Opel GTW Geneve Concept

Opel GTW Geneve Concept 1975

In Geneva in 1975, Opel revealed a beautifully streamlined two-seater, the "Genève". Engineered to take a Wankel-type rotary engine, its original name was "GT/W" ("W" for Wankel). However, GM dropped its Wankel development program before the car was completed.
Opel Design renamed it and exhibited its fiberglass mock-up as an eye-catcher at the show.

Opel GTW Geneve Concept 1975

Opel GT

Opel GT 1968

"Only Flying is More Exciting" - this slogan has become a classic in advertising history, and even an everyday saying in German-speaking countries. It belonged to a car which has itself long since become a classic - the Opel GT. Its career got off to a flying start in 1965 when, to everyone's surprise, Opel presented an aerodynamic "Experimental Concept" at the IAA in Frankfurt - a car which did not fit into the usual world of central European high volume automobile production. In view of the sensational design, it was no surprise to see the production version on the road three years later. But what few people knew was that Opel had set a precedent: for the first time in Europe, a vehicle went into production that had initially debuted as a concept car.

The 1968 Opel Coupé could not deny a certain similarity to the legendary 1968 American Corvette, nor did it want to. It followed a new design style called the "Coke Bottle Shape", which also outstanding the Stingray. "Besides having a fantastic look, the Opel sports car was primarily designed to impress with sophisticated aerodynamics," explains Erhard Schnell, GT designer at the time. A sleek front end with retractable headlamps that rotate on the longitudinal axis, broad fender, tapered flanks in the door area, then bulky rear fenders which flow into the rear with sharp separating edges and round lamps - these were the Opel GT's key design characteristics.

"Safety belts are standard, please buckle up" - this was the Opel advertisement that promised GT occupants outstanding acceleration. And the driving performance the sporty 90 hp two-seater offered was truly top class in the late 1960s. Its 1.9-liter engine accelerated the GT from zero to 100 km/h in 10.8 seconds, and on to a top speed of 185 km/h. Almost 40 years ago, this was really fast. As a top model in the upper mid-class segment at that time, the Opel Rekord 1.9 had a top speed of 160 km/h, for example. The 200 km/h threshold was like the sound barrier, and had just been crossed by the muscle cars of that generation, such as the Mercedes 280 SE 3.5 with a 200 hp V8 engine. A Porsche 912 - which was commonly considered to be a car in the shape of the first 911, with four cylinders and 90hp, just like the Opel GT - also had a top speed of 185 km/h, but took 12.5 seconds from zero to 100 km/h.

The 1968 GT's sporty handling matched its performance figures thanks to a chassis with front twin A-arm axle and rear center-joint rigid axle with bolted springs, longitudinal control arm and lateral track bar.

Did you know?
= from 1968 to 1973, exactly 103,464 units of the GT were produced? The GT is a permanent collectors highlight, and a well-maintained model can fetch a fortune.
= 85 percent of the entire GT production run was exported, and 70,222 units (around 70 percent) went to the USA alone?
= the GT's body in white was created by French specialists Chausson (Reims), while Brisonneau & Lotz in Creil, north of Paris, took care of lacquering, electrics and interior equipment? The final car assembly took place in Bochum, where the body was 'married' to the powertrain and chassis. It was also the production center for the Kadett, upon which the GT was based.
= space for the 1.9-liter engine, which was also used in the Rekord, was so small that the hood had to be power domed and the cylinder-head cover skewed in the front section? The "Power dome" was not just for show!
= the Aero GT concept with removable targa roof was presented in 1969 at the IAA? One of the two prototypes can be found today in Opel's classic collection.
= the company founder's grandson, Georg von Opel, reached 188 km/h in mid-1971 at Hockenheim in a converted Opel GT with electric propulsion? The following year, a team of motoring journalists and race car drivers set 20 world records at the Opel Test Center in Dudenhofen in the "Diesel World Record GT 1972".
= many reasons led to the end of production in August 1973? These included demands from the USA - the most important export market - to fit bulky safety bumpers, which did not match the style of the car, and the fact that Brisonneau & Lotz was bought by Renault, signaling the end of the contractual relationship with Opel.
= Robert A. Lutz, "car guy", GM Vice Chairman, Global Product Development, was a sort of godfather to both Opel GTs? In 1968, in his position as Manager at Opel, he played a decisive role in speeding up the decision on series production, and he also gave the green light to the new General Motors roadster troop - Solstice, Sky and GT.

Opel Kapitan

Opel Kapitan 1959

In the fall of 1959, the new Opel Kapitan (known internally as the Opel Kapitan P2 2.6-liter) rolled off the production line in Rüsselsheim for the first time. Thanks to its distinctive design, high comfort and state-of-the-art technology, it soon became a bestseller. A total of 145,616 units were sold up to 1964, making the P2 2.6-liter the most successful Opel Kapitan ever.

Fifty years after its market launch, the new top model from Rüsselsheim, the Opel Insignia, is repeating history. After less than 12 months on the market, over 150,000 drivers already call the innovative car their own. Five decades of progress in automotive development separate the two models, but both - each at their own time - play a groundbreaking role for the brand with the distinctive lightning-bolt emblem.

Opel Kapitan P2 2.6-liter - "More value for less money"

While the first post-war Opel Kapitan was still strongly influenced by American aesthetics, the second generation as of fall 1959 was distinguished by its own unique appearance and more European design. "The sweeping lines and softly flowing transitions are now replaced by a firm emphasis on the horizontal and the effect of pronounced contours," explains a contemporary text. The bodywork became more rigid and straight lines "stretched" the car - an effect that was enhanced by the particularly flat roof. Opel increased driver vision by installing a wider panorama windscreen that projected more deeply into the roof, and improved access for rear-seat passengers by making some slight design changes to the roof edges.

The Opel Kapitan's 2.6-liter, in-line six-cylinder engine delivered 66 kW/90 hp and maximum torque of 190 Newton meters between 1,300 and 2,500 revs. The experts were particularly impressed by its smooth running characteristics - the result of a new engine mounting that ensured maximum noise insulation and improved vibration damping.

Technical features such as the "actuation aid" for the clutch pedal were followed in the subsequent years by innovations such as "Hydra-Matic" automatic transmission and power steering. Thus, in terms of both technology and comfort, the Opel Kapitan set standards for automobile production at the time. Despite this, Opel refrained from increasing the price compared with the predecessor model, which also contributed to the sales success.

Opel Kadett Roadster

Opel Kadett Roadster 1938

With an automotive history spanning 110 years, Opel is one of the most tradition-rich brands in the industry. Over so many years, some developments are forgotten along the way and reappear again much later down the road. As the company prepares the start of the 10th compact class generation with the new Opel Astra, pictures of an unfamiliar Opel roadster were discovered in an old data base. Opel classic car experts' research shows that Opel engineers built the prototype of a two-seat convertible in 1938, evidently based on the first Opel compact class generation, the Opel Kadett from the 1930's. The name of the car is noted on the pictures that were found: Opel Kadett Two-Seat "Strolch", which means vagabond.

The chic, charming roadster never made it to series production. The old minutes from a management meeting indicate that this project wasn't pursued due to a scarcity of steel before WWII and to relatively low numbers of units in this segment. But evidently Opel was already well prepared for the market launch, as evidenced by a brochure found in old archive records. Ready for printing, the brochure proudly presented the technical details of the Strolch powertrain: 1.1 liter displacement, 23 hp, three-speed transmission, maximum speed 98 km/h. But prototypes of the roadster were not included.

The Opel classic experts were so fascinated by the 3.62-meter long study that they came up with the idea of producing the Strolch 70 years after its was initially developed. In this way they could also demonstrate that even back during the first compact class generation, Opel engineers put a tremendous amount of imagination and passion into their work on new models.

A normal Opel Kadett from 1938 in the classic car collection that has served as a source for spare parts is to be used as the basis. The technology specialists in the classic team immediately started in on their new project. Particularly challenging were the design of the aerodynamic rear and work on other body parts that were not part of the Opel Kadett series. Building the folding fabric top without detailed plans required a lot of imagination and technical skills, especially because the only reference materials were the old pictures.

But the engineers managed to elicit even some of the old pictures' secrets. In order to determine the color of the old prototype, the historical black-white pictures were put through a precise greyscale analysis. This showed that the original Strolch was a bright red.

Daihatsu Compaqno Berlina 800

Daihatsu Compaqno Berlina 800

Daihatsu Compaqno Berlina 800