Opel Ascona 19 SR - Rally genes for everyday use

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Opel Ascona 19 SR - Rally genes for everyday use

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Created on September 5, 2019

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Bruno von Rotz

31

GM Corporation - Opel

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Balz Schreier

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Mark Siegenthaler

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Archiv

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - from 0 to 100 km/h took just under 11.5 seconds back then

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - with a pinch of rally momentum

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - something for everyone, next to the Ascona is the Opel Manta Berlinetta from 1973

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - the Manta has a different design despite the same technical basis

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - you could hardly see that they were actually twins

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - less conspicuous than the Manta, but hardly slower

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - the vinyl roof was part of the SR equipment

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - the Ascona was available in two and four-door versions

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - no-frills design

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - only very tall people could see the rear end

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - large window areas provided good all-round visibility, only about 50 of the full 360 degrees (i.e. about 14 percent) were obscured

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - the sporty sedan from Opel

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - View from above - Rectangle with vinyl roof

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - was just over 160 km/h fast at the time

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - handy and agile thanks to an unladen weight of only 980 kg

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - compact in size, only 412.5 cm long

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - easy to drive

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - one of the fastest cars at the time

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - the leather steering wheel was standard in the SR version

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - the SR version also had a rev counter and additional instruments in the center

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - the rev counter was available as part of the SR equipment, among other things

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - offset gearshift

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - Wood veneer (imitation) also in the SR cockpit

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - Additional instruments for battery charge level, time and oil pressure

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - Leatherette seats

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - Loudspeakers from the period

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - longitudinally mounted in-line four-cylinder engine

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - Tire pressure specification for the wide tires

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - the larger Opel sign of the variant after the small facelift

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - additional headlights were often ordered back then

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - Comparison with the Manta A

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - Ventilation in the vinyl roof

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - the spare wheel is stored upright in the trunk

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - delivered by GM Switzerland

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - the rally sticker also suits the production sedan

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Opel Ascona SR (1971) - the 19 SR variant with 1.9-liter engine

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Opel Ascona Voyage SR (1971) - the three-door estate version was also available as the fast 19 SR

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Opel Ascona Voyage (1970) - three-door station wagon variant

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Opel Ascona Voyage (1970) - Luxury station wagon with vinyl roof and wood decor foil

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Opel Ascona (1970) - the successful sedan of the first series

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Opel Ascona (1970) - presented with joie de vivre

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Opel Ascona SR (1971) - available with 1.6 and 1.9 liter engines

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Opel Ascona (1971) - Interior of the 1.6-liter version

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Opel Ascona (1971) - in the test as 1.6-liter

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Opel Ascona - special models with added value - at the 1974 Geneva Motor Show

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Opel Ascona against Ford Capri in Dijon 1974

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Opel Ascona (1971) - Group 2 version with around 200 hp

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Opel Ascona (1971) - Ascona racing car built according to Group 2 regulations - Geneva Motor Show 1971

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Opel Ascona (1971) - thanks to cross-flow head over 200 hp

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Opel Ascona (1974) - at the Moldova Rally

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Opel Ascona (1974) - Röhrl's car for the European Rally Championship

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Opel Ascona (1973) - with automatic transmission in 12th and 13th place at the Monte Carlo Rally (advertising)

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Opel Ascona (1972) - Advertisement from 1972

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Opel Ascona (1974) - Advertising - Road burgers when you need them

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Opel Ascona (1975) - Advertising - Opel has the right car, even for you!

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Opel Ascona (1975) - Advertising - if you want to buy a sporty car, buy one that has proven it

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Opel Ascona (1975) - Advertising - What do you want? Good looks or a good price? Or both?

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Opel Ascona A - sporty presentation - Classic Car Sunday Morning on June 2, 2019

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Opel Ascona A - in sports look - Classic Car Sunday Morning on June 2, 2019

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Opel Ascona A - as back then with black hood - at the 2nd TCS Youngtimer and Classic Meeting in Pratteln in 2016

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Opel Ascona - as a four-door sedan - at the OSMT train on August 7, 2016

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Opel Ascona Voyage (1971) - three-door station wagon with plastic and wood paneling in the style of American Woodies - Motorworld Classics Bodensee 2019

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Techno Classica 2011 - Opel Ascona in rally look at the Bilstein stand

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Opel Ascona A Group 2 (1974) in the "40 Years World Rally Championship" group at the Eifel Rallye Festival 2013

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - the four-door model was popular

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Opel Ascona 19 SR (1974) - the large Opel sign in the blackened radiator grille

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Summary

With the Ascona, Opel closed the gap between the Kadett and the Rekord in 1970. And with the 19 SR model variant, Opel entered into direct competition with BMW and Alfa Romeo. And it did surprisingly well. Walter Röhrl even won a World Rally Championship race and the European Rally Championship in the Ascona. The Opel Ascona was also a success in sales and many people still remember driving the reliable sedan to this day. This driving report focuses on the most powerful 19 SR model and shows it in current and historical pictures.

This article contains the following chapters

Hen after the egg?
Solid and restrained
Sensible, but good
Performance boost
Extensively tested
Not a high-flyer ...
... but very reliable
Restrained model update
Hot on the rally trail
Almost like back then
Further information

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

With the Ascona, Opel closed the gap between the Kadett and the Rekord in 1970. However, this was not necessarily of its own volition, but a reaction to the competition. The Ascona was actually planned as a Kadett C. In the fall of 1970, an interesting announcement competition emerged. The VW K70, the Citroën GS and the Chrysler 160/180 were already known, and the first details of a new Ford Taunus and a new model from Opel leaked out early on. However, the Opel Manta, actually the coupé version of the new saloon, was presented before the Ascona. The Manta was then followed by the Ascona at the Turin Motor Show in October 1970.

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