ollowing up on the success of the Rekord P2 Opel announced the release of the Series A in the Spring of 1963.

Members of the motoring media of the time were surprised that Opel pulled the plug so prematurely on the P2, which had been in production for less than three years and had sold close to one million models during that time.

On first appearance, the Series A was a much better-looking vehicle than the P2, certainly more modern in appearance and more significant, very similar to GM’s European sister company Vauxhall of the UK.

According to Opel press releases, the Series A Rekord was designed and developed at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan.

The Series A's design was primarily inspired by a Chevrolet model, produced by parent company GM, that was selling particularly well in the US and the UK.

Once again Opel continued to offer the Series A in the standard range of body choices, including a three-door panel van.

With the Rekord Series A, Opel continued to offer a wide choice of engines, with the alternatives of 1500cc and 1700cc version once again being the most popular.

Despite the wide array of options available, in truth, Opel made much of a move forward in technological innovation, meaning that some of the engines available to be fitted in the Series A dated back to the mid to late Thirties.

That meant that the Rekord A remained faithful to the trusted layout used in previous models, from which the 1488cc and 1680cc four-cylinder overhead valve engines were taken, albeit now with an enlarged carburettor capable of generating 55 bhp and upwards.

In the spring of 1964 Opel announced their first major technical breakthrough in more than a quarter of a century, with the launch of a 2,605cc unit, six-cylinder engine.

The engine was available fitted as an option as well as being standard in the newly introduced Series A Opel Admirals and Kapitäns.

This new engine allowed Opel to celebrate a maximum power output of 100 bhp for the Opel Rekord A and an advertised top speed between 163 and 168 km/h (101 - 104 mph).

Owners soon discovered that this new power boost came with a price.

Fuel consumption for the 2,605 cc Opel Rekord Series was disproportionately high, making this particular version of the Opel Rekord Series a luxury that very few people could afford.