Opel GT (1968 - 1973)

Introduction

The Opel GT continued its maker's fascination with American styling. It was originally shown as a concept at the 1965 Frankfurt motor show, and resembled a shortened Corvette. But under the skin, it was conventionally Opel, being based on the Kadett B's plaform. Front suspension used upper A-arms and a lower transverse leaf spring, while at the rear ther was a live axle and coil springs - and handing was typically Opel-neat.

The body was built by Brissoneau & Lotz in France, and it was offered with two power units, the 1.1-litre Kadett engine, and the 1.9-litre cam-in-head found in the Record and Olympia. The GT1100 produced 67bhp and was surprisingly perky, but the 102bhp 1.9-litre was capable of 110mph and 0-60mph in 9.0 seconds. In 1970, the GT/J was launched - a lower priced version, with simplified trim and bold striping. Interestingly, the rotating pop-up headlamps were manually operated, but the GT's best feature by a mile is its excellent steering and handling - hard to find now, and values are on the rise.