The Vauxhall Carlton is a series of large family car/executive car sold in two distinct generations by the Vauxhall division of GM Europe between 1978 and 1994. The Carlton was based on the Opel Rekord E (Mk.1) and Omega A (Mk.2). With the exception of the pre-facelift Mk.1 cars, most Carltons were manufactured by Opel in Rüsselsheim, and differed only from their Opel Rekord/Omega sisters in badging and trim. It was replaced by the Omega B in 1994, mirroring the standardisation of model names across both GM Europe brands. Mark I (1978–1986) Main Article: Opel Rekord E The first Vauxhall Carlton was introduced in September 1978 as a replacement for the ageing VX1800/VX2300 saloons, built in Luton from components made at the Opel plant at Rüsselsheim. Whilst its predecessor was loosely based on the Opel Rekord D, the relationship between the Carlton and the corresponding Opel Rekord E was much more obvious - being essentially the same car, retaining Opel-sourced powertrains, but with Vauxhall's typical "droop snoot" front end (which had debuted three years earlier with the Chevette and Cavalier) that featured no traditional grille, and a slightly different rear end with the number plate moved down to the rear bumper. The other difference was the dashboard, which featured the hooded instrument binnacle going across the whole width of the car with wooden embellishment, compared to the plainer dash of the Rekord. It was a traditional large saloon or estate with rear-wheel drive and a spacious, comfortable interior and was available in "L" trim only. Power came from a 2.0–litre carburettor Opel CIH engine which gave reasonable performance, refinement and economy. There were some impressive options available, including central door locking, alloy wheels and electric windows, which gave it an advantage over most of its similarly-priced competitors. It was designed to compete directly with the Ford Granada, which was consistently the most popular car of that size in Britain during the 1970s. It also competed with British Leyland's Princess and Rover SD1 model ranges, as well as foreign competitors including the Citroën CX and Renault 20/30. It was launched shortly before the Peugeot 505. Relationship with other models Lengthened, more powerful models, based on the Carlton and Rekord, were also available. Positioned directly above them was the Vauxhall Viceroy which was a Carlton with the larger 2.5 L or 3.0 L six-cylinder Opel cam-in-head engine (CIH) (the corresponding Opel was