The Opel GT first began rolling off the assembly
line in 1968, and it must have seemed as incongruous for the marque then as it
does now. Typically focused on mass-market vehicles, the GT was an exceptional
high-water mark for Opel.
Its gestation began in 1962 with the first design
sketches. The project was developed in secret for three years until the first
prototype was ready not only to show to the press and the world, but to Opel’s
own management. The initial show car that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show
in 1965 was, in Opel’s words, “the first concept car from a German
manufacturer.” And it was the product of “ the first design centre of European automobile manufacturer.”
Three years later, production began. The GT was
about the size of a Mazda Miata, and weighed about the same as the original NA,
too. It offered a choice of four-cylinder engines: a 1.1-liter unit with 60
horsepower from the Kadett, or a 1.9 with 90 hp from the Rekord. Buyers could
also choose between a four-speed manual or a three-speed automatic. The former
was more popular in Europe, the latter more widely accepted in
America. That’s right, Opel sold its cars in America back then, and not
rebadged as Pontiacs, Buicks or Saturns, either.
The more powerful of the two powertrain
options propelled the GT to 100 km/h in 11.5 seconds and on to a top
speed of 185 km/h. Hardly record-breaking figures, sure. But bear in
mind that the four-cylinder Porsche 914 that debuted the following year took
even longer (13.3 seconds) to get up to speed, and only topped out a click and
a half faster.
Opel even toyed with convertible, diesel, and even
electric versions. The founder’s grandson Georg von Opel set several world
records in a battery-powered prototype, and a diesel prototype set even more.
Ultimately, though, no such versions made it into production.
At the end of just five years, Opel produced 103,463
examples. Half a century later, that wouldn’t amount to one tenth of the vehicles
it produces every year, even without the US market. All the same – or perhaps
even more so as a result – the GT’s place was cemented in history.
