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                                                                     Exhibit 5.1


                 [MITCHELL, SILBERBERG & KNUPP LLP LETTERHEAD]


                                 March 19, 1998



WFS Financial Auto Loans, Inc.
23 Pasteur Road
Irvine, California 92618

Securities and Exchange Commission
450 5th Street, N.W.
Judiciary Plaza
Washington, D.C. 20549

               Re:    WFS Financial 1998-A Owner Trust
                      Registration Statement on Form S-1, File Number 333-45229

Ladies and Gentlemen:

               We are counsel for WFS Financial Auto Loans, Inc. (the "Company")
in connection with the proposed offering of $525,000,000 principal amount of
Auto Receivable Backed Securities consisting of four classes of Notes and one
class of Certificates (the Notes and Certificates together, the "Securities") as
identified in the above referenced Registration Statement to be issued by the
WFS Financial 1998-A Owner Trust (the "Trust") originated by the Company. The
Notes are obligations of the Trust secured by the assets of the Trust and the
Certificates represent undivided interests in the assets of the Trust. The Notes
are to be issued pursuant to an indenture between the Trust and Bankers Trust
Company as the Trustee (the "Indenture"). The Certificates are to be issued
pursuant to a trust agreement (the "Agreement") among the Company, WFS
Investments, Inc., Financial Security Assurance Inc. and Chase Manhattan Bank
Delaware, as Owner Trustee. The Securities are to be registered for sale
pursuant to the accompanying Form S-1 Registration Statement.

               In our capacity as counsel for the Company and for purposes of
this opinion, we have made those examinations and investigations of the legal
and factual matters we deemed advisable, and have examined the originals, or
copies identified to our satisfaction as being true copies of the originals, of
the certificates, documents, corporate records, and other instruments which we,
in our judgment, have considered necessary or appropriate to enable us to render
the opinion expressed below. We have relied, without independent investigation
or confirmation, upon certificates provided by public


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WFS Financial Auto Loans, Inc.
Securities and Exchange Commission
March 19, 1998
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officials and officers of the Company as to certain factual matters. In the
course of our examinations and investigations, we have assumed the genuineness
of all signatures on original documents, and the due execution and delivery of
all documents requiring due execution and delivery for the effectiveness
thereof.

               Based upon and subject to the foregoing and in reliance thereon,
and subject to the assumptions, exceptions and qualifications set forth herein,
it is our opinion that:

               The Notes, when executed and authenticated as specified in the
Indenture and delivered to and paid for by Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
Securities Corporation and BancAmerica Robertson Stephens (the "Underwriters")
pursuant to the underwriting agreement among the Underwriters, the Company and
WFS Financial Inc (the "Underwriting Agreement"), will constitute legal, valid
and binding obligations of the Trust, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture,
and enforceable in accordance with their terms, except as enforceability thereof
may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other laws,
provisions or principles now or hereafter in effect affecting the enforcement of
creditors' rights generally and except that no opinion is expressed as to the
availability of remedies of specific performance, injunction or other forms of
equitable relief, all of which may be subject to certain tests of equity
jurisdiction, equitable defenses and the discretion of the court before which
any such proceeding may be brought.

               The Certificates have been duly authorized, and when executed and
authenticated as specified in the Agreement and delivered to and paid for by the
Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will be legally issued,
fully paid and non-assessable, and will be binding obligations of the Trust and
entitled to the benefits of the Agreement.

               We consent to the filing of this opinion with, and to the
reference to our firm under the caption "Legal Matters" in the Registration
Statement. In giving our consent, we do not hereby admit that we come within the
category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations thereunder. This opinion
is given as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to advise you of
changes that may hereafter be brought to our attention.


                                            Very truly yours,

                                            /S/ MITCHELL, SILBERBERG & KNUPP LLP

                                            MITCHELL, SILBERBERG & KNUPP LLP