The Opel GT is a two-seat sports car first presented as a styling exercise in 1965 at the Paris and Frankfurt motor shows, and introduced as a production model late in 1968 by the German automaker Opel, with a total of 103,463 examples produced. They were sold through Buick dealerships all across the U.S.
The Opel GT used a steel unibody and a conventional front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout. The standard engine was the 1.1L OHV four-cylinder engine (Opel 1100) that produced 67 hp. An optional 1.9L engine (Opel 1900) which produced 100 hp was offered. The standard gearbox was a four-speed gearbox but a three-speed unit was available with the 1.9L engine.
With the 1.1L engine, 0-100 km/h took 16.5 seconds, top speed was 155 km/h. With the 1.9L engine, 0-100 km/h took 11.5 seconds, top speed was 185 km/h. The first few hundred examples with the 1.1L engines were hand-assembled. They are the most collectable. (conceptcarz.com & opelgtsource.com)
One unusual feature of the Opel GT was the operation of the pop-up headlights. They were manually operated, by way of a large lever along the center console next to the shifter. Unlike most pop-up headlights, they both rotated in the same direction (counterclockwise from inside the car) about a longitudinal axis. The Opel GT was a fastback, that had neither an externally accessible trunk nor a conventional hatchback. There was a parcel shelf behind the seats that could only be accessed through the main doors. Behind the parcel shelf was a fold-up panel that concealed a spare tire and jack. (wikipedia)
(Photos from flickr.com, autowp.ru, curbsideclassic.com, avonds.com
thegegeblog.canalblog.com, portscardigest.com & commons.wikimedia.org)
Opel GT / J
Of the later cars 10,760 were the cheaper model (GT/J, "J" as in Junior), with chrome parts and bumpers painted matt black. Brick red, Lemon yellow, Ocher and Leman blue were the only four exterior color options. (wikipedia & opelgtsource.com)
(Photos from powerful-cars.com)
1965 Opel Experimental GT Concept
Early 1960s, the time was right for a sports car which could provide a sporty look, modern technic and good driving presentations for an affordable price. The Experimental GT followed a new design style often called the "Coke Bottle Shape", which could also be seen reflected in the design of the Corvettes of the time.
On the interior, the cockpit of the Experimental GT was unusually roomy and functional, with full instrumentation set in an impressive-looking dashboard with toggle switches, competition steering wheel and short shift lever. There was a parcel shelf behind the seats that could only be accessed through the main doors. Behind the parcel shelf was a fold-up panel that concealed a spare tire and jack. (Opel.com)
On the interior, the cockpit of the Experimental GT was unusually roomy and functional, with full instrumentation set in an impressive-looking dashboard with toggle switches, competition steering wheel and short shift lever. There was a parcel shelf behind the seats that could only be accessed through the main doors. Behind the parcel shelf was a fold-up panel that concealed a spare tire and jack. (Opel.com)
(Below Orange) 1965 Opel Experimental GT Concept
(Below Red) Opel GT (1968-73)
(Below Blue) 1969 Opel Aero GT Concept
(Photos from autowp.ru & opel.com)
