To mark the 75th anniversary of Adam Opel AG on February 17, 1937, the company presented two visionary newcomers: the Admiral and the Super 6. Both cars were equipped with modern engine technology for their time: an inline 6-cylinder with displacements of 3.6 and 2.5 litres, and 75bhp and 55bhp respectively. The Admiral was the first member in a line of luxurious models that continued for 40 years. The Super 6 paved the way for the popular 1938 Kapitan.
Ten years later, the first post-WWII Kapitan left the Opel plant and the economic miracle saw it rise meteorically. The Kapitan was one of the best-selling 6-cylinder cars in Germany and became an international best-seller, with 60 percent of all Kapitans being exported.
The Kapitän built on November 9, 1956 plays a special part in the success story. As the two millionth Opel ever built, its roof was painted in gold and it also sports 24-carat gold-plated decorative elements. Opel was the first German and European carmaker to surpass the two-million production mark.
The Opel upper class was completely overhauled in 1964. The “Big Three” were called Kapitan, Admiral and Diplomat, and for the first time in its history, Opel offered V8 engines.
The ranking order in the premium class was determined by equipment and engine size. The Kapitan and Admiral initially came with Opel’s proven 100bhp 2.6-litre 6-cylinder, whereas the Diplomat’s engine was sourced from the United States. The flagship of the KAD series featured a 4.6-litre V8 with 190bhp. As of the spring of 1965, both the Kapitän and the Admiral could optionally be ordered with the 4.6-litre V8 engine and automatic transmission used in the Diplomat.
To this very day, the V8-powered Kapitän and Admiral are Opel models with a special status, because only 113 units of the Kapitan and 622 units of the Admiral were built.
The members of the second KAD range were completely overhauled from 1969 and grew in all areas. The Kapitan once again represented the entry-level KAD model, with its 2.8-litre inline-6 delivering 132bhp. Above it sat the comfortable Admiral, which delivered 145bhp as the 2800 S and 165bhp as the 2800 E. The top-of-the-line engine was the 5.4-litre V8 with 230bhp that came as standard in the Diplomat.
Forty years after the Admiral made its debut, the company brought another new big Opel to market – from 1977, the Senator was the spearhead of the model portfolio. The Senator and its coupé sibling, the Monza, were the first Opel cars with independent rear suspension and space-saving mini-block coil springs.
Another four decades down the line, 80 years after the Admiral, the time has come for another Opel flagship, the new 2017 Insignia Grand Sport, which is also available as a premium station wagon. 
The 2017 Opel Calendar features stunning Opel models from yesterday, today and tomorrow.
