Opel Manta B - most beautiful without foxtail and accessories

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Opel Manta B - most beautiful without foxtail and accessories

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Created on July 8, 2015

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

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Bruno von Rotz

39

GM Corporation

8

Balz Schreier

1

Michael Alschner

1

General Motors / Opel

1

Archiv

7

57 1

Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - trimmed for aerodynamics

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - generously glazed, but the view to the rear was still criticized at the time

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - quite narrow by today's standards at 1.67 meters wide

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - graceful rear end

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - straight lines

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - the trunk had a capacity of over 300 liters

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - a little later the coupés received a facelift

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - rare today in original condition

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - with then fashionable rectangular headlights

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - no bed in a cornfield

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - the exterior mirror was standard on the left only

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - the ergonomics were praised at the time

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - relatively soft seats with little lateral support

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - Speedometer, water temperature and fuel level must suffice as displays

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - lots of plastic in the interior

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - a lot of it looks like leather, but it's not

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - it's hard to forget that you're sitting in an Opel

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - a sports coupé without a rev counter, yes, Opel had one

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - inclined, long gearshift - the ring is used to unlock reverse gear

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - the original radio is still in the car

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - Plastic wherever you look

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - the locking system as it was installed back then

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - robust engine construction

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - overhead camshaft, overhead valves

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - 100 hp from two liters of displacement, the engine didn't have to overwork itself

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - large air filter

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - two-liter displacement and carburetor

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - large rectangular headlights

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - the Opel sign above the cooling inlets

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - "S" as in "Special"

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - external fuel filler flap on the right

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - wide rear lights

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - Opel sign on the rear

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - as an "S", the two-liter had 100 hp

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Opel Manta (1970) - the elegant and practical coupé from Rüsselsheim

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Opel Manta (1970) - with design borrowings from Ferrari

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Opel Manta Luxus (1977) - more luxury and equipment

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Opel Manta B SR (1976) - sporty with matt black hood

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Opel Manta GT/E (1980) - with fuel injection and more power

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Opel Manta SR (1979) and in the background the Manta GT/E with fuel injection

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Opel Manta 400 (1982) - the basic model for newcomers to rallying

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Opel Manta 400 - the basis for racing at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show

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Opel Manta 400 (1982) - with 2.4-liter engine developed by Cosworth

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Opel Manta GT/E (1975) - in the advertisement - Rendez-Vous with Caroline

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Opel Manta GT/E (1975) - in advertising - make dreams come true ...

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Opel Manta (1975) - Advertising - Fanclub

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Opel Manta 1.9 SR (1976) - in the advertisement

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Opel Manta E (1977) - Advertisement "The Supermanta

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Opel Manta (1981) - Advertisement "And the driving fun gets going"

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Opel GT 2 (1975) - in the transport center of the Deutsches Museum

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Opel GT 2 (1975) - in the transport center of the Deutsches Museum

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Foxtail on the Opel Manta 400 (1982) at the Group B Legends meeting in Salzburg on September 13, 2013

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Opel Manta B (1979) with starting number 165 at the 5th Altbüron hill climb in 2011

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Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - grosszügig verglast, trotzdem wurde die Sicht nach hinten damals bemängelt

Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - für heutige Verhältnisse mit 1,67 Metern Breite recht schmal

Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - zierliches Heck

Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - gradlinig gezeichnet

Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - über 300 Liter fasste der Kofferraum

Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - wenig später erhielten die Coupés dann ein Facelift

Summary

The Opel Manta B was presented in 1975 as the successor to the successful Manta A, smoothed and larger, following technically proven concepts. It developed into the long runner in the Opel model program and was built over half a million times by 1988. However, it became famous and infamous through tuning excesses and film appearances and, of course, through the Manta jokes. This driving report shows an original example from 1980 and tells the story of the second Manta edition.

This article contains the following chapters

Successor to a bestseller
Smoothed and stretched
Standard design
Good value
In a changing competitive environment
Film star against its will
Tuning excesses
And the foxtail?
In search of an original Manta
Minimalist, but not primitive
Further information

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

When the Opel Manta B was launched in 1975, its modern styling and proven technology delighted cost-sensitive buyers. Rear-wheel drive and robust four-cylinder engines were also standard in the sports coupé segment at the time. Hardly anyone would have guessed that this model would become the record long runner in the Opel range and adorn the showrooms until 1988. And hardly anyone could have guessed that 30 or 40 years later, original Manta coupés would hardly be found ... The Manta B inherited a difficult legacy, as its predecessor, the Manta A, which had been built since 1970 and had a rear end design by Charles M. Jordan reminiscent of a Ferrari, had sold almost half a million units in just five years.

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Images of this article

Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - grosszügig verglast, trotzdem wurde die Sicht nach hinten damals bemängelt

Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - für heutige Verhältnisse mit 1,67 Metern Breite recht schmal

Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - zierliches Heck

Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - gradlinig gezeichnet

Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - über 300 Liter fasste der Kofferraum

Opel Manta 2.0 S (1980) - wenig später erhielten die Coupés dann ein Facelift

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