The Vauxhall owners that chose the Carlton picked it over some heady competition, especially the more recent Monaro, which won the competition for the favorite Vauxhall of the last 5 years. But competing with the legendary Lotus Carlton is almost impossible.
With statistics like peak power output of 377hp (281kW)and 419lb-ft (568Nm) of torque, a 0-60mph (96km/h) time of 4.9 seconds and 0-100mph (160km/h) time of 11.5 seconds, all in a 3,600lb (1660kg) body, the Carlton would fit in well with the high-performance sedans of today - on paper, at least.
The limited run of 950 cars - 320 of which were branded as Carltons, and 630 as Omegas, as the car was known in Europe - was still 150 units short of the original 1,100 car production target, due in large part to the hefty £48,000 price tag - roughly $120,000 in today's dollars.
The Carlton may not be limited to a soft place in the hearts of a handful of fans, however, as Lotus is thought to be considering a comeback of the car. If it were to come back, it would likely be based on the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia, the successor to the Carlton in the company's range.
