The Bitter SC is an automotive curiosity that made numerous attempts to become a contender in the grand touring segment. While it encountered numerous challenges like any small coachbuilder could expect to wrestle with, largely due to not ever having enough capital to manufacture vehicles at a volume where you could actually hope to make money, Erich Bitter pressed on with numerous attempts at solvency. The Bitter SC shown here on craigslist is the model that saw the greatest success, and it’s offered for sale in New Jersey for $45,000.
The SC makes no attempt to hide the fact it’s designed to resemble the Ferrari 365 GTC/4, or the later 400i. The biggest difference, of course, is that the Bitter did not have a V12 under the hood but rather a humble inline-six. This stems from the fact that Bitter’s very existence depended on the Opel model upon which it was based. In the case of the SC, it relied on a Senator to provide the underpinnings and engine to give it life. Even the moniker “SC” was short for “Senator Coupe.” The interior accommodations were luxurious, and while a 5-speed manual was offered, the 3-speed automatic was often chosen as a no-cost upgrade.
Bitter, to its credit, wrestled its way through many challenges, most of them due to the fact it couldn’t produce its own bodies. Relying on subcontractors is a dangerous way to make money when you’re just starting out, and Bitter eventually landed on a Turin-based company called Maggiore to assist with manufacturing. Although this more or less worked, Bitter still struggled to reach a scale that gave it stable financial footing. One of the better decisions it made was to connect with a known Opel tuning company called Mantzel to enhance the humble straight-six, adding a new camshaft and upping displacement to almost 4.0L.
I don’t know the brand or models well enough to discern from this photo whether it has the bigger engine. The option for the 3.9 was tied to the 1984 model year, so it’s quite likely this Bitter has 207 b.h.p. and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, both of which represented healthy jumps over the original output. Bitter would go onto to introduce a convertible and sedan offering, along with a 4WD model utilizing a Ferguson Formula gearbox, but none of these innovations would help it succeed at a significant scale. This is an intriguing option for an unusual classic, and thanks goes to Barn Finds reader Rocco B. for the tip.
A 6cyl. with a automatic at $45k, good one!!
“A 6cyl, with a automatic and ugly design at $45K, good one!!”
^ Fixed it for you.. :D
“ A 6cyl. with an automatic and ugly design at $45K? Good one!”
Fixed it for you…
“ A 6cyl. with an automatic and ugly design at $45K? Good one!”
Fixed it for you…
These are quite interesting cars, and I would not mind owning one. But at that price one would think that the pool of buyers is very very small.
Never heard of them. Thx Lavery
So far, no Bitter puns. Amazing restraint from our commenters here.
Grossly overpriced.
Love that Opel six from my Senators.
the ask is leaving a Bitter taste in my mouth.
Can you imagine finding parts? You’d end up whittling yourself a distributor cap.
Powertrain and running gear are all standard Opel Senator A components, so not that hard to get parts for; you just need to order them from overseas.
I’m not a huge Ferrari fan, but this looks nothing like a 365. More like a an old Toyota that someone grafted monstrous flip up headlights on.
And yes, the price!!
I was expecting Bertone or Fiat to be a badge on this one. Interior is amazing, but more for a luxury sedan than a sports car. 15,000 to 25,000 it would sell, but 45,000??? I wish them luck!
Never heard of them before, though the styling leaves a weird taste… what is the word I am looking for???
Ugly.
The body of the Bitter SC was modeled after the Ferrari 400. Unfortunately Bitter used an Opel 6 cylinder for the SC. The Bitter to own, if you can find one, is the Bitter CD. The CD was sold between 1973-1979, and came with a GM 327 V8 engine as it’s power source.
Ask a man who has owned one – the Dad in the TV show The Goldbergs.
Based on a true story.
Looks like a Pinto.
Erich Bitter built interesting cars with Italian design for excitement and German drivetrains for reliability (many parts Opel- and therefor GM-engineered).
More on that from Hemmings under
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/this-exclusive-opel-based-coupe-represents-value-wrapped-in-coachbuilt-1980s-style-luxury/
Maybe there would’ve been more interest if he’d changed the name to Bittera’ or somesuch, Bitter doesn’t exactly inspire a sense of greatness. Then again maybe not. While is practical, this isn’t exactly a handsome or sleek looking car. I do really like the coupe’ design he did but this I don’t other than the outstanding interior.