▁Ireland ▁and ▁main land ▁Europe ) ▁entered ▁its ▁third ▁generation ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁with ▁an ▁all - new ▁sle ek ▁design ▁that ▁further ▁en hanced ▁its ▁popular ity . ▁The ▁Cal ib ra ▁coup é ▁followed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁which ▁was ▁officially ▁the ▁most ▁aer od ynamic ▁production ▁car ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁on ▁its ▁launch . ▁Fall ing ▁between ▁the ▁Caval ier ▁and ▁Senator ▁was ▁the ▁Op el - built ▁Carl ton ▁( Op el ▁Re kord ▁and ▁later ▁Op el ▁Om ega ▁elsewhere ) ▁– ▁rela unch ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁and ▁was ▁voted ▁European ▁Car ▁of ▁the ▁Year , ▁a ▁large ▁four - door ▁family ▁sal oon . ▁The ▁two ▁sports ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁Carl ton ▁were ▁the ▁ 3 0 0 0   GS i ▁and ▁the ▁Lot us ▁Carl ton , ▁the ▁latter ▁being ▁aim ed ▁at ▁family - mind ed ▁execut ives , ▁and ▁at ▁, ▁considered ▁the ▁fast est ▁four - door ▁production ▁car ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁Most ▁important ly , ▁the ▁latest ▁generation ▁of ▁V aux hall ▁models ▁disp elled ▁the ▁image ▁of ▁rust ing ▁cars ▁that ▁had ▁for ▁so ▁long ▁put ▁potential ▁buy ers ▁off ▁the ▁V aux hall ▁brand , ▁and ▁given ▁it ▁a ▁strong ▁compet itor ▁in ▁all ▁the ▁major ▁market ▁se ctors , ▁whereas ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁only ▁the ▁V iva ▁was ▁a ▁serious ▁threat ▁to ▁any ▁of ▁its ▁key