The styling of Opel’s GT, like the C3 Corvette, was inspired by the Mako Shark and its 1965 sibling, the Mako Shark II. The Sharks were designed in-house at GM, under Bill Mitchell’s watchful eye. By 1968, both the Corvette and the German-made Opel were entering showrooms – the Corvette over at Chevrolet and the Opel at Buick. While the Corvette outsold the Opel by tens of thousands of units over a comparable 1968-1973 production period, the little GT put in a good showing with over 103,000 finding new homes. Here on craigslist is a 1969 Opel GT for sale at $4500; retrieve the car from Bellingham, Washington. Thanks, Curvette, for the great tip!
The first Opel GTs arrived with a tiny 1.1-liter, OHV four-cylinder tucked way back in the chassis to balance weight distribution; this engine was good for only 67 hp. But also on offer was a 1.9-liter OHC four, this one generating 102 hp. Most Opel GTs were built with the “big block”, as that option proved quite popular – for good reason. Today’s example is wearing a Weber carb with a Redline Snorkel kit; the seller reports that the car runs rough (big surprise – I’d trace it to that Weber, but you all know I am not a fan if the car wasn’t produced with a Weber to begin with) and the brakes (discs up front, drums behind) need work. A four-speed manual brings power to the rear wheels. The tires are new, and the wheels are powder coated.
The seats have been re-upholstered in two-tone vinyl; from the factory, these would have been a single color. The red is carried through to the handbrake boot and the console. The car has been repainted as well; I see red overspray on the door seal and on parts in the engine bay. The factory steering wheel is cracked – but at least it’s original. The seller reports that the rotating headlamps do work properly. The car comes with a few boxes of parts.
While GM wanted a lightweight, sporty alternative to the Corvette in its lineup, the Opel was actually designed as a secret styling exercise, influenced by Mitchell’s Mako Shark but drawn in Germany by Erhard Schnell working under American Clare MacKichan. Once GM brass saw the little GT, it gave the green light, and construction was outsourced to French firm Brissonneau & Lotz. The chassis is from the Opel Kadett B, and the tie-up with Buick was a natural, since that division had been selling Opels of various sorts since the mid-1950s. Prices for excellent examples can reach $25k, sometimes even higher. But it’s still possible to buy a driver-quality Opel GT for high five figures. Have you ever owned an Opel GT? Let us know what you thought of it in the comments below.
I wonder what Bondo the new paint covers. I’ve always liked these little cars, just the fact that they rust as bad as ’70’s Japanese cars is their downfall.
I had a ’70 yellow GT and the only rusting mine had was in the battery area up in front of the car. Turned a lot of heads, but wasn’t very fast. It was basically a rebodied Kadett. I wish I still had it.
There is a yellow and black 72 model sitting in my driveway right now. It is my son’s car that had been his grandfathers. It’s seen better days but runs and looks ok from 20 feet, he plans to keep it and fix it up over time.
I know 60s handling wasn’t up to par, but I just want to drive this down a rural blacktop. It would probably slide a little. Enough to pucker things up.
John Matuszak, 6’8″ and 280# drove one of these when he went to the U of Tampa. It always looked like he took it off instead of getting out of it. Fun to watch him get in or out of that little car.
Had one of these right out of high school. It was used. After three weeks, the trannie seized up. It took the Buick dealership 5 weeks to get it back to me. After basic, I went home to get it. Had it for 2 days and the same thing happened! Had to fly back to school. Flew back home to get it when it was “fixed”. Drove it to Chanute AFB. Loaned it to a friend for a weekend to see a lady friend. Drove it over a small cliff. Still ran but useless. Traded it for a 1970 Super Bee, 383 Magnum, Plum Purple. THAT was more my style!
Owned a few of these GTs. Owned quite a few Opels in general. People always ditch the Solex carb. I fix them.
Agree about the junk Weber…
Webers are generally fine if they’re genuine; it’s the Chinese-made “licensed” clones that are often hard to tune properly. They only licensed the general design and name/logo, but didn’t manufacture and finish them to the same exacting tolerances, so if you get a bad one you might get it in tune for idle but find it doesn’t run right at speed or vice-versa.
Genuine Webers have a dull/rough finish with the Weber name/logo and “Made in Spain” cast right into the body, whereas the Chinese clones have a bright/shiny finish and the name/logo only on an ink stamp, decal or tag. The genuine electric choke element cover is also a translucent ivory plastic, whereas the clones are black plastic, but this isn’t a dead giveaway as they’re interchangeable, so either one could be installed on the other, e.g. to upgrade a water choke to electric.
I drove a few, my friends had them. They were underpowered, lousy brakes, lousing handling, rusted really badly, had no trunk/ backseat access only, had no pick-up, BUT we’re one of the BEST looking cars made at that time AND you absolutely could not kill one! They drove and drove forever. I would have one in a heartbeat as long as the body was in good shape/no rust.
I drove a 73 OPEL GT/J over here in Germany. 1,9 litre 90 HP. Looks like a small Corvette drove worde than an OPEL Stationwagon, was loud driving along the Autobahn. Folks: sorry good looks n’ bad performace. You need competion feathers an shocks, a 2,2 litre engine and at least 205/70 tires on it so outside looks and inside technique match at last. By the way I sold it and have an OPEL MANTA A , same engine but it’s a 100% more fun for sure and worth the effort.
The Manta Rallye was the most fun Opel available in North America. It is a shame that the dealerships had no interest in supporting them.
Washington state huh? Ive seen pretty rusty opel gt from the south. Makes me wonder what a car from the rain and snow state would look like underneath
Do me a favor. Enough with the Corvette references. It is denigrates the Opel GT.
It’s part of the history of the car, sorry, so I will keep mentioning it.
You tell ’em, Michelle! 👍👍
Those 1.9s were actually good performers. I had a 68 wagon as a kid and that car had balls. Mine didn’t rust but as it approached 100k it was falling apart!
I had, and really enjoyed my GT. Two things in my mind though: Always check fluid levels and keep bolts snug. Opels were notorious for creating oil slicks on the pavement. I also remember the turning radius was about the same as an aircraft carrier. When I could view the intersection in the distance I knew it was time to crank the steering wheel.
I bought one new in 1970, drove it for 4 years, and put around 40K on it. Fun, handled well, and no problems. I took a lot of long trips in it, and only sold it because I wanted a Convertible, a TR6. I enjoyed the TR6 more, but have fond memories of the GT. Good luck.
My mother owned a 1971 1.9 .That parts were very to get in the late for 70s(expensive) so she sold to my Godfather.He still has it,fully restored all chrome engine.I used to ride in the back ! 🤣🤣
My brother went to a junk yard and bought a Opel GT. Built a frame for it installed a 454 and a 400 turbo trans. Raced it for years. Called it TracMan.
Had a 1970 with the 1.9 in it. Was my first car. Sold it when I got married in ’76. Wish I would have kept it.
I had a red 69, and I loved it. I also had a 63 convertible Corvette at the same time. I got rear ended in the GT and went into the Bronco in front of me. Totaled the GT, broke my heart.
I had a red 69, and I loved it. I also had a 63 convertible Corvette at the same time. I got rear ended in the GT and went into the Bronco in front of me. Totaled the GT, broke my heart.
Had a 1969 original gold colored with a 1e sides.9 l motor and 4 speed. Bought it from a Hippie dud from the sixties in 1974 when I was a junior in high school. Coincidentally he had modified the exhaust and put kool chrome side pipes on it. He had married the original cut off exhaust to the side pipes by getting the cuts aligned and wrapped in what I called two fiberglass cocoons !!!.. Don’t know what that hippie was smokin but his idea worked well !!!
Ant how I had a APCOA paint job done for $29.00 ( arctic white)..remember the advertising from APCOA…we will paint any car any time for $29.00….in by 9 out by 5. Ant way I was on a dishwasher pay at the local hospital making $2.85 an hour. Almost enough was to pay for to paint the car from 2 days pay…I worked part time 4 hrs a day.. Do the math lol. I paid $800 to the hippie to buy this car. How the heck did I afford it. Well one year of dishwashing along with many earlier years savings from paper routes. Life was tough as a teenager. My dad who was a survivor as a WWII veteran …Battle of the Bulge… sustained
Back injuries with an x ray fused spine always told me and my 6 brother…if you need a hand always look at the end of your arm not someone else’s. He grew up in an orphanage with his two sisters when his mother passed away when he was 2 yrs old. Father was immigrant from Poland and had to work to support the expenses. When he was 18 yrs old he signed up for the U.S. Army. He was a proud poor man with a big heart and vinegar in his blood. A man that was raised a during the depression and WWII during a time of hard knocks.
Any way….I wouldn’t have picked different parents for the world. For that reason I thank God for me getting such randomly picked parents…sometimes I think I was born with a horse shoes up my butt.
Any way…I’m writing this comment from a permanent dialysis treatment that I take 3X a week ..3 hrs per day with cardiac rehab 2x a week from a recent quadruple bypass done100 days ago. I guess that horse shoe is still working though it hasn’t been confirmed from a colonoscopy. Lol.
Back to the Opel….no longer own it…but have great memories of it….still remember dri ing thru the high school lot with my detailed ” LITTLE DEUCE COOP”; decals with my windows down playing my greatest Beach Boy hits on my 8 track player.
Hope you enjoyed my comments….Have a Great and Blessed day.
Yes they are fun to drive . could of used more horse power . how ever gets it should have fun with it .
Except when I was mad about something and slammed the driver door at the place where my girlfriend worked, and ended up sweeping glass off the parking lot. Not a good day.
Had a new 75 Manta GT with the fuel injection (K Jetronic). Ran great for 2 years, then had fuel injection issues which the Buick dealership had no idea how to fix. After two attempts, I happened to be on a trip to Gettysburg on a Sunday when several fuel lines feeding the injectors started spraying fuel. Luckily this was on a cold start, so no fire. Opel did not use Viton hose, which is what I used to replace them. A week later, I limped home, barely able to maintain 50 mph. The injectors had plugged with residue from the original hose.
I decided I had enough of the fuel injection, so I replaced it with a Weber 32/36, an aftermarket intake and exhaust manifold and a slightly hotter cam from PAECO. I also had the cylinder head milled by 0.100” to increase the compression ratio from the 7.5:1 originally supplied. It seemed to gain about 30 hp.
I never had another problem with the car and gave it to a cousin with about 200k on it. He kept it until the rust finally killed it (Massachusetts) in 1989.
The car leaned quite a bit when cornering, but once it took a set, it handled pretty well for a solid rear axle car. Probably could have used some HD swaybars, but it was my daily driver and I had other cars that were performance mode vehicles.