FAB WHEELS DIGEST (F.W.D.): Intermeccanica Indra (1971-74)

The Intermeccanica company’s founders were Canadian residents Frank and Paula Reisner, and when they traveled to Europe for the first time in 1958 they liked the Continent so much they settled in the mecca of coachbuilding, Turin in northern Italy.

After Intermeccanica’s most famous and successful car, the Italia, came the Indra, also designed by Bertone’s former chief stylist Franco Scaglione. The Indra was a partial joint venture between Intermeccanica and Opel. At 1969, young Bob Lutz was the general sales manager of Opel, a the GM-subsidiary, in Germany. He was looking to put some sizzle in Opel’s showroom. This ended up with Opel supplying Intermeccanica with its 5.3L 230 hp Chevrolet V8 and 2.8L 165 hp Opel inline 6. Both engines could be mated to a 3 speed automatic or 4-speed manual transmission.

At the 1971 Geneva Auto Show, the Indra spyder debuted on Intermeccanica’s stand and was a runaway success. In addition to the Spyder, Intermeccanica also offered a 2-seat coupe, and later in 1973, a stylish and muscular 2+2 which debuted at the 1973 New York Auto Show.

Reisner hoped to have the Indras sold in America, like the Italias several years earlier. However, most of the Indras were sold in Germany through Opel Dealers Network. In 1973, GM decided to stop supplying Chevrolet engines and Opel parts to Intermeccanica, this resulted in a ban on selling the car in Opel dealerships in Germany, with disastrous effects for Intermeccanica. Later the oil crisis hit, sending the entire GT car industry into a tailspin. As Intermeccanica reeled the Reisners did everything to keep the company alive, but those efforts came to naught and Intermeccanica closed its doors in December 1974.

The Indras were produced from approximately early 1971 to mid-1974 with 127 cars completed. Approximately 60 spyders, 40 coupes and 27 2+2s. (winstongoodfellow.com, intermeccanica.org & caranddriver.com)