Who remembers that you could stroll into your local Buick dealership in the 1970s and buy a German-made Opel product? I do, and that’s because General Motors owned Opel at the time (and for almost 90 years in total). One of your choices was the Opel 1900, known on its home turf as the Ascona. The seller has a 1972 pillared coupe and advertises it using its German moniker. Located in Monroe City, Missouri, this example of a seldom-seen car today is available on craigslist for $6,500 and looks in okay shape. Our thanks to Henry Reining for this unusual trip!
When I first looked at this car, I saw an immediate resemblance to the Chevrolet Vega of the same period. The wheelbase, length, and width of both cars are very similar, but the 1900 is a bit taller (by 2.5 inches). As the Ascona, these Opels were produced across three generations from 1970 to 1988. Only the first generation found its way to the U.S. as the 1900 (for the engine size) from 1971 to 1975. Like the Vega, the 1900 was a rear-drive, front-engine car that was easy on gasoline.
From the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, Buick had no compact car in the U.S., so Opels in their showrooms filled a void for about a decade. When Buick finally got a rebadged version of the Nova to sell (the Apollo), Opel demand fell off in the States. We’re not told a lot about the seller’s car other than it runs and drives and has 60,000 miles. It uses an automatic transmission, though a 4-speed would have added more pep.
The body looks okay though the rear bumper has been removed, and the holes filled in and painted over. The green paint is okay but fading in places. And the big aftermarket wheels make the Opel look larger than it actually is. We’d have to agree with the seller that this is a rare car – when was the last time you saw an Opel 1900 or even heard of the Ascona nameplate?
I would venture a guess that exchange rates also impacted sales.
This one looks stoopid and begs for un-donking…
and needs a repaint that will resist gasoline spill.
First impression made me think of a “pimp” on a budget who couldn’t afford a Cadillac. Maybe I should have said “baller”…less offensive. A high school friend of mine had a Kadet with a manual in the “normal” GM lime green of the day. Interesting find and nice writeup.
Return the wheels back to the circus, should be number one on the list.
It was no skin off GM’s nose to sell these in the States, since Opel was basically GM Germany. I had a red ’72 wagon 4-speed back in the late 80s. It was a pretty decent car, except it would clunk when I shifted gears. So I crawled under to take a look, and found all the transmission bolts were coming loose. Tightened them back up and it ran fine, I never had any trouble with it at all.
I had a ‘71 1900 wagon in the early ‘80s. It had a 4-speed manual and felt peppy off the line. There was only one Buick dealer in Illinois that stocked parts for Opels.
Smart looking little car in a good color. I can only assume the seller had the wheels and they fit (in terms of bolt pattern and wheel wells) because otherwise, well damn, what were you thinking?
Wasn’t sure why Russ didn’t provide a link to the Craigslist ad, but what’s the point? He provides far more information about the car here than the seller does in the listing. Nevertheless, if anyone wants to see it
https://columbiamo.craigslist.org/ctd/d/monroe-city-1972-opel-ascona-trades/7823349363.html
This kind of “customization” is even worse than hotrodding. Poor little Opel.
Greetings from rural Lincolnshire, lost count of number of cars I have had. Like my cars stock as possible. Onemod I would on the Opel would be to recess the filler cap, safety before originality. Triumph Heralds Ford Escort MK 1 and probably some others were the same I have seen an Escort filler modified complete with a lockable flap. Please don’t take risks with gas.
I take risks with gas every time I eat refried beans.
Really a handsome little car. Not all about those wheels. Years ago a friend had a Kadett wagon with an automatic. Be patient when driving.
Poor little car. The slushbox is bad enough, but those wheels can only make the acceleration worse. I know a dollar doesn’t get what it used to but $6500 is still too steep. And yeah, exchange rates hurt German makes during this time, it’s not because the Apollo came online. I’m still not sure why Buick dealers needed a small model but Olds dealers were OK without one.
These Opel 1900’s always remind me of the late 60’s Ford Cortinas. Especially the rear view. If that rot beneath the gas filler isn’t evidence of a bondo job? This would be a nice car.
Those were really good cars but they were not made to lug around town. Lugging would cause the carb bolts to loosen and there came problems.
I worked at the largest Opel dealer in the nation back then and we saw a lot of Opels and had the largest number of parts for them.
The above was the fastest because it was the lightest.
I’d much rather have one of these than an Opel GT. Not necessarily this one!
Missing the link to Craigslist Russ. Interesting little car otherwise.
With a manual, these were a legit contender in the 2002, 510 game.
Yeah, those wheels are terrible and the bumper hole filling is a bummer too. The original wheels were pretty uninspiring but a set of 13” slots or Cragars might be period correct fun.
Just what we need another little car with a crappy fart muffler.
I also remember a sign at a classic car show. It said Hondas with big mufflers are like buttholes. Everybody has one, but nobody wants to hear your fart.
My Dad bought one new when the gas crisis hit as his commuter car. Our 1965 Pontiac Catalina 4-door used too much gas. The Opel was eventually passed down to me, and it was very dependable, fun to drive with the 4-speed, and never got stuck in the snow (we lived in Chicago). Traded it in on a ’80 Dodge van that I spent one summer traveling around the country in.
I learned to drive a stick on a 1970 Opel Kadett. Poverty edition. I got it free from my music teacher in the late 70s. I seem to recall the lever sticking out of the floor about 2 and a half feet to the knob.
Bought a ’74 Ascona with a 4-speed new and never had trouble with it. It was white with a red interior. The 5mph bumpers didn’t help the appearance but it was fun to drive and one of the best cars in snow I’ve ever had. I always looked at it as a poor man’s BMW. I would buy the exact same car again if it ever turned up.
Do yourself a favor and look at the Craigslist for this car is listed under for 1970 Chevrolet K5 blazer for $7000. . Private party , lol.
As recently as about 2015 you could go to your Buick dealer and purchase a car built by Opel but badged as a Buick.
Yessir, 2017 models being the last German Opels sold by Buick over here.
My 2018 Buick Regal TourX has a body tag stating “manufactured in Germany by Opel.” They suspended production of the Regal in 2019. I’ve heard there is quite a passionate fan base here with owners stripping off the badges thus creating Opel clones.
Donk Donk Donk!
’75 Asconas had fuel injection which improved performance. I seem to remember Patrick Bedard (Car&Driver) modified one to race showroom stock at Lime Rock back then. I’ve always wanted a wagon version (fuel injected) to toss around! Poor man’s BMW is about right!
Boy, those wheels are non-fitting and ugly!
As a stout Opel fan, I had several, all good cars, you can imagine my elation upon actually seeing one again, quickly dashed by the clown wheels. As tough as it is to accept, the wheels are the style today, and I guess we should be honored they even chose an obscure car like an Opel 1900 to do that to. Relax, they come off as easy as they went on, and I think that 4 bolt pattern should be no problem finding stock type wheels. I suppose the real chore would be finding 13″ tires today. Still a great find.
I believe we could find some tires. Remember those old civics had 13 . For sure would need to be ordered. Tire Rack probably has them . I have to preorder my tires for my 94 Camry with 14 inch wheels. Usually no one have those in stock
It’s at K&C Auto Sales, just east of the US-24 & Business US-36 junction in MC.
I stopped and looked at this car when I was in Monroe City a while back. It caught my attention as I had a ’69 Opel Kadett Rallye and later a ’74 Opel Manta in the ’70’s & ’80’s. This one is a rarity for having the factory under-dash A/C, but it takes about a quarter of the little 1.9 engine’s power just to run the compressor. The automatic would take another quarter of it, and the lowering of the effective final gear ratio from the huge tires would sap another quarter. Doesn’t leave much, especially if it still has the 1-barrel Solex carb instead of the later Weber 2-bbl.
It’s a truly awful attempt at customization. I wonder if it is even possible to turn the car around in an open field with the huge clown wheels & tires, and the bumper removal and poor paint makes it worse. It does appear to be reasonably sound as to rust. Most Opels had a jack with a 3/4″ or so rod that inserted into a socket under the body near the wheel to be lifted. Often the first sign that you were in serious rust trouble was when you tried to lift the wheel and all you do is cave in the body rail at the jack!
Could be an interesting project, but it’ll involve reversing a lot of what’s been done to the poor thing already!
Rear body’s been caved in and pulled out badly at the left taillamp and the bumper’s likely missing and the holes filled because they couldn’t get one. The missing emblem on the right the decklid looks like they may have taped around everything and threw a quick coat of a bright color on it to try and move it, and good luck trying to match the right quarter. Too much missing, too much damaged fixed incorrectly, too many unknowns to justify the price even if it was half as much. You won’t lose it in the Wal Mart parking lot though.
I had one painted this same color, but mine was a ’72 that used the Manta body, the 1900 was the base version of the more upscale Manta. I needed a car for college, and I wanted a stick shift. Dad wanted A/C, in case he needed to borrow it for business when his car was in the shop. Ours had a dealer installed A/C system installed, so we both got what we wanted. The A/C worked well, but the under-dash unit intruded on legroom, and acceleration with the A/C on could best be described as leisurely, LOL!
This one will be even slower than that, because of the A/T. Make mine a stick shift, please!
My younger brother and me both taught ourselves how to drive a “stick” in that car! We drove around our suburban neighborhood, and forced ourselves to stop on the uphill to practice hill starts. It was a quiet neighborhood, without main streets and lots of cul-de-sacs and hills, perfect for stick shift practice. Within an hour, we were both shifting like we had done it all of our lives! We even mastered the dreaded uphill start with aplomb, not even needing the assistance of the handbrake by the end of the afternoon!
Imagine, spending ~ $1K in stupid looking wheels and rubber band tires to make a car for sale less valuable by ~ $2k!
Anyway, I owned 11 Opels, all bought for lass in than $50, a little maintenance and drove them until they dissolved. I still have my rust free 66 1.1L Kadette wagon. I was impresser by all of them, especially the GT. But rust out was notorious.
That’s true my grandfather and I bought a 69 opal cadet with no floor left in it. I put a few 2 x 6 planks across the frame and sat on plastic milk crate on top of them and drove it home. It was crazy watching the street go past underneath.
He paid $100.00 in 1980 and had it for 10 years and he put a min of 90 miles on it every single day to see my grandmother in the nursing home. It saved his Cadillacs.After she died, he sold it for $900.00.
Still running well and inspected.
Hi Bill, I seem to remember my old man saying the same thing,, :)
My girlfriend had an Opel GT . It was canary yellow. You pulled back on this handle pretty hard to pop up the headlights. I believe it had 2 carburetors. manual transmission, pretty peppy when it was running right . Anyone remember those Opels. For this Opel here , no bueno . Bad color , bad wheels, and an automatic. No thanks
Damned hard to get 13 inch tires today.
My mom bought one that was a year old in the exact same color. She hated the color. To make the sale they did a color change. Went with burgundy with a black vinal roof. Ran like a champ. Had the auto, teenage me shifted it like it had a clutch. Fun little car. No clue what happened to it.
Perry –Would love to see a photo of yours with the color change. Burgundy with a black vinyl top sounds delightful. Both my family’s Kadetts were white and my parts car was pale yellow. Don’t think I had them long enough to even wash them one time.
this was my first car: a 1972 Opel 1900 4 door. Blue w light blue interior. COMFORTABLE, rode well, zippy handling. Decent mileage. Kept it for 5 years as my daily driver. At around 75k miles it began eating carburetors and had a case of vapor lock that made it stall out a lot. But it was a poor man’s BMW…………until in needed repairs. ACHTUNG! those parts were expensive and the local Buick dealer didn’t know what to do. A local mechanic who specialized in German cars kept it going. When the time came it sold pretty easily.