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Nicest One Out There? 1,453 Mile 1973 Opel GT

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The seller starts out by saying this is a museum quality car — I would have a hard time arguing with him as it appears to currently be in a museum — from the pictures, the old Bruce Weiner Microcar Museum facility! In any case, this is one low mileage claim I have little difficulty accepting. The GT is located in Madison, Georgia and is up for sale here on eBay, with a steep buy it now price of $35,000 but lower offers are being considered.

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I will now acknowledge the elephant in the room and point out that I specifically didn’t crop the backgrounds to show readers the other cars, motorcycles, bicycles and automobilia that are visible in the auction shots. There are a lot of excellent looking Beetles, the Porsche 914 visible in the pictures with 3,153 miles is also on eBay at a buy it now of $50,000, and there’s a whole line of Triumphs visible that has me salivating! However, we’re going to talk about the Opel right now. I really like these cars and this has to be one of the best, if not the best, in existence.

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Perhaps the X1/9 will be up next? Back to the subject Opel — I really like the “Coke bottle” design of the GT, and yes, of course it looks similar to the C3 Corvette, but I think it carries the lines just fine by itself. Paint looks perfect and glossy as you might expect, and closeups don’t change one’s mind.

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Apart from the lace grip on the steering wheel and substituting plain black mats (coco mats, like in the yellow 914?) for the black and red ones, I wouldn’t change a thing. The GT seats are very comfortable to me, and I’ve spent a lot of time in them.

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Here’s the only area where there is even dirt on this car; a good under hood detail would be nice. That’s a 1.9 liter four cylinder in there and it will move the GT along pretty well considering it’s age. The problem is–would you drive the car with this low original miles on it? Obviously it hasn’t been driven much lately considering it’s museum status, and each succeeding mile will lower its value. That’s why this isn’t the car for me–what about you?

 

Comments

  1. Avatar Joe Nose

    This is a beauty indeed. I would feel somewhat guilty accumulating miles on it though. Esp if it has all original rubber. Do not fold, spindle or mutilate.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar Jesper

    Heavy prices.
    Not even in Germany, i think you can get so much for a Opel Gt or a 914.
    I can’t say for shure, but, 35-50,000$ is also a sort of money.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Erik

    Hi, I’d rather buy a good used one at half the price (come to think of it, there are quite a lot of cars that I would buy first) and DRIVE it.

    The fun of classic cars is that there is a dual purpose owning one: look at it and drive it.
    You can’t drive this one so why buy it??

    Like 0
  4. Avatar dirtyharry

    As I recall, one unusual feature of the Opel GT was the operation of the headlights. They were manually operated, by way of a large lever along the center console next to the shifter. There was a parcel shelf behind the seats that could only be accessed through the main doors (think Corvette). The interior of the Opel GT was surprisingly large for a car of its size, Headroom and legroom were sufficient for those over 6 feet tall. These used mechanical components from the contemporary Opel Kadet and two-door hard top bodywork came from France.
    I think it safe to say, it is a copy of the Corvette and that isn’t a criticism. I think it’s worth 35k someday, but today is not the day. Likely a good investment, if you have a lot of time. For this to become a classic, the rest must disappear. Hard to believe it was marketed by Buick, but it was.

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    • Avatar ToniM

      Those headlights did not pop up, Corvette fashion, but rather rolled over when you pulled the lever. They could be a bit balky in cold weather though. The parcel shelf behind the seats was actually large enough to accommodate luggage for three and a small child on a ride from Philly to Pittsburgh. I was the small child :)

      Like 0
    • Avatar Lars

      The GT isn’t a copy of the Corvette

      Like 0
  5. Avatar Karo

    Great-looking Opel GT – I’d swap out the original tires/wheels (and preserve them) and drive it VERY sparingly, maybe 50 miles a year.

    Blast from the past re: coco mats. My dad had a set for his ’76 Saab 99 GL WagonBack (Topaz Yellow, aka Velveeta Cheese with a rust-colored interior). I loved that little car.

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  6. Avatar Luki

    For $35K General Motors will sell you the whole Opel Division.
    It loses millions every year.
    There’s probably a few of these GTs in the same condition in storage they will throw in the deal.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Doug Towsley

    Too rcih for my blood but I have always liked them. As a kid for a while my dad had a Opel rally GT which was wasted on him. He used at as a cheap commuter. A GT would be cool. But this one is way out of my budget. Getting rare these days but not impossible to find either if motivated.

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  8. Avatar grant

    I’ve always liked these. I wouldn’t change a thing. The black and red floor mats give some accent to the inside and the steering wheel cover is perfectly vintage. Love it.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Jubjub

    Cooke Buick here in Louisville had one with some ridiculously low mileage. I want to say 700 or so. I think they finally closed their location…wonder if they sold it or it’s still hidden away.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Gary

      That GT ended up at Suselbeek in NL.

      Like 0
  10. Avatar HeadMaster1

    I use to work for Isuzu, if I still did I’d be buying this to park out front of the design studio everyday…….”Opel” is where GM put most it’s Japanese partners engineering (Isuzu)……..As previously stated the headlights are 100% mechanical, and the “roll-over” sideways, they don’t flip up….very cool “Baby Vette”

    Like 0
  11. Avatar RoughDiamond

    Did I miss something? The only red I saw in the interior were the front floor mats with red piping. If that’s the case it’s a black interior in my book.

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  12. Avatar Brian C Member

    I have one of these cars, same color, but a 1970. It has about 80k on the odometer and I only paid $1,600 for it. It barely ran but now it’s driving pretty good after a carb rebuild, new fuel pump and new starter. However, the electrical is all messed up from a previous owner who installed a push button ignition. They also bolted the headlights open and the only way to turn them on is to connect them straight to the battery. I’m trying to acquire all the parts to restore the headlight mechanism currently.

    I am curious if anyone knows if the original ignitions had issues because this is my second and someone had installed a push button ignition in the first one too.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Britcarguy

      I had an early ’69 that I drove daily and autocrossed for 13 years. My ignition switch also puked mechanically and I had to put in a push button starter button.

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    • Avatar Manta73wi

      Ignition switches are as issue, but an OttoStart (not autostart) relay can solve the issue and preserve the switch. Check out the forums at OpelGT.com for awesome advice on 1960-1970s Opels, including the Kadett, GT, Manta, Ascona, 1900, and the like. There are a lot of friendly and knowledgeable folks on that site!

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  13. Avatar RobM

    This is what became of the Bruce Weiner microcar museum. I’d love to own most of this collection, as those are the cars I grew up with. Although the cars are in top shelf condition, the prices are on the roof! Bring your negotiating skills.

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  14. Avatar JMB#7

    I do not understand why the Opel GT is always compared to the Corvette. They are two very different animals. Beautiful specimen. Needs to stay in the museum. Get a second one cheap to drive.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Tdhman62

    I had one in high school in the orange color. Paid only $100.00 for it. The guy that sold it to me thought he blew the engine but my Dad found that it only had crossed plug wires and he fixed it and it ran great until all the electrical burned up on me 2 years later.
    LOVED that car.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Thom Kordusky

    Bought one new in ’72 for $3302 and had it for just under 6 years, put 125K on it and loved it. Wasn’t the fastest car but I got a great kick out of it. I’m 6’4″ but had plenty of leg room because the seat was so low. Drove it from NJ to Tennessee and was very comfortable. People always stared when I got out of it, being so tall. My fuel cap was located behind the back license plate, unlike others I see here, I wonder if that was normal. Gave it to my nephew to fix up and ended up buying a ’74 2002, another fun car.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Suselbeek

    The museum quality GT, really ended up in a Museum
    at the Opel GT Factory by Patrick Suselbeek, NL
    check out facebook Opelgtparts.com | Suselbeek
    or http://www.opelgtparts.com or http://www.opelgtfactory.com
    The car is not for sale.

    Like 0

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