How can a car be from three countries? It’s hard to believe and even harder to explain, but this is the case with this interesting dusty little survivor sedan. This 1978 Buick Opel by Isuzu is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in one of my favorite cities in America: El Paso, Texas. They’re asking $3,499 or offer for this tri-country sedan, and here is the original listing.
We’ve only seen two of these triple-country cars over the years here at Barn Finds. Believe it or not, I was the culprit behind those: a two-door version back in 2018 and a four-door very similar to this one back in 2021. The 2021 car is eerily similar to this one, right down to the plaid interior fabric and automatic transmission.
The Opel Gemini had a few iterations of the already-unusual name here in North America, having been known as the Buick Isuzu Opel, the Buick Opel by Isuzu, the Opel by Isuzu, and the Camry. Ok, I’m kidding about that last one. They were an incredibly interesting car, and by 1981, they were known as the Isuzu I-Mark. The bumpers were hit by U.S. safety regulations, unfortunately, but this car appears to be in really nice condition overall.
Well, other than the fabrics inside. I hope that’s just wear, but any time I see remnants of padding and other things inside, I think rodents. We don’t know if that’s the case here, and it could just be due to age. We don’t know the history of this car, and the seller gives a great, long description, but they don’t go into where they got it or how many owners there have been or any of that info. I hope that “Deluxe plaid cloth and vinyl trim” fabric can somehow be sourced; it would be a shame to redo it in anything else.
The Weber-topped Isuzu G180 is a 2.0-liter SOHC inline-four, which would have had 80 horsepower and 95 lb-ft of torque when new. It’s backed by a THM-200 three-speed automatic with a console shifter sending power to the rear wheels. It could use a lot of detailing under the hood, some interior work, and who knows what else. The seller says they put on a new head gasket and that new Weber carb, but that’s about the only info they give on this particular example, other than a general description of the model. They don’t say how it runs or what else is needed, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more unusual car for around three grand. Have any of you heard of this model?
Scotty, you didn’t quite explain the “tri-country” thing, so here it is: this Buick Opel by Isuzu is a lightly facelifted version of the German Opel Kadett C, manufactured in Japan by Isuzu, and sold in the USA by Buick.
Sorry about that, CCF. I meant American, German, and Japanese for Buick, Opel, and Isuzu. My apologies. I like your version better!
I’d like to start off by saying…….
Wow!!!! Finally… An engine that can’t overpower and subsequently blow up a GM THM 200!!!
Just kidding. (Although I may be right). This is a very unique car. It looks pretty solid and it would absolutely be the only one at a cars and coffee for sure.
Scotty you certainly have a way of finding and writing up some unique vehicles!! I enjoyed it.
At that, it’s a little more powerful than a 1.6L Chevette which could also have a 200. In that application the transmission could easily outlast your will to live, and proved a very reliable, almost bulletproof incentive to learn to drive stick.
Wow, if this comment makes it, just plain WOW! Tip of the hat to the author, I NEVER thought I’d ever see one of these again. Don’t underestimate the site, and above all, don’t underestimate the author. Having had several German Opels, all good cars, naturally I was horrified to see an Opel from Japan. I mean, that crosses so many lines. Not that this was a bad car, quite the opposite, actually, it was as good, or better in some respects than the German one, but come on, some things should remain sacred. These were actually fairly common, I doubt many knew the difference between these and the German ones, to the buyers, it was simply a foreign econobox that was offered by Buick. They rusted quickly, and nobody bought another, and they faded away pretty quick.
What a great find!
At least these Japanese Opels rotted out as well as the German produced ones did. But the German Opel’s were much prettier.
Also sold in Australia as a Holden Gemini. I had a 1978 1.6ltr 5 speed SL/E which was the top trim model. It was a great car, handled like it was on rails with Koni shocks and 205 Bridgestone steel belted 60s , white lettering showings of course, my wife also had a 1981TE model when we were dating
Good times. Mine was a TD van, Weber, a killer (for 1980) stereo, Hotwires and a lot of fun!
It still has a generator I’m sure.
As I recall, 76 was the only year that Isuzu made Opel, or rebadged it.
I bought a similar one for parts for my 77 Opel by Isuzu Coupe,for $230! the engine is actually n1.8 L ,same as the Chevy Luv, it had almost 100 lbs of torque so it goes OK, mine is a stick shift though, my past car had the auto, the huge box on the firewall is the AC unit, its huge! I am from Ireland so to me its a Opel Kadett C coupe’ , I will say however the German built ones were better made in my personal opinion, I love mine, lots of people ask is it a Datsun coupe, apart from wheels mine is stock, engine has 150,000 miles on it now