1 of 2 in the US! 1976 Opel Kadett C
If the fourth generation of the Opel Kadett looks like the Chevy Chevette (also the Chevy Vega), that’s because it was part of General Motors’ first “world car” using the T-platform and built by GM across the globe. The Kadett C itself would see more than 1.7 million copies built between 1973 and 1979. More than half of those were exported outside of Germany. In the U.S., they were sold at your neighborhood Buick dealer (through 1975). This nice example from 1976 was imported in 2002 by its owner.
Like the Chevy Chevette, these were basic yet functional little cars. The coupe version like this one added some style but it was still a rather simple automobile. The 1.2-liter inline-4 produces 51 horsepower, so you’d want a 4-speed manual like this one for the little car to get out of its own way. But it should be nimble and easy to drive, and this one has but 55,000 miles on the odometer (stated as kilometers or 88,300).
Because of its scarcity and condition, this little Opel has won some awards and the seller believes only two of these coupes were imported into the U.S. after Buick dried up as a resource to sell them new. This Bernstein Gold Kadett is being sold on consignment, so if it doesn’t move, it will likely go back to its owner. The paint and interior are both nice and show few flaws for the age. The fit and finish appear to be a notch above that of Chevrolet’s offerings. Creature comforts are few with an AM/FM radio and power disc brakes to help stop the little car.
If you’re looking for a 1970s-era vehicle that no one else is likely to have, this Opel Kadett C coupe might fit the bill. Located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, the little pseudo-Chevette/Vega is available here on eBay for $20,000. It looks like a car you could drive home without issue and get a lot of questions about. Kudos to Russell Glantz for this unusual tip.
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Comments
Before I read the article, I was thinking that it was amazing how much this car resembled the Chevy Vega! (IMO) Once again showing that if the Vega had not been a “corporate/bean counter” project foisted off on Chevrolet, what a great car it might have been! GLWTA!! :-)
I saw one of those at a restaurant on my way to run
the Lord Ellis Hillclimb.That either in the late ’70’s,or early-
’80’s.It was Yellow as I recall.I also think that it had German
plates on it.
What was the last year Buick dealers sold Opels in the US? I could have sworn our local dealer still was selling them in 76 or 77. Though I believe by then, they were rebadged I-Marks. Those rebadged cars looked very similar to this.
The were selling them in 1978. They were selling for under $3000. Brand new. I was considering buying one after graduation. They came in nice bright colors
The “Buick-Opel” was made in Japan by Isuzu. Note the dashboard here is different from it and the one on the Chevy Chevette although hard points seem similar to the latter. Windshields should interchange among all 3 (pre-’81 for the Chevette since it went to a bonded one around that point) but once you recognize it you’ll never unsee those rounded corners of the T-Car windshield.
Nope… the kadett was german made, replaced by isuzu gemini in the 1976 when the german version was deemed too expensive
1976 was the only year that Isuzu made the Opel.
Buick stopped importing the German Opels after the 1975MY. After that they imported the GM world car, one of which was the Isuzu Gemini from Japan for 1976-1979 for sale in the USA as the “Buick-Opel”. The German Opel Kadett from this GM T-car series was never imported to the USA by GM. Too bad. It’s a really great handling car.
I do like these, but $20k for a regular 1.2 seems really steep.
The Kadett is such a basic simplistic car. But everything fits well together. The engine is tough and takes lots of abuse. The gearbox is very direct and mechanical, the clutch smooth and easy to learn. There’s an interesting joy in driving something so unsophisticated that still does its job. Coming to think about it, here in the US I had a $700 early Ford Ranger that had zero options and it had a similar vibe where you just love it for its unpretentious basicness.
But I can’t get around that they were great runabouts that I bought for $100-200, not a collectors car at $20k.
Never saw’r one, not in my neighborhood anyways. The last German Opels were the Mantas, and then the Isuzu ones, that were okay cars, but I always felt a bit of an insult to the name Opel. There must have been some creative talks to get Opel to agree with that, if they did. I suppose Buick called the shots by then. It’s no surprise, by the 70s, our cars were becoming a composite of cars from around the world., even though, many never heard of any of them. This car needs a hatchback, and like previous Kadetts, nothing to write home about, just great dependable cars. I’m shocked at the motor, still being used, dating back to the early 60s. I read, this car cost about 9950 marks, which was about $5500, when a ’76 Vega was about $3300, and almost TWICE the price of the cheapest Chevette, the Scooter, at $2999, so not a lot of interest for one, here anyways. Can’t find the sales numbers in US, if any, but with over 24 million total Kadetts sold worldwide, I’d say it was a hit.
Oh, I did find the “Opel City” did offer a hatchback, equally as rare, I’m sure. I found, the Kadett “C” was the last RWD Opel, and in ’77, they came out with a Rallye version, that had a slew of options and were rally neat cars, again, that we, in America, would never see. Little pricey, would a European pay over $18,000 euros for one? Not bloody likely.
Very nice Opel. To bag they were not or still imported to the USA.
That’s another one screaming for a heart transplant. Great lines to it, and the right motor would make it quite the sleeper in today’s tuner car scene.
They had the right motor from the factory – fuel injected 2.0 liter 115hp + a 5 speed dog leg trans
The Vega was introduced in late 1970, as a 1971 model. I don’t think there was any commonality with the Opel.
Sometimes the later Opels were a problem in this country. The ones with fuel injection were not happy on American gasoline. The Opel engineers used to say that wasn’t their problem. That our gasoline was inferior quality. The Isuzu Opel was different. The only problems they had were bad fuel pump relays and the side of the driver’s seat back would tear open on the sharp seat frame. Nothing else ever broke on them.
The T-car that world got was heavily influenced by the Vega styling. I can see a lot of European influence inside this car. Here’s the car you can drive flat out all the time. Put your foot on the floor and steer.
I lived in Germany in the early ’60s. At that time the Opal Rekord was a luxurious hot, sharp, automobile. It looked remarkably like a slightly larger Kadett and it came powered by a GM 283 ci V8 which made it a boden stomping (ground pounding) rocket. There was a bright red one, in the show window of the Opal dealer in Darmstadt, that I salivated over for months. Unfortunately, my military pay grade couldn’t support the price and I was condemned to disappointment for the entire 4 years of my otherwise enjoyable residence in Germany. I do believe the emotional trauma inflicted upon me by the economic conditions of the time played a major role in my inability to deal with the future. I got used to being old and unattractive but I’ve never been able to get used to being poor.
Opel Record never had a V8 nor a V6
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Rekord
The only cars with a V8 were luxobarges Opel Kapitan, Opel Admiral and Opel Diplomat
Once my Grandfather bought a 69 Kadet for $50.00. It had a gas tank in the trunk. The floor was totally gone and no way to mount seats. I rigged some 2 X 6 planks and bungee corded a plastic milk crate to sit on and drove it home. We put a new floor in it and drove it for 12 years. He kept stepping on the button on the floor to go to high beams but it squirted the windshield instead. When he died, I sold it for $900.00.
What is the red lamp for that hangs under the back bumper?
Rear fog lamp maybe?
Haha, plastic milk crate! Probably worked great! I did similar with a small metal milk can in a ’58 VW, but the top was too small for comfort plus it kept tipping over….not safe. At least we were creative!
Yes we were creative and we still lived.
Yes – it is a fog lamp.I had one on my dual Weber
125 hp ’79 Fiesta.
I think that light may be called an “Autobahn” light, not a fog light. It was a a hi-res tail light that was brighter, and could be seen from farther away than the regular tail lights for cars coming up with great speed. I notice a lot of German cars had those.
One of the nicest ones left in the United States.
One of the occasions when exclusivity does not equate to special privilege.
Rad support is unique.
Holden Gemini in Australia & had 1600 engine here , nice little car , very popular at the time & quite rare now , there was a sedan , wagon , van & another 2 door version without the lift back
You are absolutely correct. It was an Opal Diplomat. My goldfish long memory once again displays it’s limits. Its gotta 10 year capacity completely overwhelmed by a 62 year time line.
1976 was the only year that Isuzu made the Opel.
To Peter Howe: my memory of things in the 1940s and 1950s is as clear as crystal; the 2,000s, NOT so much. With age 62 so far behind my rear-view mirror that I can’t now recollect what that age was like, I do know that, after the mid-1990s, all cars have looked about the same to me — low and squashed in the front, high in the rear, up-swept belt-lines, and “liquid” profiles. Ah! — for the days of cars that were level from front to rear, whose windshields did not slant back at ridiculous angles, had classic “squared” designs, and rear wheels driven by V-8 power! (1953, until the end of the 1991 Ford Panthers, with the exception of those stupid late 1950s FINS!)). The formerly ubiquitous early 1980s Dodge Diplomats and Plymouth Gran Furys looked about as a car SHOULD look, if a bit “generic”.
Kadett was NOT the last rwd opel! Not even close…
Opel rekord was rwd in the 1980s (together with other models)
opel senator was rwd in the 1990s and opel omega (cadillac catera) was rwd in the 2000s
Once upon a time I had an Opel Manta, I loved that car.
Imagine bringing this to a Buick dealer for service now where they dont even sell cars anymore. & i bet many young techs there dont know how to drive a manual trans.
Our techs are pretty good, but we are a Chrysler Jeep store. I have moved cars for porters and service advisors before.
Someone mentioned that the Isuzu built Opel was an insult to the name. It was a Japanese made version of this exact car but with an 1800cc engine instead of that 1200. Probably the best non homologation special T car ever.
The German Opel came with 2 engine choices; 1100 and 1900. I think most were 1900.
To Harrison Reed:
I agree with your comment almost completely.
From my perspective I start to lose interest when the radiator got covered up. When they moved the shift from the floor to the column they lost me completely.
Getting old really sucks.
To PETER HOWE: I’m not quite as far as you are: 3-on-the-tree doesn’t bother me. And I don’t mind grilles in front of radiators (smile). But getting old is something I’ve long since done — and it beats being under the ground. Yes, my joints are stiff, and I can no longer eat a number of things my digestion used to tolerate. And attending the funerals of everyone you once knew isn’t joyful. Visiting friends in nursing homes who have no idea who you are is rough. But I still enjoy life, and I’m not looking for it to end. All human endeavours are transitory, I suppose. And one day, my old car will wear out. I am grateful that my hearing still is excellent (clerks in stores speak loudly and slowly to me, expecting me to be deaf, when I’m not) — but my 78 rpm records still sound fine, and happily, I still can get the stylus to play them. And pretty young girls call me “Honey” or “Sweetheart” — something they never did when I was young! (Advanced age has it’s advantages!). And I can compliment a young lady who looks nice, in full honesty, without fear of being accused of anything (because I’m regarded at this point as “harmless”). So… getting old also has “perks”. Given the alternative, I am grateful to be old.