What appealed to the Opel driver? That was a reasonable purchase price, combined with a solid character. Opel is a brand with many followers and it remained a constant player on the Dutch market for many years. When we dive into his car history with Sape Kooistra, we don't end up with Opel, but with Ford. His father was a fan of the large class cars such as the Ford Granada equipped with all comforts and luxury. That childhood memory was the reason to also purchase a luxury middle-class car. That became an Opel senator 2,5 E in perfect condition.
By: Dirk de Jong
The Opel was offered from the first owner in the spring of 1987 - via the garage - with only 45.000 on the odometer. One of the top models from Opel at the time, with stiff competition from the models from Audi, BMW and Mercedes. The Opel Senator 2,5 E-Automatic was simply used for daily transport for his work at the insurance company Aegon, in which the mileage grew by 8 km within an eight-year period.
Low trade-in value
By the 90s, the value of large luxury sedans had spiraled downward. Sape received so little in return for the Senator that the decision was made to give him a rest for several years. To give a dignified old age in his parents' garage. With the 37-year-old Opel Senator 2,5 E-Automatic, the pleasure factor for Sape is now just as high. And the value? You can't find it on any price tag anymore. The car is in superb condition, 100 percent original. Apart from technical maintenance, nothing has been done to the car, the paint is just as shiny as the first day when it left the Opel factory.
Sape: “My Senator is luxurious, but without hairstyles. The six in-line engine is great for modern traffic. It goes without saying that the Opel Senator is no longer used every day, but only for relaxing rides in the area. To keep the car value, we have given it a Dinitrol tectyl service. And if there are any questions about whether the car is for sale, my answer is easy: We belong together. The Opel will stay with me until my last breath. ” We think it is commendable to see that Sape Kooistra makes an effort in this way to maintain and preserve the Opel Senator 2,5 E-Automatic.
Also read:
- Vauxhall Senator (1978-1987)
- Opel Rekord E2. Plush, no fuss with the better equipped Opel
- The Opel Diplomat. The Opel-o-saurus Rex
- Opel Manta A. Still very popular after 50 years
- Opel Ascona A. Successful asset in the seventies middle class
You hardly ever see Senator A. Just looked at Autoscout 24 but there are currently a handful for sale across the EU.
Grand Opels have always had a hard time. Unfairly. tough, sturdy cars, excellent driving behavior, beautifully finished and an Opel always brought you home.
Hopefully the Senator A will later become as much a beloved classic as the last Admiral and Diplomat he succeeded in 1978.