In 1982, Opel introduced the Rekord E1 Berlina 2.0S, the final iteration of the Rekord series. The car was well-received by the buying public as the sleek lines, aggressive front end, advanced technology, and innovative features made it a standout and a popular choice among Irish families and businesspeople alike in the 1980s.
Opel enthusiast Edward Connally from Dublin was offered first refusal on this 1982 Rekord (729 AZU) in 2013 when it’s Wexford based owner became ill. The car was first registered in Dublin in 1982 and has never been out of tax. Having now owned the car for 10 years Edward completed some restoration work in 2019 on the sills, strut towers in the engine bay and refreshed the paint. Edward likes the seats most of all as they evoke childhood memories of family car trips. The Rekord has won several show awards and has brought Edward across the county and never let him down.
Opel is a German automobile manufacturer founded by Adam Opel in Rüsselsheim, Germany in 1862 and headquartered there ever since, the company initially produced sewing machines before moving on to bicycles and, eventually automobiles.
During the 1930s, Opel sales in Ireland were respectable, but they dwindled by 1939 due to WW2. In 1956 Opel made a comeback in Ireland introducing the Olympia Rekord as their first post-war vehicle, however in that year they only managed to sell thirty-two vehicles. We have previously covered the Olympia Rekord; ‘The ‘Shark mouth’ – 1st Opel to be sold in Ireland post WW2 | Season 2 – Episode 93’.
Two companies had simultaneously assembled Opels in Ireland; O’Shea’s in Cork handled car assembly and distribution for Carlow, Cork, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford, and Wexford, while Reg Armstrong Limited in Ringsend, Dublin covered the remaining twenty-six counties. See our previous story – ‘Reg Armstrong – famous motorbike racer, importer & assembler | Season 3 – Episode 5
Since 2017 Opel has been part of the French automotive company Groupe PSA.
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Information sources:
storm.oldcarmanualproject.com
Opel Ireland
