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Gerd, That 57 Opel Rekord Caravan brings back memories. There was a girl in school -- early 60s -- who drove a green Opel wagon very similar to that Rekord Caravan. I can't remember enough about the car or even what it was called over here to know how much difference there might be between the one you show and the version imported but it was a nice little car and surprisingly roomy and peppy. Other than VW bugs of which we had a few, you didn't see that many imported cars back then in the part of New Mexico where I grew up. I think the VWs, the Opel, one Renault Dauphine and a British sports car was the extent of the "foreign invasion" in our little town. The Metropolitan was well represented but that was more American than British. Thanks for the memory jog.

Howard, yes, I -> remember that you mentioned that girl car.

Today a small truck, which one wouldn't expect in the Northern part of Germany. I walked around this old and exhausted workhorse and understood, that this Studebaker is a dump truck.

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Some of those Opel Admirals were delivered with Chevrolet V8 and Powerglide transmissions. Wonder how they stacked up against the competition from Mercedes and BMW?

Badly - because og the non-prestigious name!
My best car ever (sorry Packard!) was an 1983 Opel Senator 3E sedan automatic, and that car was far better than most BMWs and MBs at that time - I know I tried them! But sales were relatively few - main reason; lack of prestige.

Tom

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Rusty, to answer your question, we have to undertake a small excurse. There were two large executive car series:
- one body, three versions (Kapit?n, Admiral and Diplomat) of the so-called series A and
- one body, three versions (Kapit?n, Admiral and Diplomat) of the so-called series B

Opel series A (1964 - 1968)
The V8 (small block, 283 CID, 190 hp) was optionally installed in every of the three types (Kapit?n/Diplomat/Admiral).

-> Wikipedia: "...Besides being available in the Chevrolet line, it was optional in Checker Taxis beginning in 1965 ... A version of it that was built by GM Canada was also available in Studebakers produced in Canada for 1965 & 1966..."

To say it by figures, the total sale of the A series was 88,973 cars with 9,254 V8 of it.
Additional were sold 330 cars driven by a Chevrolet 327 CIC V8. Their price was even higher than this for the iconic Mercedes 280 SL and Porsche 911.
Mercedes started at the same year (1964) to offer a V8 but that engine was reserved for the W100, a car which wasn't a competitor, since it cost more than twice as much as the most expensive Opel. At that time Opel was strong and German people called it "our" Opel. The jump into the higher class wasn't finished but the first step looked promising. Mercedes had a footprint in the upper class for decades.

Opel Series B (1969 - 1977)
The body of this series didn't comply to the public taste. People considered the cars as US cars. The cheapest named "Kapit?n" completely fell through and disappeared after two years. The "Admiral", located in the middle of the series has been offered without V8. Seen from the technical point of view it was a good car but in a comparable position then Volkswagen today. The Opel badge on the hood may not said 'premium' to many auto shoppers but they were impressed at how the Opel drove. Only the highest line, the "Diplomat" got the V8. The sales success of that engine was rather modest and one of those, which takes place in the newspapers but not in the reality.
And Mercedes came. While Opel run out of steam the following Mercedes got a V8:

W111 - 1969
W108 - 1970
W109 - 1970
W107 - 1971
W116 - 1972 (better known as S-Class).

In 1973 the oil price crises made that sales figures of Opel's last large executive car hit rock bottom (- 90%).


image sources:

#1 - auto-motor-und-sport.de
#2 - reddit.com

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US cars of the 1970s maked all the difference in Germany: a few years back they were admired, large, often black and voluminous. But thereafter they went through the floor. The 1974 Imperial LeBaron had a great name and that was about this.

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This Hudson Commodore is driven by a rare eight-cylinder engine. The 1953 car seems to be one of the very last. According to the information, shown in the third pic it was owned by -> General Clay, who orchestrated the -> Berlin Airlift, when Stalin blockaded West Berlin 1948 - 1949.

<iframe width="500" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rPty2ScofmY?rel=0&controls=0&showinfo=0" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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One of those French cars, which is packed with unconventional features. Be it the gearbox in front of the engine to move the heavy drivetrain more close to the center of the car, be it different wheelbases at each car side to provide space for the torsion bar suspension, shock absorbers of huge length, which end at the top of the backrest of the rear seats, a backseat that could be mounted under the roof to enlarge the stowage, - many canny solutions made the Renault 16 to a popular car and a top seller with 1,850,000 units sold.





image source: auto-motor-und-sport.de

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To sell that many cars, Renault must have had their act together and the bugs worked out or else European drivers expect less or take care of their cars better.

I seem to recall the Renault Dauphine (as it was called over here) to be one of the less reliable imports of the late 50s. When they attempted a sort of revival in the US market with their tie up with AMC in the 80's they sold a model called the Alliance. I think while the reliability may have been better possibly the stigma still persisted. I don't believe many of that model was sold and now that I think about it I believe there was still a reliability problem with some part of the car.

I think we only got a few of the 16s here. I do remember seeing 10s fairly often. They did quite well here for a few years with the R5 "Le Car"; my mother had a new one in 78 as she always preferred small cars. That was very comfortable and economical but incredibly difficult to start when cold. That car was sprung with torsion bars at all 4 wheels.

I am wondering if there are any cars at all still using torsion bars? The biggest advantage of them was that by varying the length and diameter one could achieve any desired spring rate. The nature and mounting of coil and leaf springs often forces compromises.