It has been a while since Opel was at the forefront in the luxury class. But it wasn’t just the KAD three-pack of captain, admiral and diplomat that was once the topic of conversation in automobiles. The Opel Monza in particular was a real show at the end of the 1970s – now with collector status and rarity.
At the IAA in 1977, Opel provided the cool luxury sedan Senator with an equally casual coupé. His name: Opel Monza. Mercedes had presented its SLC, BMW had just presented its 6 Series Coupé from the E24 series, and then the people of Rüsselsheim came with a real cannon blow – the Monza. The top model was fueled by a sonorous, humming six-cylinder in-line engine with a displacement of three liters, which developed 132 kW / 180 hp and made the elegant two-door car reach a top speed of 215 km / h. Instead of the downdraft twin register carburetor in the Monza 3.0 H, the 3.0 E uses electronic gasoline injection from Bosch. When you step on the accelerator it becomes clear that the Monza has what it takes to be a great Autobahner: the car accelerates to 100 things in 8.5 seconds, and the top is only reached at 215 km / h. Usually it is a little faster and that was not only guaranteed by the left lane in the late 70s and early 80s. The purchase price back then: over 35,000 D-Marks – including a mechanical sunroof, flocked velor, radio and a foldable rear seat, which makes the Monza with its characteristic large glass tailgate a design icon today.
Production of the 4.70 meter long Opel Monza started parallel to that of the Senator in May 1978. The Senator is to follow in the great footsteps of the KAD series of captain, admiral and diplomat. The station wagon coupé called Monza is intended as an elegant and family-friendly counterpart to the sedan. A three-liter injection unit with six cylinders and 150 hp and the 2.8-liter carburettor engine from the old Admiral are available for the model launch. The Monza is technically largely identical to the Senator, but the wheelbase is shortened by just under centimeters. A 2.5-liter six-cylinder from the Commodore, trimmed for economy, followed in 1981, smaller four-cylinders were available from 1982 because demand was faltering and new customers were hoping for the smaller engines.
Problem: Right from the start, the large Opel models have a certain modular stench: In contrast to the noble admirals and diplomats with their independent, massive bodies, the two brothers Senator and Monza are derived from the disdainful middle-class Opel Rekord. There are only major differences in the front end, the engine range and the wheel suspension. While the record bumps over bumps with a rigid axle, the more powerful Senator and Monza enjoy a semi-trailing arm rear axle, which ensures better guidance of the rear wheels, especially when cornering.
Even by today’s standards, the road holding of the Opel Monza is very neat, the drive and equipment also fit. Actually, only a poor image and a high loss of value prevented the technically mature Opel from achieving greater success. By 1982, 69,321 Senators and 27,218 Monza had rolled off the assembly line. In the A2 series (1983 to 1986) the Monza was built 16,594 times. Today it is a real classic and the models with the large three-liter six-cylinder and complete comfort equipment with electric window regulators, electric sunroof, on-board computer, leather seats and other accessories are harder to find than ever. This is especially true for the late top model of the Opel Monza GSE with sporty equipment, which was only offered as a 180 hp variant after the final model update. Anyone who ordered a catalytic converter from 1985 onwards painfully reduced the engine output to 115 kW / 156 hp. In mid-1986 the production of the Monza was over. A real show of the later versions: the digital instruments that the Opel Kadett GSI later got. More exclusive than ever are the almost 150 convertible versions that tuner Keinath rebuilt as open versions and thus also laid the platform for the Bitter SC convertible.
The supply of Opel Monza is extremely small on the European market. The number of items was manageable at the time and the rust prevention was not exemplary. Well-preserved models with a corresponding history and a mileage of around 150,000 kilometers start for less than 10,000 euros. Unusual for a coupé of the luxury class at the time: the equipment is extremely thin compared to similar coupés from other European brands. The six-cylinder units are often combined with an automatic transmission and velor seats were probably particularly popular with customers. But fully equipped models with the coveted 3.0 e-engine, 180 hp and a good level of comfort equipment cost little more than 15,000 euros. And you have a real rarity from the late 1970s / early 1980s, which is a real driving pleasure with the manual five-speed manual transmission.
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
