Always check the care label before washing your clothes — cotton and wool do not forgive hot water. The same principle, apparently, applies to Corvette Stingrays. Toss one in with the darks and you might end up with something like this.
Well, not quite. What you're actually looking at is a 1973 Opel GT that has surfaced on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). It wears a wonderfully citrusy shade of Rallye Gold paint and, importantly, a four-speed manual gearbox for enthusiast-approved gear selection.
Back in the 1960s, GM's German division Opel had a rather conservative lineup and needed something to generate excitement. The solution was to take the sensible Kadett underpinnings and dress them in something far more appealing — and the man tasked with the design was Clare MacKichan, the stylist behind the Chevy Nomad and the C2 Corvette.
The GT first appeared as a concept in 1965. Opel apparently figured that just revealing a design study might be enough to polish the brand's image, since it didn't actually put the GT into production until 1968. By that point, its European debut was somewhat overshadowed by the Ford Capri, which arrived shortly after to enormous enthusiasm and an extended production run.
In the United States, the Opel GT was sold through Buick dealerships. A three-speed automatic was on the options list, but given that the 1.9-liter four-cylinder had fewer than 100 horsepower, anyone interested in spirited driving really had to stick with the manual.
This example is from the GT's final year, equipped with that four-speed stick to extract whatever the 89-hp 1.9-liter four-cylinder has to offer. Practicality isn't the point — luggage space is virtually nonexistent — but it's light, agile, and a genuinely enjoyable companion on a winding back road.
A period-correct Corvette is all about V-8 thunder and a soundtrack to match — along with a significant fuel bill. This Opel GT is economical, old-school fun, and it arrives in solid mechanical condition thanks to prior maintenance that includes new seals, a replacement clutch, and fresh rear brakes and suspension components. It appears sorted and ready to use.
So skip the laundry for a day. Find a scenic road, roll through the gears, and enjoy the spring sunshine. The Opel GT may look like a pint-sized Corvette. Its entertainment value, however, comes in full size.
The auction ends on March 18.
