Senator 3.0 about 12 years ago and sold it after 2 years. The car had been parked for many years and looked very sad. I made a very low offer and the owner accepted after a couple of days. I like to think I saved the car by repairing the brakes, injection, electric windows etc and it passed inspection. I sold it to a German enthusiast who took it back to Germany, its place of birth. It was a very comfortable and quite fast car but the fuel cost wasn't fun.
Both have very modern rear lights for the time. The Senator has the more modern grille. The smaller headlights made it look a bigger car than the facelift when both versions became the Senator. The styling influenced a lot of future Vauxhalls and Opels.
The Royale Sedan Looks like An Early Model Australian Holden Commodore 7:21
Our dealer was the same Vauxhall GM Opel centre. where sold from the same dealership they shared a showroom the opel had 3.0 that was a big difference.
I had a few of the re badged Australian version Holden Commodore. I think the front was extended to fit our 6cyl and V8's into as well as beefed if body and running gear to handle our still crappy roads. We never had the coupe only sedan and wagon and carried that body shell through to the VL Commodore in 1986. We did have the 4cyl version using a dud Aussie made Starfire engine but that idea was quickly scrubbed.
Just to make it even our first Commodore was a Vauxhall/Opal from Europe and our last Commodore we sent to you guys as a Holden rebadged as a Vauxhall.
So one good deed deserves another I guess.
Looks like the Senator S was the equivalent of the Royale,The Senator CD sounds a better option but very pricey
I really love these big vauxhall opal's: I owned several of these luxurious vauxhall/ opal's. In the late 80's to mid 90's) a royale 2:8: Auto, in Gold. V reg. Also a viceroy 2:5 Auto in red: X reg: which I've recently discovered is still in existance" and in summer use.) a 85 B reg vauxhall senator 2:5i Auto in silver: in 1995: plus a, opal Monza 3:0E Auto) in light metallic green with plush green velour seats" : they were all lovely car's to drive, so Comfortable too, but my absolute favourite" was the Monza 3:0E . It also went like a rocket! . Thanks for the brilliant broucher review..
Thank you for sharing your memories
Thats an eye watering amount of money for a car back then.
I can’t afford it today never mind back then 😂
I have mentioned many times that my late parents had a Royale? 😅 1979 silver saloon with burgandy interior, reg KEX 460V, bought used in 1985 I think for £2,000. Sold the following year because it was too expensive to run. 😟 Wished they had given up smoking cigarettes to afford to run it! 🙄
This big model perhaps is one that shouldn't have been badge engineered. I too think that the Opel Senator is better looking and the Royale really struggled here. Are the Senator and Monza the first ever cars to have smoked tail lights? 🤔
No mention of the Vauxhall Viceroy 2.5 in this brochure. Did this arrive a bit later?
The Viceroy is a bit of a strange one. They didn’t sell too many and I believe between 1980 and 1982 so probably just missed this brochure. I believe they only sold just over 2000 of them.
Interesting. 140 / 150 doesn't sound much, but these still weighed in at about 1.3 tons. The same weight as a modern Civic. I never had a Senator. But I did have two Omega's at the same time, a 2.6 24 valve CD and my Dads, a 2.2. 2.2 is not so smooth, I only sold them a few years ago, still see them around, still going. A living room on wheels basically. Lovely cars. I think these were on a Monza base, always wanted a Monza. I had to make do with a Manta, similar CIH engine just a 4 not a 6. Rock solid, never need attention. Keep up the good work.
The last Vauxhall , I saw in Denmark, was a 77 Chevette 4 door . I think they did quit the name in Europe, because GM decided to keep devellopment in Germany . Also peculiar, that you had both the chevette and the Astra, when in Europe, the Chevette was the Kadett c and the Astra, was the Kadett D . The big Opels , had a tough time , much competition in Europe .
They were a bit out of my league. But I am guessing that both the Royale and Senator would have been decent executive cars. Nine thousand plus seems expensive for the time.
Yes indeed I’m still struggling to pay that much for a car now!
What happened to the Viceroy in this brochure .. ? 🤔
A very short lived car - not in this brochure - possibly just after
Always said, it dosent matter what colour the car is. It depends more on what engine is under the bonnet.