Opel Ascona (B) / Vauxhall Cavalier (Mark I) 1975-1981

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Opel Ascona B

The second generation Opel Ascona B was presented in the 1975 Frankfurt Motor Show. It replaced the Ascona A and was available as a two or four-door sedan. There were related two and three-door coupé models in the Opel Manta range. There was no estate body.

The Ascona B retained the same engine range as its predecessor, although the 1.9 L was increased to 2.0 L in 1978, and versions with higher compression ratio and needing 98 octane petrol, dubbed S, were available alongside the 90 octane models. The 2.0 E model had a Bosch L-Jetronic electronic fuel injection, and a 2.1 L diesel motor was added to the Ascona B range in 1978.

In the United Kingdom, the Vauxhall Cavalier badge was used on both saloon and coupé models, which came out of the same factory in Belgium—the first Vauxhall to be built abroad. The front ends were different, featuring Vauxhall's trademark "droop snoot", as designed by Wayne Cherry.

A version of the Mark 1 Vauxhall Cavalier was sold in South Africa as the Chevrolet Chevair. This was in addition to a Chevrolet Ascona, identical in most respects to the Opel.

Over 1.2 million Ascona B units were produced worldwide until 1981.

Engines

• 1.2 N – 1,196 cc, 55 PS (40 kW)
• 1.2 S – 1,196 cc, 60 PS (44 kW)
• 1.3 N – 1,297 cc, 60 PS (44 kW)
• 1.3 S – 1,297 cc, 75 PS (55 kW)
• 1.6 N – 1,584 cc, 60 PS (44 kW)
• 1.6 S – 1,584 cc, 75 PS (55 kW)
• 1.9 N – 1,897 cc, 75 PS (55 kW)
• 1.9 S – 1,897 cc, 90 PS (66 kW)
• 1.9 E – 1,897 cc, 105 PS (77 kW)
• 2.0 N – 1,979 cc, 90 PS (66 kW)
• 2.0 S – 1,979 cc, 100 PS (74 kW)
• 2.0 E – 1,979 cc, 110 PS (81 kW)
• 2.1 D – 2,068 cc, 58 PS (43 kW)
• 2.4 E – 2,420 cc, 144 PS (106 kW)