How to forget her? She wandered free and happy through the streets of half of Europe half a century ago, and it can rightly be said that she marked an era and a generation. The last version of the Opel Kadett was presented 40 years ago, precisely in August 1984, and was more reminiscent of the previous model than the new wedge-shaped, vaguely teardrop-shaped bodywork would suggest. The Kadett-E had rounded edges, integrated bumpers but placed emphasis on the absence of gutters.
To better compete with its direct competitors, in addition to preparing a new high-performance GSi version that reached 203 km/h, Opel wanted to increase the advantage that the Kadett already had in terms of habitability without substantially changing the external dimensions. Exactly as long as its predecessor, the new Opel Kadett-E was just 2 centimeters wider. Nonetheless, it could count on a trunk with a capacity of 390 liters which even reached one cubic meter when the rear seat was folded down.
To define the best aerodynamic shape, Opel engineers spent 1,200 hours in wind tunnels, but the final result was worthy of their efforts: the Opel Kadett-E had a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.32 which would then be even dropped to 0.30 in the sporty GSi version. The result obtained with the station wagon was also more than satisfactory (0.35).
Nine versions
Initially the new Opel Kadett-E was produced with only two body types: hatchback sedan and station wagon. Nonetheless, by combining three different engines (1,200 with 55 HP, 1,300 with 75 HP and 1,600 Diesel with 55 HP) and as many configurations, it was immediately possible to offer the Italian public 9 different versions (4 sedans and 5 station wagons), as well as a commercial derivative with prices starting from 11,582,000 lire.
The engines did not differ substantially from those adopted on the previous Opel Kadett-D. It was in fact the most recent generation of Opel single camshafts with cast iron block and light alloy head and crankshaft on 5 supports. For the Italian market, the most powerful versions were chosen, to which the sporty GSi was added shortly thereafter with the 1,800 type 18 SE with injection producing 115 HP (85 kW).
The mechanical setup was that of the previous series (transverse engine, front-wheel drive) combined with a 5-speed gearbox. The front suspensions were still of the McPherson type, but with the variant of the lower triangle in pressed sheet metal, a solution that also made it possible to avoid having to fit an anti-roll bar. The rear ones had longitudinal arms molded and interconnected by a beam, which also acted as a stabilizing element, conical springs and non-coaxial shock absorbers. The braking system was mixed (front discs, rear drums), split and power-assisted on all versions. The adoption of larger silent blocks promoted light driving and comfort. The Opel Kadett-E Station Wagon deserves a separate discussion, destined soon to become the most requested version of the entire Opel range in Italy; thanks to front and rear stabilizers they allowed it to transport loads of up to 595 kg.
When the last Opel Kadett-E left the Bochum factories on 20 July 1991, 3,878,000 units and 603,000 Vauxhall Astra had been produced. In Italy, a total of 283,185 Opel Kadett-Es were sold.
Yet the story of the Opel Kadett was not over yet. In fact, for over a year, in parallel with the production of the new Opel/Vauxhall Astra, the construction of the Kadett-E Cabrio continued and was subject to further updates in 1992.
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