Opel GT
The Opel GT is often referred to as the “Baby Corvette” due to its visual similarity to the third generation Chevrolet Corvette (the C3), both Opel and Chevrolet are General Motors-owned companies and the similarities between the C3 Corvette and the Opel GT are more than just skin deep. Both the Opel GT and C3 Corvette are fitted with transverse springs as part of their suspension (up front for the Opel and in the rear for the Corvette), both cars have no externally openable trunk requiring access from inside behind the seats, both vehicles have pop-up headlights, swooping curves and notably similar front and rear ends.Where the Opel GT differs from the Corvette is in its construction, it uses a more modern steel unibody design rather than a fibreglass body on a steel frame like the C3.The Opel GT was designed by Erhard Schnell, it first made its appearance at the 1965 at the Paris and Frankfurt motor shows as a styling exercise. The public reception for the car was so warm that it got put into production, with the bodies all made by French contractor Brissonneau & Lotz based on the platform under the Opel Kadett B.The somewhat humble Opel Kadett B platform is where the Opel GT got its front transverse leaf spring and upper A-arms, it also features a live rear axle on coil springs, disc brakes up front, drum brakes in the rear, and rack-and-pinion steering. The engine was mounted as far back in the engine bay as possible giving the GT a front-mid-engined layout and a weight distribution of 54/46 front/back. Two engines were offered with the GT, either a 1.1 litre, OHV, inline-4 cylinder producing 67 hp at 6,000 rpm or a 1.9 litre OHV, inline-4 engine producing 102 hp at 5200 rpm. Horsepower numbers did vary by year as engines were modified to meet increasingly stringent emissions standards.
Although neither of these engine choices were likely to light the world on fire with their power output it is important to note that the Opel GT only weighed between 845 kgs (1,863 lbs) to 940 kgs (2,072 lbs) depending on year and specifications.
Two transmission options were offered, either a 4-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic. In more recent years many cars have been converted from automatic to either 4 or 5-speed for an improved driving experience and better fuel economy. Just over 100,000 examples of the Opel GT were built during the 1968 to 1973 production run, in the United States the cars were sold through Buick dealers and many were equipped with automatic transmissions.
