Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve been fascinated with Opels. Maybe it’s because they’re orphans here, maybe it’s because of the curvy lines of the GT and Manta, or maybe it’s because one of my first car rides in Germany was in the back seat of my grandfather’s Opel (probably a Commodore Coupe, although it’s hard for me to say since I was only 5!). Either way, while they’re mainstream cars in Europe, here they are cult favorites, of which the most popular model is the GT. Today’s feature is not so rusty, and probably not so trusty either, but the fun is in getting there, no? It’s a 1970 model here in South Charlotte, NC for $2500.
It’s amazing how much these cars have gained in value – even rough projects seem to be listed for prices comparable to more popular cars such as Alfas and BMWs. A truly nice GT can even move into the 5-figure price range. Although the US version of these cars with the 1.9-liter engine only developed 83hp, if you bump up the compression to European specs, you should see 102 hp, which is competitive with its more exotic contemporaries. Ironically for a car named GT, there is no trunk lid, so you have to drag your luggage into the the car through the doors and past the front seats.
This car appears to be in remarkably good shape – nearly no visible rust in the light blue paint, and the interior seems a vacuuming and seat-scrubbing away from being usable. Looks like the bumpers and body are all straight too. Those bias-ply tires and Pontiac pseudo-spoke hubcaps have got to go – how would this look on a set of Cosmics or some period Italian alloys? Widened phone-dial steelies would also look good on this.
The rear view is quite attractive too – quad tail lights and twin exhausts make it look far more exotic than it is. What would your average person-on-the-street guess this car is? Apparently, it’s got less than 73,000 miles and is in good running condition, so what could possibly go wrong? If you have an Opel GT, tell me what it’s like – I’d love to know how this compares to my Alfetta or a 2002.
Rusty But Trusty 
May 25, 2013 at 3:59 am |
I always loved the GT too. I remember seeing them as a boy and thinking the looked like a mini Corvette.And I’m not that far from Charlotte, but I have enough projects sitting around already.