Opel Manta 1900 S
(1970 - 1975)
Car articles about Opel Manta 1900 S by year
In 1970, Opel presented the Manta as a competitor to the Ford Capri, designed by Charles M. Jordan and with clear echoes of Ferrari sports cars. Technically, the Manta was based on the Ascona, which did not change with its successor, the Manta B. This report describes the history of the popular family sports coupé, of which over one million were produced, and shows it in many historical and current illustrations.
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.
"Is it possible to produce bestsellers?" asked the 'hobby' tester right at the beginning of his report, which he wrote shortly after the launch of the Opel Manta (A). And he came to the conclusion that the prerequisites for this were actually good, as he could hardly find a fly in the ointment. This article reproduces the original wording from the 1970 test report and is supplemented with the relevant illustrations and some archive images.
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.
With the Opel Manta, the Rüsselsheim-based manufacturer presented an independent coupé in response to the Ford Capri. And the newcomer convinced the critics, even Paul Frère was sure that nothing could stand in the way of success. This article reproduces the original wording of the test report in Auto Revue from 1971 and shows the pretty coupé in historical pictures.
In contrast to the Ford Capri, the Opel Manta was not a design sensation at its debut that turned the heads of passers-by by the dozen. Its beauty was more of the inconspicuous variety, which suited the down-to-earth Opel technology very well. Despite its looks, the Manta was not a sports car. Instead, it scored points for its refinement, driving safety and excellent workmanship, as you can read in this historical test report.
With the Opel Rekord C, the German General Motors subsidiary launched a new generation of the already successful upper mid-range model series in 1966. Some improvements were made and, above all, the focus was on a modern design that combined American lines with European vehicle dimensions. And it was well received. Almost 1.3 million Rekord Cs were built in just over half a decade, as a saloon, coupé or estate, with two, four or five doors, with various engines and power transmissions. One of these Rekord saloons with a 1.9-liter engine is described and illustrated in this vehicle article, which is supplemented with plenty of historical images, test references and a sound sample.
From 1970 to 1975, Opel built the Manta A, which fulfilled all hopes with almost half a million units produced. Even today, the handsome coupé still impresses, especially the luxurious Berlinetta version. This driving report briefly summarizes the history of the Rüsselsheim coupé and describes driving impressions and reactions from the environment, supplemented by many current and historical illustrations.
In 1974, Opel finally dared to cross the 100 hp threshold with its flagship coupé Manta. Toyota had already shown this courage some time ago with its coupé star Celica GT, which mobilized 108 hp and thus had 3 hp more under the hood than the GT/E from Opel. Here is a direct comparison of these two GT versions from back then.
In 1975, the Rekord II had been the "best-selling European in its class" for a good three years, according to Opel's advertising text. For the 1975 production year, the output of all Rekord carburetor engines was reduced. In addition, Opel took small steps to reduce the earlier criticism of the Rekord's details. This test report explains the convincing features of the various engine variants.
In the first half of '75, the Manta accounted for only 3.4% of German Opel registrations (6630 out of 191,544). It was high time for a new model. And the second edition of the Opel Manta had many convincing qualities, as the test from that time shows.
Current market prices for Opel Manta 1900 S
Coupe, 90 PS, 1897 cm3
Coupe, 60 PS, 1196 cm3
Coupe, 68 PS, 1584 cm3
Coupe, 80 PS, 1584 cm3
Coupe, 105 PS, 1897 cm3
null, 75 PS, 1875 cm3
null, 60 PS, 1584 cm3
Coupe, 90 PS, 1897 cm3
Coupe, 90 PS, 1897 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 90 PS, 1897 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 90 PS, 1897 cm3
Coupe, 90 PS, 1897 cm3
Coupe, 106 PS, 1897 cm3
3-Door Station Wagon, 90 PS, 1897 cm3
5-Door Station Wagon, 90 PS, 1897 cm3
2-Door Sedan, 90 PS, 1897 cm3
4-Door Sedan, 90 PS, 1897 cm3
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Auctioned vehicles of Opel Manta 1900 S
| Brand | Model | Year | Status | Auction name | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opel Manta A Berlinetta 1973 Sold Barons British Heritage, Classic and Sports Cars (September 15, 2015) |
Manta A Berlinetta | 1973 | Sold | Barons British Heritage, Classic and Sports Cars (September 15, 2015) | |
| Opel GT-J 1900 1973 Sold Oldtimer Galerie Toffen Toffen Auktion (September 29, 2014) |
GT-J 1900 | 1973 | Sold | Oldtimer Galerie Toffen Toffen Auktion (September 29, 2014) | |
| Opel GT 1900 A-L 1973 Sold Dorotheum Fahrzeug Auktionen Classic Expo Salzburg (October 16, 2021) |
GT 1900 A-L | 1973 | Sold | Dorotheum Fahrzeug Auktionen Classic Expo Salzburg (October 16, 2021) |
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