- Seller: Charles G
- Location: Midlothian, Virginia
- Mileage: 144,000 KM Shown
- Chassis #: W0L000085N9027428
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 2.0-Liter 4-Cylinder
- Transmission: 5-Speed Manual
Through its association with General Motors, Opel last sold cars in the U.S. in 1975. That was through Buick dealers because they previously had no smaller automobiles to sell. So, there were no channels to buy an Opel Calibra in the States when it was in production from 1989 to 1997. The seller is an Opel fan and bought this one in Europe for a road trip and then brought it home to sell (that was always the plan). Thought to be one of just 10 in the U.S., this rare car is in Midlothian, Virginia, and is available here on Barn Finds for $9,700 OBO. After we featured their Facebook ad, the seller decided to switch to a BF Exclusive! They also provided us a ton of additional photos, which you can see below.
The Calibra replaced the Manta (which was sold in the U.S. about 20 years earlier). GM influenced its styling and (to me) looks similar to the Pontiac G6 of the 2000s. European production included plants in Germany (Opel) and Finland (a Saab facility where the seller’s car was also built). They used front-wheel drive and transverse inline-4s, which is typical engineering of the day.
As the story goes, the seller bought this car from its original owner in Poland in early 2024 (as his/her third Calibra). It had 88,000 miles on it at the time and was in good shape, but it needed a few things before the seller arrived six months later for an extended road trip. Work included a new timing belt, CV joints, and tires. Late last year, the seller arrived for the 2,500-mile odyssey that began in Poland and finished up in the UK. The seller then had the Opel shipped to Baltimore, Maryland, when all was said and done.
Now the car – with a 5-speed manual – has 91,000 miles and remains in excellent condition. We assume it meets all U.S. DOT and EPA requirements. Everything about the vehicle seems shipshape, and it’s a car you’re not likely to run into on any of your own adventures. This is not the first time the seller has purchased a car abroad, driven it over there, and then brought it home. A video of the Opel is provided below.
Russ, I’d bet it meets few — if any — DOT/EPA requirements, but almost surely came in under the 25-year exemption. That would limits its ability to get plates in certain states like California.
But the biggest issue I see is parts. Unless your local Opel dealer is still open (good luck with that), you’ll need to have contacts in Europe for almost everything.
Pretty car, and if it’s anything like Opels I drove in Europe, it’s probably a very nice highway cruiser.
These were built on the GM2900 platform that was also used for some US-market models such as the Saturn L-series, ’94-02 Saab 900/9-3 and ’97-09 Saab 9-5, so most mechanical parts are probably identical to those cars or at least similar-enough to swap. The engine is a GM Family II variant used in many J-body models here, as well as the odd Pontiac Grand Am and LeMans from the era.
Well…unfortunately, there wasn’t a vital push within GM to commonize components. Generally, a strategy to simplify/streamline -or, more generally: to change existing ways!- can wake up in some folks the fear of losing a familiar and comfortable job.
A powerful, detrimental inertia.
Remember E.W. Deming wasn’t heard in the US and went on to convince Japanese manufacturers to consider Quality as an investment, not a cost.
The rest is History…
Actually meets most if not all of the era.. the headlights height was the reason it wasn’t sold here. There was thought to bring it as a SAAB. But it has cleared EPA and DOT and has a clear Virginia Title.
Parts arent that hard.. Amazon UK you can search the part or AutoDOC.uk.com and then you can search Amazon US to find the part. That said many of the parts cross to SAAB, and other GM products. Basic parts like air and oil filters are available in the US. Its no harder than trying to find parts for a 1996 Cavalier or Beretta. FWIW the only state that has a heartache is California but there are work arounds.
I hate to admit this, but I am a reformed Catera owner. I will not go into that fiasco other than to say that the Omega guys across the pond could not have been more helpful after I adjusted to the RHD aspect of L and R. This has been some time, but for that car I never had any problem with parts and I changed damn near everything from timing to intake and valve cover gaskets as well as their unique ignition. Maybe I was just lucky but I recall finding an upper intake manifold gasket on a Saturday at OReillys. I am aware that the powertrains are opposite but my point is that it shouldn’t be like looking for Tut to keep this driving.
You can tell the Saab influence, especially the rear end, very similar to an early 2000s Saab 9-5.
Looks more like the offspring from a Saturn’s hookup with a Chevrolet Cobalt.
Except the Calibra was introduced in 1990, so who influenced who?
Great color and look of the vehicle. It reminds me of a cavalier when i look at the side of it. Since it’s GM euro car. I would love to take this for a spin! My issue is parts. I would not make this a daily driver. Weekend yes to car shows etc. I bet it gets good gas mileage. We’ll good luck to the next owner. 🐻🇺🇸
Agree w Bear 🐻 👍
Too many European cars had those huge “vent” windows in the doors that do not open up! American car buyers of the ’60s & earlier surely would not stand for those!
Fixed front-quarter (“vent”) windows are usually a matter of making the moving windowpane small enough to descend fully into the door cavity, and getting the divider between the two into a spot where it won’t impair the driver’s view of the side mirrors.
Wow that’s one of the nicest looking cars from 92 that I’ve seen in awhile. Interesting it has a rear window wiper on a sedan. Not sure I’ve ever seen that before.
It’s a hatchback, not a sedan.
However, there were a few sedans here in the UK and Europe that did have a rear wiper. Not many, but a few (The Ford Escort-based Orion had one in the mid ‘Eighties.
Technically both.. its based on the Vectra A chassis, so its a sport “sedan” but it is a hatchback.
Some 3rd generation Honda Preludes ( SR in Canada) were fitted with a rear wiper. I was very surprised the first time I saw one.
Oh awesome! I used to mess around with these when I was stationed over in Germany. I had a ’96 VW GTI VR6 that would give them a run for the money, until I ran into a few factory boosted (turbo) variants. Always loved the way these looked. Fun!
That’s 91,000 KILOMETRES, or just over 56,500 miles (the speedo is in km’s, as it would be, coming from Europe)
It’s 91,000 KILOMETRES (or just over 51,500 miles), having comes in from Europe. Even the speedo is in km’s in the photo.
Its 144,000 KM – or roughly 91,000 Miles. I did the math for the US buyers.
Great cars. I was on its pilot line in Ruesselsheim and then supervisor on the assembly line when mine was built: dozens of workers engraved their name on the hood!! Top of the line was a 204PS 4×4 turbo with DOHC 16V I4. A beast but delicate transfer case…
I can help with parts here from Europe
Hopefully the underside of the hood.
Nope: I asked them to do it for the souvenir and drove with the car like that as long as I owned it!
I still have (only) the hood hanged.
Funny how scared the line workers were to do it as they have to otherwise be so careful not to mark the freshly painted cars!
Cool.. that said thanks but I got sources ;) but can never have too many sources. I am trying to find some original Calibra parts to reproduce.
Nice Opel!! Grew up driving Opels, but not this style.
This one didn’t meet reserve on another site…
Yes it did not.. Others tried to compare the “value” to the European values. The difference is this one isn’t in Europe. There is the cost to get it here and then the fact all the maintenance was done, and finding one in this pristine of condition in Europe is not easy. So, all those logistics, and such aren’t free. I am already $2000 lower than what I have into it. That said part of the reason for getting the cars ( This is my 3rd Calibra) is literally the journey, so the cost savings of having my own car to travel thru Europe was counted into .I’m open to offers to the right person.
Now that’s quite a sight, I bet not only the car itself is pretty exotic in the States, but these license plates too! I watch the site for quite a while and don’t recall if I have ever seen a car registered in Poland in here.
Now speaking of the car, I also can’t recall when I have seen one for the last time, but they were very popular here in Poland in the late nineties and in
the first decade of 21st century, though almost all I have seen were not nearly as nice or stock as this one is. Being brought mainly from Germany, and often already considerably beaten, they were the weapon of choice of many young gangster wannabees and flashy dressers who cannot afford the 3-series BMWs. Equipped with loud exhausts and all that cheap go-faster add-onns like ridicouls spoilers on the trunk lid they were much more show than go as they were usually the base 2 liter engine versions, but who cared? Those were the days, often quite crazy down here, but also full of fond memories now…
Btw, since it’s my first post in here, hello to all of you car guys and gals! I hope this Opel will find some good home and won’t end as the majority of the ones I remeber…
There are at least 4 that have transited from Bogtynia to Virginia. A 1992 Senator B Irmscher, a 1994 and 1996 V6 Calibras and of course this one.. :)
Parts for the Insignia came from Bogatynia as well :)
This Opel was manufactured by Valmet, an independent Finish manufacturer specialized on low volume specialty built vehicles. They are not a Saab plant, but Saab had some of it’s cars (mostly the convertibles) built at Valmet. Valmet also manufactures tractors.
As VTDan points out, the Valmet plant in Uusikapunki is independent. They built many Saabs…..every real Saab ‘vert from 1986 through 2003 was born there, and every Viggen living or dead came from Valmet. Quite a few 99s and Classic 900s were born there as well….my ’77 99 GL five door and my ’88 SPG also came from Uusikapunki. Valmet also built the Porsche Boxter.
As for the rear end looking like a 9-5, I don’t see the resemblance. This looks more like a Saturn to me…….
It’s my guess Buick wasn’t affiliated with Opel when this one rolled off the assembly line. Good looking car. I hope you can get parts for it.
GM owned Opel from 1923 to 2018. The last Buick Opel partnership was the Buick Regal 2017-2020 They built in Russelshiem. I have converted one.
Yep its mine.. and 25 year exception rule. All importing has been done and now has a clean Virginia State Title. Grwat csr and even with the smaller engine its fun to drive. I have a Gold V6 model and the little Blue one feels peppier and handles tighter (probably due to 300lbs difference ) I like to get a car and drive it for two weeks in europe and take it home. Just no room to keep this one.
What engine is in the V6, the Holden
2.8? Beautiful car!
The 3.2L ( From Vectra B ) it originally came with a 2.5L ( I believe the original that upgraded to the 2.8L in Holdens and 3.0L later and now at the end (2002-2003) the 3.2L The Gold one is much faster than the Blue one, the Blue one is more fun to drive.
Hey, NICE Calibra! Would really enjoy having it here in the Phoenix AZ area. SInce you’re revealing photos of your other cars, how about that WAGON? Now THAT would be a one to consider IF it comes up for sale. Any chance? ///Gary
Wagon is not for sale .. ( Well I guess everything is for sale.. BUT ). You could get yourself a Buick TourX, and then contact me for importing all the parts to do the conversion :)
I really like the Tour X and have seen only one of them, so must be rare as hens teeth.
They arent super rare, a few on Caravana or CarMax at a given time. The rare one is the GSi Sedan. Mine is based on the Opel OPC version which is a Sport Wagon version of the TourX that wasnt sold here.
These were sold in Australia as a Holden Calibra although like a lot of cars that GM released they weren’t marketed very aggressively. They were fully imported from Europe.
The front portion forward of the A pillar is almost exactly the same as a VN Commodore. GM Australia manufactured the Family 2 engine but I have no idea if those engines were the same ones in the Calibra.