Opel Ascona Turns 55: A Name That Stuck and a Shape for Every Taste

Opel’s fondness for Latin-sounding model names ending in “-a” was no casual stylistic flourish. It began in 1970 with the launch of the Ascona and the Manta. Before that, Opel’s line-up bore names reminiscent of German military or official ranks — Kapitän, Kadett, Diplomat — but the Ascona set a new course, one that continues today with the Corsa, Astra and Zafira.

The Ascona was created to bridge the gap between the Kadett and the Rekord. Designed by Chuck Jordan, its body combined short overhangs, a sporty stance and the clear functionality of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It stood out yet remained practical. It shared its underpinnings with the Manta coupé, which meant good handling and reasonable weight.

Its front design — a broad black grille with a chrome “blitz” emblem at the center and twin headlights on each side — foreshadowed with surprising accuracy the look of today’s Opel Vizor, though back then there were no LED matrix lamps or radar sensors, just simple lights.

The Ascona’s strength lay in choice. Buyers could opt for two- or four-door sedans, sporty trims, and the two-door Voyage estate aimed at young families and cycling enthusiasts — a concept that anticipated today’s “active lifestyle” crossovers by decades. Later, a more affordable Caravan joined the range.

The Ascona was also no stranger to the rally stage. Walter Röhrl claimed the 1974 European Rally Championship in one, winning six of eight events, and delivered Opel’s first-ever World Rally Championship round victory at the 1975 Acropolis Rally in Greece. Its crowning moment came in 1982, when the same duo became world rally champions.

Fifty-five years on, the Ascona is prized by collectors on both sides of the Atlantic. In the United States, it was sold as the Opel 1900, and it remains proof that a mid-position family car can be practical, stylish and sporty all at once.