Opel Ascona 1700 - the little American from Switzerland

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Opel Ascona 1700 - the little American from Switzerland

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Created in 2021

Text:

Paul Krüger

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

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GM Corporation

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GM Corporation / Opel

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Only a Kadett at first glance: the Opel Ascona 1700 from Swiss production

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Only the Ascona had the chrome-framed rubber strip along the flank

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Rubberized bumper horns were part of the standard equipment.

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Just like the chrome-plated exhaust trim.

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The Ascona lacks the chrome window frames of the L version. Instead, it has the trim strip on the sill.

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You will also look in vain for the L-shaped wheel chrome on the Ascona

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Only 2560 Ascona 1700 were built at the end of the sixties.

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The Ascona 1700 was only available with a notchback. If you wanted a hatchback, you had to go for the more expensive Olympia 1700

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The chances of encountering an Ascona 1700 in the wild today are very slim.

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At its premiere, the Ascona 1700 cost just 8995 Swiss francs.

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The large engine in the small cadet body is a joy to behold.

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At the time, its power-to-weight ratio was on a par with that of a sports car.

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Nevertheless, high continuous temperatures were not his profession. Rather the power reserve for steep mountain passes.

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Thanks to its 75 hp, the Ascona 1700 will give any VW Beetle a run for its money.

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If the road is as smooth as here, the Ascona 1700 is a good-natured car.

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The sports steering wheel was retrofitted. The seats are original and unique in the Opel range.

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The interior is dominated by sporty black. The Ascona had carpeting as standard.

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Elegance of the early years: from model year 1970, the instruments were framed in black.

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The three-color speed display is typical Opel. Original, but not very helpful in an emergency.

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The instrument cluster with remote thermometer and fuel gauge. In between, indicator lights for high beam, indicators, oil pressure and charging current.

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Parking lights, low beam and windshield wipers. The crashing satellite is intended to symbolize the instrument lighting. The "alarm" switch is less spectacular than it sounds: it is the hazard warning blinker.

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Fresh air vents for a pleasant climate. Radio without FM reception

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So that the passenger does not forget that he is sitting in a very special Opel, it is written again on the glove compartment.

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The four-speed gearbox is surprisingly precise. The reverse gear lock is located underneath the knob.

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You have to smoke! Ashtrays in the rear - one at each door, of course.

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Mass-produced at last: the flash, as found on 2.6 million Kadett B models.

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Unique: no Opel before or after bore this type plate

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The model designation can be found on both sides of the vehicle. The name on the front mudguard,...

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Swiss made: Why encode the production location when you can be proud of it?

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The large 1700 fits easily into the Kadett bow. Typical CIH: the dent on the front of the valve cover.

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A brake booster was not yet common in the small car class in 1968.

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The Ascona had wheel trim rings ex works.

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All cars produced in Biel bore the badge with the stylized Alpine ridge on the radiator grille

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In August 1967, all Kadett models were fitted with new rear lights with integrated reversing lights.

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So much cost reduction is a must: The names of the German siblings appear on the service booklet.

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Just under half of the Kadett body variants. Caravan, LS and LS Coupé are missing.

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The General Motors Suisse SA plant as a 1957 model

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This 1937 Kadett is one of the first Opel cars produced in Biel

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Opel again, 20 years later. A record '57 at the Biel plant

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The Rekord Ascona appeared in 1958. Special features: two-tone body sides, metallic paint and additional trim parts

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This was only available in Biel: the paint color of this Rekord Ascona comes from the 1959 Buick range and is called "Magic-Mirror Copper Glow"

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Geneva Motor Show 1961: a two-tone Rekord Ascona on the Opel stand

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Swiss advertisement with the Opel sales program from 1962: the "Ascona Coupé" in the third row

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Opel Kadett (1966) - International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt 1965 - new impetus through more powerful engines

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Opel Kadett (1967) - successful thanks to great model consistency, seen here in the standard version - Geneva Motor Show 1967

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Opel Kadett (1966) - the two-door sedan in the unadorned standard version, but with whitewall tires

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Opel Kadett (1966) - Four-door Kadett L with chrome-plated window frames

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Opel Kadett (1966) - the one millionth Kadett is celebrated

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Opel Kadett (1966) - bigger and more powerful than its predecessor

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Opel Kadett L (1966) - Illustration of the new four-door sedan

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Summary

Special problems sometimes require special solutions. This is how Switzerland came up with its very own Opel Kadett B in 1968 - which wasn't even called that. But it impressed with unusual qualities and sportiness. This report tells the story of the rare Opel Ascona 1700 and shows it in many pictures. Of course, there is also a sound sample.

This article contains the following chapters

A new plant for the domestic market
Opel's model offensive in the sixties
What makes a Kadett an Ascona?
No success despite favorable price
Not only the Rallye Kadett was a power car
The little one drives like a big one

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The small gray sedan causes a lot of confusion among German observers. Opel Ascona 1700? Never heard of it. Especially as the rear end, on which the unknown model designation is stuck, is clearly that of a four-door Kadett B from 1968. And on top of that, every Opel enthusiast knows that the Ascona A only appeared in 1970, and neither it nor its successors B and C were ever available with a 1.7-liter engine. A joke à la the M3 logo on the rear of the BMW 3118i might explain the "1700" engine capacity - but not the name above it. Friends of the Blitz brand, who occasionally look beyond the borders of their home country, will already realize it at this point. Because unlike in Germany, where the name Ascona was only introduced with the market gap filler between the Kadett and Rekord, it already had a long tradition in Switzerland.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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