For such an attractive, reasonably powerful sports coupe, competitive with a Ford Capri or Fiat 124 coupe, the Opel Manta receives a lot of scorn in its home country. The original car could be considered a Camaro equivalent for Europeans, and that could begin to shed some light on the scorn. If you ignore all the baggage Camaros carry, they’re actually a decent-looking, competent sports car, within the context of their time and what was going on at GM. And it’s the same for Mantas – while many were poorly customized in the 1970s and 1980s, they’re a neat little sports coupe whose design has held up very well over the decades. You can find this 1974 Opel Manta with bidding currently at $810, reserve unmet, and 15 hours left to go.
Posts Tagged ‘opel’
Yellow Fish – 1974 Opel Manta
October 22, 2013Coke Bottle – 1973 Opel 1900 GT
October 21, 2013Inspired by America, designed in Germany, and built in France, this is quite the international car. While they were offered with an 1100 engine in base specification, the Opel GT was most commonly sold with the larger 1900 engine, putting out a respectable 102hp to move roughly 2000 lb. of car. Given its parts commonality with contemporary Opels, and the existence of multiple part suppliers and documented fixes to weak points, this should be a fairly easy-to-own classic sports car. You can find this 1973 Opel 1900 GT in Hudson, WI for $3500.
Trunkless – 1970 Opel GT
May 24, 2013Ever 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.


