Opel KAD B

The Kapitän, Admiral and Diplomat of the B series, also called the Opel KAD B, were built from March 1969 to July 1977. Some authors count them as the last upper-class models of Opel, which then belonged to General Motors, although Adam Opel itself sees it differently. All were four-door notchback saloons with inline six-cylinder or V8 petrol engines of 95 to 169 kilowatts. Like the KAD A they shared one body shape, a few centimetres shorter and narrower than before and smoother in style, though American influence stayed visible. The plain Kapitän was dropped in May 1970, ending a name used since 1938, the Admiral was the middle version and was renamed Diplomat in April 1976, and the Diplomat could be had with a Chevrolet V8. All models received a costly De Dion rear axle, front disc brakes, a safety steering column and a dual-circuit brake system, and important body parts were galvanised for better corrosion protection.