The first time I saw an ad for an Opel GT, I was mesmerized by it. It was positioned in the foreground with a Buick Riviera in the background, Buick being the U.S. sales agent for Opel. I immediately thought it to be “Corvettesque” in appearance. I showed the ad to my cousin, who was more car knowledgeable than me, and he quipped, “Yeah it looks like a Corvette that’s been washed in hot water.” Well, that took a little of the starch out of the sheets but I still thought it to be very cool indeed. While the years have changed my view a bit, I still think of the Opel GT as a noteworthy car and one to be explored more closely. Well, what do you know, located in Bernardsville, New Jersey is just such a 1971 example. It’s available here on eBay for a current bid of $2,225 with four bids tendered so far.
This example is a pretty sharp looking car! The Strato Blue finish, while a bit flat, still looks pretty thorough and shows well. All of the body panels line up and there is no evidence of crash damage. And I can tell you from experience, these GTs don’t hold up all that well in a crash. A good car friend had a ’69 model and we inadvertently went cheek to cheek with a Checker Marathon taxi and it didn’t go well for the Opel. These are small cars, you sit very low to the road and there’s not a lot between you and outside objects. Based on the accompanying images, I’d say this Opel needs nothing from an exterior perspective. No reference is made as to how long this Opel has been sitting and this one is showing some pretty notable cobwebs. There is some detectable underside surface rust but it does not appear to be invasive – worth a closer look, however.
The owner states that he purchased this Opel with the intention of electrifying it. Now that’s a tall order, I’m not even sure where you would start. I mention this because he says that the engine doesn’t run so it would make one think that maybe the engine is incapable of running and thus the plan to electrify – definitely a matter worth further investigation. The owner does state that all of the 1.9 liter, 90 HP, in-line four-cylinder engine and its parts are intact and he has not attempted to effect any repairs, maintenance, etc. And the accompanying engine image bears out this claim, the motor visually seems to be complete. As is usually the case, this GT has a four-speed manual transmission. While there is obviously no description as to how this GT runs, I remember my friend’s operational tendencies and it was a flat, taut handler, with fair acceleration; plenty enough power to have fun but not a world-beater.
The interior pretty well reflects the exterior, it’s in nice shape, just a bit dusty. There is no evidence of splits, cracks or tears, even the dash pad is without the typical splits that befall cars of a certain age. My recollection is that the GT is a bit of a challenge with ingress and egress if you are long and lanky but it’s a pretty accomodating environment once you are firmly ensconced. The ride is a bit rough and your hind-side will feel like it’s a wee bit close to the road but it’s more an illusion. One of the most memorable aspects of the interior is the handle underneath the dash that you grab and turn and it rolls the headlight pods open or closed – no vacuum or electrical hook-up needed here.
Other than the unknown condition of this Opel’s motor, it looks like a perfectly good driver as-is. The odometer registers 47K miles but the seller is clear that he cannot verify its accuracy. That said, the overall condition of this Opel leans towards that mileage count being possible. Besides the non-running matter is the little problem of no title, hmmm….. My vote would be to get the engine straightened out and enjoy this GT as is, assuming that the engine’s issue is in reasonable territory. So, I’d like to know, have any readers owned an Opel GT and what is or was your recollection?
I always liked the look of these, and this seems like a good buy. Oh, and there is A dent , just beside the right headlight! GLWTA! :-)
I think that I will stick with the “adult Opel” 454 and 4 speed.
Way overdone! Don’t forget torque thurst rims, sidepipes, caprice classic headlight conversion and bubble taillights!
With a 1.9 CIH engine and a manual trans this should be moderately fast!
We also had a newer generation of this car sold in the states as saturn sky
yes somewhat fast for its time
I owned one the same color for about a year, it was the car I got my license in. Rather large license examiner was none too happy that he had to squeeze himself in! My brother and his friend Phil both owned them around the same time. Fun little cars.
The lever for the headlights is just forward of the shifter on the console. Seat upholstery doesn’t look original from memory. There’s a bit of red showing in the engine shot and on the underside – I wonder if it was repainted. Not the original gas cap either.
Shouldn’t take much to get it going. Register it in Vermont and have fun!
This was Maxwell Smart’s last car on the TV series. His was slightly older though.
I had a 1970 GT with the 1.9L and the 4 speed trans. It was a fun car. Not a powerhouse but it had decent get-up-n-go. I would love to have another, but not a 1.1L engine. They are truly a dog.
It looks like an excellent project car, but the title issue is scary when buying from an EV enthusiast.
I wonder how much the car slowed down when those massive headlamp covers popped up?
Gone. Touches of red suggest either primer showing through or a repaint (although they did a good job if so for the most part). Under carriage looks really good for a car from the Northeast.
FYI listing ended
I bought a 1970 Opel Gt in this color and loved it. Your buddies statement about operational tendencies that it is a flat, taut handler, with fair acceleration; plenty enough power to have fun but not a world-beater was right on. Twisty roads with high revs was a lot of fun. I owned it for 8 years and sold it to a buddy in the Navy. Not sure what happened after that.
If this were closer I would certainly be interested. Someone is going to get a very nice driver without spending big bucks.
I was going to post Hallelujah, one that isn’t that orangy red that seemed to be on 99% of them but above was posted the red underneath that I missed. Oh well, if the rust is minimal (hard to believe) a good deal even with a dead engine. Mine was a 1969 in the red, bought in 1972, added a Weber 32/36 that helped the power a lot and Semperit M401s which were the hot tire at the time. Everything else was stock, ridiculously reliable and got 30+ mpg on a weekend 162 mile door to door that I was doing a lot of at the time. Never had a problem with the flip-up headlights not flipping as some have commented before. Never had a flat tire thankfully as the spare would have been a pita to wrestle out of the back (almost as stupid as my current Z3 spare accessibility).
“…have any readers owned an Opel GT …” No but I remember them (the Cadete, CadetL, the wagon, etc). Placed these along w/the SAAB Sonette, desriable middle of the road (not a Lancia Abarth, Lotus, vette).
I wonder if they are “heavy” (power to weight ratio)?
https://www.automobile-catalog.com/auta_details1.php
not good, plus is an ‘under sq’ engine (opposite of ‘stroked’).
Nice compression, tho (10:1 I think)
Jim, I had a ’69 with the 1.9 as my 1st car. It was fun. The Opel mechanic at the Buick dealership taught me how to work on Opels. I couldn’t afford the Weber carb but after re-jetting the Solex two barrel, Hooker headers, some wide tires and adding a rear sway bar, that light (2300 lbs), little two seater could move & handle. Even stock there wasn’t a Fiat Spider, MGB, or Triumph TR6 that could keep up with it. There weren’t many muscle Cars that it could take on but 350 Nova’s were fair game. If I remember correctly, it could do 115 going down hill with the wind to ur back. Now a days, a Hyundai will leave one in the dust though. Maintaining one will break u too. Parts are hard to get & pricy. That being said, by the pictures, it appears to be in good shape and the engines aren’t difficult to work on but replacement parts will cost you.but the going price looks like a good deal.