Opel Ascona B                                          

The Opel Ascona B did for a while co-exist with the Opel Kadet at a time when DOT was trying all sorts of to extend the competitiveness of the smaller car.  The car had a 4-cylinder, in-line engine mounted longitudinally in front with a twin webber 48mm carburettor producing 185bhp. The main main of Opel in 1979 was to under the management of Tony Fall win the European Rally Championship. With Jochi Kleint and the Ascona B.

The results were often above expectation if not outstanding considering that they were beaten into second place often by a Ford Escort RS factory car driven by Ari Vatanen or or a Fiat 131 Abarth factory car driven by Walter Wohr.  The main thing learnt in 1979 was a lot about the Ascona B shell and what would and would not be needed for the Ascona 400 that was to replace it.  While this program was going on there was also a prototype Manta fitted with the 16-valve from the kadett that competed on at least one British Rally.  The car did indeed win the 1979 European Rally Championship and provided Opel with a lot of experience on various events including far away events in Spain and Cyprus.  At the end of 1979 the Opel Ascona 400 beckoned.