Opel Diplomat, the GM cousin from overseas.

[Robroy]

I think I’ll be far out of line with this tread since it’s not about a Centurion and not even about a Buick. Yet it might be of interest for some to know about this German-American GM car that probably is unknown for most Americans.
I had a four door sedan of these in the early 80’s. It was my first car with a V8 and it was really fast. The body was all German, but engine, transmission and rear axle was American.
The engines were Chevy 283 in the sedans and 327 in the coupe. The rumour said that these were disassembled when they came to Europe and with all tolerances improved. They were all equipped with a four barrel Carter carb, a sharper camshaft and special pistons (forge) among other things. On the one I had they had also put on special heads (Mickey Mouse) and dual exhaust.

Transmissions were all Powerglide. My car had a TH350 from a 71 Camaro though which really did the car good. It switched from second to third gear at 160 km/h (100mp/h)
The car felt stable at top speed 200 km/h (130mp/h), this since it was designed for the German Autobahn. Not bad for a car from 1965.
The German GM division had their mind set to create a “Mercedes killer”, but the Diplomat never really made it.

http://www.autosavant.net/2007/04/opel-diplomat-54-coup.html

[centurion 455 ragtop]

Pretty cool information. Looks a little like a cross of a 67 Chevelle and a Ford Falcon. Not a bad looking car.

[The German]

Here you will find more pictures and more information about those cars :

http://www.diplomat-b.de/bilder.htm

http://www.diplomat-b.de/start.htm

... even with a price listing of 2005 !

In 1970 and later there was a special producer (Erich Bitter) who built sports cars on basis of the Diplomat :

http://www.madle.org/og06bitcd76.jpg
__________________
Rolf

[Boscoe]

Nice looking car. I wonder if it's related to any US models - the dash and instrument panel scream "mid-sixties American". Speaking of screaming, I wonder what one of these cars could have done with the 375 hp fuel injected Corvette engine under the hood. The linked article indicates that Opel had to use small-blocks built for endurance racing in order to cope with sustained high speeds on the autobahn, even though the engine seems to have been rated at only 230 horsepower. Is this a different rating system?

I'd like to get an in-person look at one of these one day. I wonder how many have been imported into the US? Since it's a 1965 model there'd be no smog or safety laws to conform to. Hmm.

[Robroy]

Hi Boscoe,
I appreciate your interest in this subject.

According to an article I read recently, the design on the Kapitän/Admiral/Diplomat clearly had influences from Oldsmobile F85, Pontiac Tempest and Buick Special. The remote LH mirror (only available on the Diplomat) actually came from a Buick Riviera.
You are right regarding the different rating system; the 230 HP in the 327 was measured in DIN according to the German standard and represents 270 HP/SAE.
A year after I had sold my Diplomat (with a 283), I bought an Impala also with a 283 and the character on the engines were indeed very different. The 283 in the Diplomat had a higher rpm range and was extremely responsive on the throttle. The big four barrel Carter carb, sharper camshaft, and the Mickey Mouse heads for sure had a lot to do with that.

Another interesting thing I read in the article was that all the 347 Coupés made in the A-serie (65-67) were handmade at the Karmann body shop company from four door sedan bodies!!:shocked: No matter that the coupé got expensive, these were factory custom cars.
Karmann also built one convertible for the big car show in Frankfurt 1965. That only example disappeared and was found many years later standing in a garage in very poor condition. It was then restored and brought to a GM museum.

I very much doubt any of these cars were exported to the US, but I can’t say for sure that they were not.

[Boscoe]

Hi Robroy,

For some reason, I've always found the European cars of the 50's, 60's and early 70's to be very interesting. And it's not just the expensive sports cars I like, but even the most mundane sedans.

I found a video of a Diplomat in action. It's supposed to be a 1969 model. The styling is a little more Mercedes-like than the 1965 Diplomat. I wonder if they still used the Chevrolet small-block V8 in 1969?

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/415785/opel_diplomat_v8_in_action/

[Robroy]

Cool video, I enjoyed it:D
As far as I know all Diplomats, second B generation included had the chevy small block, either 283 or 327.

Since you are in to European 70’s cars, here’s a few from the European Ford division. The one to the left is the "Capri" and the other two are "Granada's", one coupe and one four door.
I had two Ford Granada’s in the 80's. VERY comfortable cars but with rather poor quality:rooleyes2: .