Opel GT
(1968 - 1973)
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Country:
Germany
Opel GT: All models
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Opel is to become all-electric by 2028. This is not the first time that the brand with the lightning bolt has faced enormous challenges. Fires, wars and economic crises - the Rüsselsheim-based company has always managed to emerge from them. This retrospective shows an excerpt from the eventful Opel history from the beginning to the 1980s, when the twenty millionth Opel had just rolled off the production line in Rüsselsheim ...
In the mid-sixties, Opel had three vehicle types in its range: estates, saloons and coupés based on saloons. There was no real sports car, nor did anyone expect one from a bourgeois brand. This made the 1965 IAA all the more sensational: there was a sports coupé with a racy, Italian-American shape - and a lightning bolt at the front. Three years later, the "Experimental GT" prototype had become the Opel GT production car and customers were enthusiastic about it. This report goes back to the beginnings, shows the history of development, design influences and conflicting goals, refers to test reports from back then and tells how the Opel GT with 1.1 and 1.9 liter engines feel today. The whole thing is garnished with many historical and current pictures, two original brochures and sound samples.
This historical test recommends something that few sports car enthusiasts would have thought of at the time: buying an Opel GT with automatic transmission. Reason: With such a racy line, the last bit of driving performance doesn't matter. It is therefore almost surprising that the test report still recommends the large 1.9-liter engine and not the phlegmatic 1100.
In 1971, Automobil Revue tested the Opel GT/J and was extremely positive. Their summary was: In its low-priced GT/J version, the first Opel of the "new generation" thrilled younger drivers in particular. It is a real sports car with an exclusive line, outstanding performance and safe driving characteristics, but without tearing too big a hole in the wallet with high purchase and maintenance costs. The test has shown that today even a large manufacturer can build cars that satisfy the connoisseur. The report takes another look back and shows the original restored photos
The era of sporty saloons began with the BMW 2002. Opel launched its first attacks on the Munich-based domain with its Ascona 19 SR, followed belatedly by Ford with the Escort RS 2000. Audi was the last to push for a place in the 100 hp society with the 80 GT. In 1973 a comparison test checked whether the newcomer from Ingolstadt could catch up with or even overtake its earlier competitors.
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