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Bitter CD - Hybrid of a different kind

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Created on January 21, 2021

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

38

Bruno von Rotz

10

Archiv

40

Daniel Reinhard

38

Bruno von Rotz

10

Archiv

40

Bitter CD (1978) - twin headlights hidden under the flaps

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Bitter CD (1978) - elegant design

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Bitter CD (1978) - almost 4.9 meters long

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Bitter CD (1978) - Maserati elegance with Opel technology

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Bitter CD (1978) - large glass surfaces and a low waistline characterize the coupé

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Bitter CD (1978) - the wheels are not from the series

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Bitter CD (1978) - the extended headlights may have nibbled off some of the 205 km/h top speed

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Bitter CD (1978) - lots of light

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Bitter CD (1978) - Folding headlights allowed a flat front design

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Bitter CD (1978) - Coupé elegance without frills

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Bitter CD (1978) - at 184.5 cm quite wide at the time

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Bitter CD (1978) - the large rear window characterizes the design, but was expensive to produce

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Bitter CD (1978) - accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in around 10 seconds

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Bitter CD (1978) - rides effortlessly and comfortably

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Bitter CD (1978) - on the road at night

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Bitter CD (1978) - indicated wedge shape

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Bitter CD (1978) - lots of leather (at extra cost) and wood in the interior

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Bitter CD (1978) - pleasant driver's workplace

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Bitter CD (1978) - "CD" in the center of the steering wheel

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Bitter CD (1978) - individually designed instruments

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Bitter CD (1978) - wide center console

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Bitter CD (1978) - Bitter-Logoa on the carpets

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Bitter CD (1978) - crammed engine compartment

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Bitter CD (1978) - longitudinally mounted V8 engine

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Bitter CD (1978) - well-utilized space under the hood

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Bitter CD (1978) - the Rochester four-barrel carburetor is concealed under the large air filter

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Bitter CD (1978) - Nameplate

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Bitter CD (1978) - Folding headlights were popular in those years

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Bitter CD (1978) - Bitter sign

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Bitter CD (1978) - Bitter sign on the bow

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Bitter CD (1978) - interior adjustable rear-view mirror

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Bitter CD (1978) - massive rear-view mirror

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Bitter CD (1978) - sunken door opener

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Bitter CD (1978) - external hinges for the tailgate

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Bitter CD (1978) - Baur, the manufacturer of the bodywork

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Bitter CD (1978) - Rear lights

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Bitter CD (1978) - Bitter lettering and fuel filler flap

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Bitter CD (1978) - did not require up to 80 liters of premium gasoline

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Opel CD (1969) - Coupé based on the Diplomat as the star of the IAA - International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt 1969

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Opel CD (1969) - elegant design with retractable dome

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Opel CD (1969) - Experimental car, side view, left

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Opel CD (1969) - flat and long

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Opel CD (1969) - Opel chief designer Charles M. "Chuck" Jordan presents the concept car

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Opel CD (1969) - Interior

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Opel CD (1969) - Steering wheel and dashboard - International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt 1969

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Opel CD (1969) - transparent concept car at the 1970 Geneva Motor Show

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Opel CD (1969) - transparent model shows the construction method

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Opel Diplomat CD Coupé (1970) - the ideas later gave rise to the Bitter, Pietro Frua did a great job here - Geneva Motor Show 1970

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Opel Diplomat-Coupé-Frua (1971) - side view of the first prototype - the similarity to the Bitter CD is obvious

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Opel Diplomat CD Coupé Frua (1970) - rear view of the prototype, which anticipated essential elements of the Bitter CD

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Bitter Diplomat CD (1973) - The new coupé based on the Opel was to cost DM 50,000 - International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt 1973

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Bitter CD (1975) - Elegance and practicality were the goals in the development

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Bitter CD (1975) - the big V8 engine from the Opel Diplomat

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Bitter CD (1975) - the luggage compartment can be protected from prying eyes with a roller blind

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Bitter CD (1975) - Front view of the elegant Bitter

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Bitter CD (1975) - Folding headlights in line with the fashion trend of the time

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Bitter CD (1975) - Erich Bitter with his sports car

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Bitter CD (1975) - Interior of the comfortable coupé

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Bitter CD (1975) - good access to the rear seats

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Bitter CD (1975) - rear view of the Bitter - the nameplate "Bitter 5.4" was only attached as an experiment

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Bitter Diplomat CD (1978) - for Opel connoisseurs, the controls in the interior looked familiar

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Bitter CD - new 2+2-seater luxury coupé, with 5.4-liter Chevrolet engine, costing 66,500 francs - at the 1974 Geneva Motor Show

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Bitter Diplomat CD (1976) - promotional material from 1976 shows the car from the side

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Bitter CD (1978) - charmingly chauffeured

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Bitter Diplomat CD (1976) - beautiful silhouette

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Bitter Diplomat CD (1975) - the Bitter-B on the hood

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Bitter Diplomat CD (1978) - Promotional material - Silhouette

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Bitter Diplomat CD (1978)

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Bitter Diplomat CD (1978) - front view with folding headlights

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Bitter Diplomat CD (1978) - also a pleasing sight from behind

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Bitter Diplomat CD (1978) - a vehicle of great elegance

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Bitter Diplomat CD (1978) - the trunk was accessible through the hinged rear window

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Bitter CD (1977) - shown on the Bitter stand, with De Sede leather interior (Techno Classica 2017)

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Bitter CD (1977) - technically based on the Opel Diplomat, costing 69,800 francs - Geneva Motor Show 1977

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Bitter CD (1978) - unmodified, beautifully designed coupé with Opel-Diplomat technology - Geneva Motor Show 1978

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Opel CD (1969) - once as a technical wireframe model and once as a design study - Techno Classica 2015

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Opel CD (1969) - Design study at the Opel stand - Techno Classica 2015

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Bitter CD (1974) - and the grid structure of the CD study - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2019

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Opel CD - the V8 engine came from the Opel Diplomat - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2015

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Opel CD - the 5.4-liter V8 in the front of the concept model - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2015

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Opel CD - here the functionality of the dome could be tested - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2015

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Opel CD - the telephone was a must even back then - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2015

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Bitter CD (1974) - 395 built, DM 52,000 expensive back then - IAA Heritage by Motorworld 2019

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Erich Bitter and his extremely elegant Bitter CD Coupé from the seventies - IAA Heritage by Motorworld 2019

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Bitter SC (1979) - new coupé, based on Opel's Senator and Monza respectively - International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt 1979

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Bitter SC - elegant and dignified, unobtrusive creation by Erich Bitter - at the 1984 Geneva Motor Show

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Bitter SC (1980) - perfectly shaped luxury coupé with four seats and mechanics from the Opel Monza - Geneva Motor Show 1980

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Summary

Erich Bitter was no stranger when he launched his CD Diplomat luxury sports car in 1973. He had cleverly motivated two quality partners to work together and so the Bitter CD was created as a hybrid of American-German technology and Swabian bodywork craftsmanship. The owners loved it, and as a classic car it is a sought-after classic. This driving report portrays the Bitter CD, shows it in current and historical pictures and also includes sales literature and sound samples.

This article contains the following chapters

Tackling
Undaunted
With reliable technology
In the spotlight
Quality product
Not cheap
Not economical
Succession problems
The sports car for every day

Estimated reading time: 10min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Anyone who met Erich Bitter at the IAA in September 2019 could sense the great energy that still resides in this man. Instead of the classic car hall, Bitter would have preferred to stand in the main hall at Opel and would certainly have enjoyed unveiling a shiny new sports car. But those days are over. At the beginning of the 1970s, eight million DM and a few years later 26 million DM were enough to develop a completely new luxury car, but today these amounts would be tens of times higher and no longer affordable for a small company like Bitter. But back in the sixties and seventies, many things were different and many things were possible, so let's take a look back.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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