The Senator has had 3 incarnations: The Opel Senator/Royale, the Senator 'A' (1978-87) and the Senator 'B'. The development of this model was accompanied by the Carlton - the later model Carlton and Senators were very similar.
These cars were marketed as entry-level to medium luxury cars. The engines were 2.5/2.6 or 3.0 12v, or 3.0 24v. There was also a 'high trim' CD version for all engines (at some stage) which included things like leather seats, heated seats and optional Air Con.
All models were 4-gear automatic as standard, with a 5-gear manual box being available on request. The police took delivery of many Senator models both as patrol cars and as plain-clothed/ operational cars. Several ex-police cars are still to be seen - mainly white ones and a reduced spec (i.e. no electric windows). Most 'M' reg Senators are ex-police.
The "fully loaded" 24v CD model has:
- Air Conditioning
- 3 Mode Suspension
- Cruise Control
- Heated Seats
- 10 CD Autochanger
- Leather Seats
- Trip Computer
- Limited Slip Differential
- and other toys.
The Senny (and Carlton) were phased out to make way for the Omega which turned out to be one of the most unreliable cars ever built (apart from the MV6). The Omega was finally been laid to rest in 2004.
Senator 'B' Model History
| 1987 | 2.5, 3.0 and 3.0 CD |
|---|---|
| 1989 | 3.0 24v added |
| 1991 | 2.5 removed, replaced by 2.6 |
| 1992 | 3.0 12v removed |
| 1993 | 2.6 & 3.0 12v CD removed |
| 1994 | 3.0 24v only left |
| 2004 | Omega replaced by Signum |
