Opel Admiral

The Opel Admiral was a luxury class car made by Adam Opel AG , the first version of which was only built from 1937 to 1939. According to the concept at the time, the “Admiral” was to be significantly higher than the Opel Super 6 with its 2.5-liter six-cylinder in - line engine , which was presented at the same time, and was therefore given a six-cylinder engine with a displacement of 3.6 liters, in addition to high-quality equipment .

From spring 1964 an “Admiral” was offered again in the Opel KAD-A series . The model was discontinued in the KAD-B range in mid-1976 .

Admiral (1937-1939)

Opel
Opel Admiral
admiral
Production period:	1937-1939
Class :	Upper class
Body versions :	Limousine , cabriolet
Engines:	Otto engine : 3.6 liters (55 kW)
Length:	5270 mm
Width:	1800 mm
Height:	1630 mm
Wheelbase :	3155 mm
Empty weight :	1605 kg

Opel Admiral Cabriolet (four-door)

Opel Admiral Cabriolet (two-door)

As a new Opel top model, the Admiral was presented together with the smaller Super 6 in February 1937 at the 27th  International Automobile and Motorcycle Exhibition (IAMA) in Berlin .

Positioned above the "Super 6" (55 PS), the Admiral, with its 75 PS engine and many special accessories for its time, for a comparatively inexpensive 6500  Reichsmarks (adjusted for inflation in today's currency, corresponds to 28,200 euros) was a respectable alternative to Maybach , Mercedes Benz or Horch .

The car was available from the factory as a closed, four-door limousine , a Pullman limousine and also as a four-door convertible . In contrast to the captain with a self-supporting body , the Admiral, with its separation of chassis and body, was suitable for custom-made special bodies such as two-seater convertibles, which were manufactured by the Hebmüller and Glasses bodyworks, among others . In the only unhindered year of production in the luxury class of automobiles, the Opel top model temporarily achieved a market share of 25 percent.

The Admiral was regarded as a representative, comfortable and fast touring car that was designed for use on the new Reichsautobahn : with a consumption of approx. 18 l / 100 km, almost 400 km could be driven.

Production ended as early as October 1939, as the engines were needed for the three-tonne Opel Blitz 3,6 truck due to the war . Numerous Opel “Admirals” were requisitioned by the Wehrmacht shortly before the start of the war in order to be used as staff cars for generals and high-ranking officers. Some vehicles were also converted into makeshift medical vehicles and were given a closed box body from the B-pillar .

After the end of the war there were only a few cars left in running order. But there were also vehicles that were as good as new, which the owners were able to keep in hiding during the war. Rather occasionally, an "Admiral" was equipped with a wood gas system. The boiler was installed vertically in the rear. The US occupation forces also used some captured specimens.

From now on, the top model at Opel was the Kapitän , whose production was resumed in almost unchanged form in 1948. The Rüsselsheim production of 3.6-liter engines could not be used for a new edition of the "Admiral" after the war, as the production of engines with more than 1.5 liters of displacement was banned by the occupying powers for a few years. It wasn't until 1964 that Opel launched a completely new “Admiral” - 25 years after the first model with this name was discontinued.

A total of only 6404 vehicles of the "pre-war" admiral were built. As a result of this small number and since almost all vehicles were used in the war and were destroyed in the process, this type is now a very rare classic car .

Technical specifications

Opel Admiral
Engine:	Six-cylinder in - line engine , four-bearing crankshaft
Displacement :	3626 cc
Bore × stroke:	90 × 95 mm
Power:	75 hp (55 kW) at 3200 rpm
Valve control :	( OHV ) overhead valves, bumpers , rocker arms , side camshaft with spur gear drive
Cooling system:	Liquid cooling with pump and fan
Front suspension:	Independent suspension with Opel synchronized suspension : drawn, single longitudinal swing arm with a horizontal spring / damper arrangement ( Dubonnet suspension )
Rear suspension:	Rigid axle with leaf springs and stabilizer
Chassis / structure:	Box frame with X-Traverse construction in mixed construction (steel and wood) as a four-door sedan and convertible, tank capacity 70 liters
Wheel size:	6.50–16 ″
Dimensions L × W × H:	5270 × 1800 × 1630 mm
Empty weight (without driver):	approx. 1605 kg
Top speed:	132 km / h
Price:	6500 RM (sedan); 7000 RM (Cabriolet)

Admiral A (1964–1968)

Opel Admiral A.

→ Main article Opel KAD A

It was not until April 1964, after the Kapitän had been the Opel top model for a good 15 years, that the Opel Admiral A was again offered a model of this name. It had the same straight body as the Opel Kapitän A and the also newly released top model Opel Diplomat A with V8 engine .

Production of this series ended in November 1968.

Admiral B (1969–1976)

Opel Admiral B.

→ Main article Opel Kapitän / Admiral / Diplomat B

In March 1969, the B version of the car came out, which had been significantly improved stylistically and technically. The revised model with its equally elegant body had an enlarged interior and also more power, with the Admiral 2800 E also being available for the first time with an electronic intake manifold injection of the Bosch D-Jetronic type .

In July 1976 the production of the Admiral was stopped. The use of a model name with an almost 40-year tradition also came to an end.

Individual evidence

1. Jump up to the luxury class - 75 years of the Opel Super 6 and Admiral on media.gm.com, accessed on September 26, 2014
2. ↑ This figure was based on the template: Inflation determined, rounded to a full 100 euros and relates to last January.
3. ↑ Imbert GmbH in Cologne was considered the market leader in wood gasification systems

Web links

Commons : Opel Admiral  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Interest group captain - admiral - diplomat Sauerland
• Opel Admiral 1937 to 1939