Info für Besucher ohne Javascript

Premium

Opel Rekord P2 Coupé in the (historic) test - three gears, three surprises

This article was auto-translated. We apologize if some words are confusing or simply amusing. Would you like to help us improve?

Created in 1962

Text:

Olaf von Fersen

Photos:

GM Corporation / Opel

3

Archiv

24

GM Corporation / Opel

3

Archiv

24

The coupé version of the Opel Rekord P2 went into production in 1961.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord Coupé (1962) - impressive front design

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

As a mid-range car with a sporty touch, the Opel Rekord P2 Coupé also competed against the Ford Taunus 17 M TS at the time.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

The Opel Rekord P2 Coupé has a stately appearance and is ideally suited for long highway journeys.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord Coupé (1961) - more elegant than the saloon thanks to the flatter rear window

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Compared to the sedan, the 1.7-liter engine in the coupé delivers 5 hp more.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord Coupé (1961) - the design of the roof area took a considerable amount of space away from the interior

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Long backs can also be delightful... the Opel Rekord P2 Coupé convinced tester and editor-in-chief Olaf von Fersen.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord Coupé (1962) - at the 1962 Geneva Motor Show

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord Coupé (1961) - sporty version of the Rekord - International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt 1961

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

With its enormous luggage compartment, the Rekord Coupé looks a little rear-heavy, but the front axle carries 100 kilograms more.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord Coupé (1961) - how many people dreamed of their next car

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord Coupé (1961) - Length of coupé and saloon are identical

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

This advertisement advertised the "clear and convincing" lines and the "special engine".

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord Coupé (1962) - Interior front and rear

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

The comfortable seats are easy to adjust and ensure that even longer journeys are not a torture.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord (1961) - finally - a flat and elegant display instrument

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord (1961) - proven heart in the engine compartment

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

A two-door Rekord is not necessarily the same as a Rekord Coupé. Here is a two-door saloon from 1960.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord Ascona (1961) - The P2 on the Opel stand at the 1961 Geneva Motor Show

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord (1961) - this is what a successful mid-size car should look like

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord (1962) - Transparency drawing

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord (1961) - the elegant passenger car in an airport scene with a policeman on horseback

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord Caravan (1960) - Station wagon in the color "coral red"

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

The entire record range is clearly presented in this Swiss sales brochure.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

The predecessor model P1 at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show, with the panoramic windshield pulled further back.

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Opel Rekord (1960) - 92% all-round visibility thanks to panoramic glazing front and rear

You have only

1 out of 27

images seen in high resolution

Summary

The second generation of the panoramic windshield Rekord continued the lineage of Rüsselsheim's mid-size cars, beginning in 1935 with the Olympia, and cemented Opel's reputation as a manufacturer of well-designed, reliable and affordable automobiles. The coupé, launched one year after the saloon, was not out of line. Nevertheless, there was a lot to report about the two-door model with the huge trunk... This article quotes an original test report from April 1962 and shows the Rekord P2 Coupé in historical photos and sales material.

This article contains the following chapters

An evolutionary product
Not a sports car
Origin and production
Heart and kidneys
Criticism is also necessary
How it drives
The brakes

Estimated reading time: 13min

Preview (beginning of the article)

One must have the courage to throw prejudices overboard and admit mistakes. The writer was of the opinion that the Opel Rekord Coupé was nothing more than a concession to the tastes of a certain buying public - not exactly (to use the terminology of a successful colleague) established midwives and neglected general agents' wives - but something like this... The people in Rüsselsheim proved him wrong. The test car arrived in the evening, and the next morning it was to take the reporter and the photographer to the Geneva Motor Show with their luggage and equipment. After all, that's around 1000 km. The evening before departure, it snowed heavily and the next morning the landscape was covered in dripping slush: just the right weather to set off on a long journey under time pressure and in a car whose road holding is often criticized at all the regulars' tables in Germany.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

Continue reading this article for free?

Images of this article

Source: