American Learns About The German Car Brand - Opel

[@partista77]

I can't believe they left out the 1970 Opel GT!!!! Incredible!!! One of the best looking cars in the world!!!

[@RSProduxx]

Micro Corvette :)

[@mif4731]

18:24

[@biljancanin]

​@RSProduxx just as the Manta was the Baby Camaro, so was the GT the Baby Vette. The old GT was like the C3 Vette, and the new GT was like the C6 Vette. Manta was basicly Camaro but smaller.

[@RSProduxx]

@@biljancanin yep, I basically wrote that further down :)

[@afrog2666]

When a Jaguar has a lovechild with a Corvette lol

[@Chris-xe5ts]

I missed the Omega Lotus which was a sub 6s Omega build by Lotus. I was mindblown as a small kid.

[@raven1508]

The Ferrari Killer

[@gar6446]

They were rare beasts. But the V-6 was pretty good too. Except for changing the spark plugs at the back bank.

[@speerdragon7106]

and ther was the legend omega evo 500 with a 3L strait 6 runing at 10000 rpm the sound ist mindblowing

[@ThePapaja1996]

372 hp baby

[@thracorr9687]

I had a omega 3000. That was a beast.

[@PekkaSiltala]

Opels but right-hand-drives in UK are badged Vauxhall. Same cars.

[@datwistyman]

Yeah they swapped the Holden to that as well. Check out top gear 👍

[@baldyhead]

They were only the same from the mid 70s. Before then they were mostly different in construction and style.

[@PedroConejo1939]

Opel were sold in the UK in the 60s and 70s; the Rekord C was quite a looker and of course, there was the Manta.

[@Fortunateenough1995]

Uk and ireland vauxhall because of driving on the left rest of europe is opel for opposite reason

[@United-Nations]

@@Fortunateenough1995 Only Opel officially sells in Ireland but because of Ireland's odd car market we end up with a good bit of Vauxhalls too but they don't officially sell any cars

[@ManWithBeard1990]

If memory serves, the Opel Speedster was built on the same platform as the Lotus Elise.

[@fickyrisher]

You beat me to it, the VX220, they where on eBay for £7k only 5 years ago, now £15k!

[@Arltratlo]

no wonder its sold like a rock, who wanted quality made in the UK!

[@circulation69]

Try finding one these days that hasn't had at least one adventure into a ditch!

[@bjrn-steinarhanssen2102]

Also the base for Tesla Roadster... wich is among the stars now 😅

[@JohnZonneveld]

They kind of made fun in Germany of Opel Manta drivers. They even made a movie Manta Manta. One of the jokes, "What's the last thing that goes through his head when a Manta driver crashes into a wall.... his rear wing"

[@DenUitvreter]

In the Netherlands we had this guy who made his Manta into a one-seater so he could have both elbows out of the window. Lots of the Manta jokes were about the elbow out of the window as part of the social stereotype.

[@Capt.-Nemo]

There are 3 Movies. Manta Manta, Manta der Film and Manta Manta 2

[@JohnZonneveld]

@@Capt.-Nemo just saw indeed that Manta Manta Zwoter Teil was released in 2023. Der Film I never heard about.

[@Yvolve]

@@DenUitvreter When I was a kid, it was jokes about the Calibra. Still funny though.

[@renevliex557]

The shortest Manta joke. There is a Manta parked at the University. And was the names not something like Manni and Ushi? 😂

[@deadmanschest4322]

the Opel GT (1968 - 1973) is missing. that car was a beauty

[@partista77]

Wright on!! I couldn't believe it either!!!! The best of Opel didn't showed

[@AleksandarLazarevic-p6z]

Opel GT is a toy Corvette.. 😁

[@grahamrich3368]

Agreed!!

[@petar_d488]

The Calibra deserves the most attention, it is the all time best Opel car with very futuristic design for its time, amazing aerodynamics.

[@sergen2154]

Yes. Especialy the Dtm Calibra from the 90's like the 1995 from Keke Rosberg

[@marciusmarciukas5467]

In my country back in the day it was called poor man's Ferrari😁Just a stunning car.

[@wykydytron]

Manta is by far best car they made and only good car.

[@Rawwbot]

I kindly disagree, the Calibra is a cool car, no doubt. But theres the Lotus Omega ....

[@solidsteel3634]

@@wykydytronManta A and maybe Opel GT...

[@Yvolve]

Opel, GM, Vauxhall and Holden had a partnership for decades. Many cars shared parts and even entire models were just rebadged. All four brands started off on their own but a four-way marriage of convenience was formed to get around import taxes. Fun fact: The Corvette C3 was based on a concept called the Mako Shark II, which the Opel team also took inspiration from for the 1968 Opel GT. This is why the Corvette was called a Stingray, to keep with the aquatic theme. Big Car on YT does deep-dives on car brands and specific models. Perfect to learn more about brands and models. Great content but maybe not the best to react to as it is a talking head format. Do watch it if you want to learn more about Opel, he did a video on it.

[@FacelessJanus]

Just one thing Opel = Vauxhall. Point here is that is the only brand I know, that has another brandname in the UK versus the rest of the world.

[@midgetspinner7007]

​@@FacelessJanusDon't forget also (on occasion) Holden = Vauxhall (VXR8, Monaro)

[@marcovtjev]

@@FacelessJanusAfaik there are also some differences between South African Vauxhall and UK Vauxhall. Maybe also in corporate structure (ownership) not just models. The UK Vauxhalls seemed total carbon copies, the SA ones diverged more.

[@Yvolve]

@@FacelessJanus No, Vauxhall was it's own brand still, not just rebadged Opels. It was owned by either Opel or GM but it still operated as a separate company. They designed some of the cars that ended up being sold worldwide. It was, again, a marriage of convenience as Vauxhall wasn't doing well after WW2 and Opel wouldn't sell in the UK after WW2, given it was German. This was a way for both to survive.

[@Arltratlo]

did you know, GM owned Opel, Vauxhaul and Holden.... the closed down holden and sold the rest to PSA, since GM is out of the picture, the car makers making a profit.... which never happens while GM been running their shit show!

[@foxy126pl6]

The original opel GT was probably the one car opel is known for in the US, it was their best seller there

[@ropeburn6684]

It was called "pocket Corvette" 😂❤

[@PotsdamSenior]

Maxwell Smart drove one (in the tv series "Get Smart")

[@heinwlod3895]

@@ropeburn6684Like a Corvette adjusted to town sizes and gas prices in Europe haha

[@Kilian600]

The original Opel GT from the 70s was sold in the US as Buick Opel.

[@Kev27RS]

@@Kilian600It was an actual Opel, it was just sold at the Buick dealership.

[@Kref3]

I am a German engineer, who did work in international construction. in 2017 I was in Massachusetts, President No. 45 had just been inaugurated and there were a few guys with MAGA stickers on their cars (no red caps due to mandatory hardhats on site) and one of them picked up a line Trump had said quite often at the time, which was that Germany is a terrible country because we take American money by selling them our Mercedes and BMWs but do not return anything by buying Chevrolets and Lincolns and whatever. I kindly asked him, what defines that a car is American and what makes a car German. He explained: „GM, Chrysler and Ford are American car companies, Mercedes and BMW and Audi are German.“ - „Oh, so it is basically the headquarter that defines if a car is American or German. In that case I can really give you good news. My first car, which I bought in 1998, was an Opel Astra, and Opel was a GM company at the time. I later bought a Ford Focus, which also of course is a US company.“ He did not accept this, explained: „Nonono.. These cars are not US cars, because they are not built in the USA, they are built in Germany.“ - „True. So it is NOT the headquarter, but only where they are built?“ - „Yes!“ - „Good news again! Most of the Mercedes and BMWs I see in the USA are SUVs, right? And every SUV, even those driving on German roads, are not built in Germany. Every Merc SUV comes from Tuscaloosa, Alabama and every BMW SUV in the entire world was built in Spartanburg, South Carolina. So at this moment, in Germany, in my garage, stands my Spartanburg built BMW X3 US car.“ He still was not happy. And to this day, I do not understand, what in the eyes of this man makes a car American or German. A car built by a German company in the USA is not American enough. A car built by an American company in Germany is not American enough, too. We buy a lot of cars built in America here in Germany. And we build a lot of cars for American companies here in Germany, too. I doubt that many of the German cars in the USA are actually German built.

[@thearousedeunuch]

I guess that, to him, a car manufacturer needs to both be founded in the US and manufacture their cars there.

[@johannesfranck1770]

Trump only cares where the money goes…

[@Kev27RS]

@@thearousedeunuchWhich makes sense. That’s what defines an actual American car!

[@thearousedeunuch]

@@Kev27RS I agree. However, one could argue that being built in the US matters more than the brand's origin, or that the engineering itself matters more than where it's built.

[@Kev27RS]

@@thearousedeunuch Yeah, sort of. Ford is an US American car brand but also has an European division which sold / still sells models built in Germany or the UK and aren’t sold in the US. At the end of the day, it all depends on the car model. A genuine "home country" built car will always be preferred over an overseas / foreign built car in general, no matter the country of origin. 🙂

[@sehrguterTyp]

You can't imagine how many emotions these cars trigger in me as someone who grew up in Germany, near the Opel car factory. It's like looking at old family photos ❤️

[@MirkoC407]

The Kadett C from the 70es was a world car, you had it mostly as Chevy Chevette and Pontiac 1000. However, the US models were 5 door hatchbacks, a shape we did not have from Opel, although we had many: 2 and 4 door sedan, wagon, 3 door hatchback, coupe and targa roof. My uncle had a Manta B in the 80es, he lived in southern Germany and I visited him a lot in the summer holidays. Many memories of trips into the Alps for hiking are connected to this Manta. 80es Kadett were sold as Pontiac LeMans. My first car was a Kadett E Also the 80es Ascona was rebranded a lot in the US, it was the J-car - i.e. Chevy Cavalier, Pontiac Sunbird, Buick Skyhawk, Cadillac Cimmaron. Opel Rekord E and both generations Omega were sold as Holden Commodore, while the according Senators were sold as Holden Statesman. The 1st generation Mokka was sold as Buick Encore.

[@igornvidal]

Here in Brazil they were ALL branded Chevrolet. Astra, Omega, Kadett, Corsa...

[@andreschachel5863]

It's so weird. In Germany we had Chevrolet around the 2000s. But this were models from the korean brand Daewoo.

[@kemzito]

I'm from Chile, we have both opel and chevrolet, both sold the corsa

[@paradoxofgodexisting]

Its funny to me, because in Europe, some cars are branded Chevrolet that are actuall Daewoo.

[@GKAndagraunt]

But the bodywork (e.g. the Astra) is more beautiful than ours.

[@rrrrr-s3q]

Man you have the 4.1 Chevy straight six on some of the omega's, i want to swap an engine like that in mine. The turbothrift straight six

[@ChR0nos_7734]

Little bit about Opel. Opel uses alphabet to categorize their cars generations (Corsa A-F, Astra F-L, Vectra A and B, Insignia A and B,...) Opel's under GM rule were probably most badge engineered cars in the world From 1929 til 2017 Opel was owned by General Motors Opel was bought by PSA Group (Citroen, Peugeot, GM and Chrysler Europe) in 2017 From 2021 Opel is owned by Stellantis. Stellantis was created by merging FCA (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) and PSA Group 5:40 1st gen Holden Commodore is based on Opel Record an Senator A at 6:17 6:12 they only share the name, nothing else 6:25 in UK it was called Vauxhall Nova 6:28 famous Lotus Carlton ((also called Vauxhall Lotus Carlton, Lotus Omega and Opel Lotus Omega) was based on Omega A 6:38 Holden Commodore VN is related to Senator B 7:35 Vectra A in UK was called Vauxhall Cavalier and Holden Vectra in AUS 7:53 Frontera was badge engineered Isuzu MU 8:57 Corsa B was called as Opel/Vauxhall Corsa in Europe/UK and as Holden Barina in Oceania. Fun fact about Barina. Every single Barina generation was rebadged from different car manufacturer. 1st and 2nd gen are Suzuki Cultus (1st and 2nd gen), 3rd gen is Corsa B, 4the gen is Corsa C, 5th and 6th gen are Chevrolet Aveo 9:10 Combo B and C used Corsa B and C's front ends. Combo A was called Kadett Combo and used Kadett E's front end 9:16 Omega is sucessor to Senator 9:56 Astra G was sold as Astra Classic after Astra H was introduced as cheaper model. Astra F also had Classic version when G was introduced 10:27 Catera is indeed rebadged and slightly different styled Omega B. Catera were also assembled in Germany in Opel plant Omega B is also rebadged as Commodore VT 11:38 Speedster was a rebadged Lotus Elise Series 1. It was even produced at Lotus plant in Hethel, Norfolk, UK. It used Opel Ecotec engines. In UK it was called Vauxhall VX220 11:39 12:37 Saturn Sky was rebadged Opel GT 12:06 Vivaro A and B were rebadged 2nd and 3rd gen Renault Trafic. 14:21 Vivaro C is rebadged Citroen Jumpy (happened after PSA bought Opel) 12:13 Saturn Astra is indeed rebadged Astra H Coupe 12:28 OPC was performance division of Opel (1997-2022). Before 1997 performance Opel used GSi name. Insignia B (2017 onwards) again used GSi 13:21 fun fact about Insignia B. In Europe it was sold as both a saloon and liftback/fastback. You could only know the difference when you opened the trunk, because they looked the same from the back 15:38 Insignia B was also sold as Holden Commodore ZB in Australia. One think I wish Insignia B had was V6 engine from Regal. In Europe we only had turbo I4's 18:04 1st gen of Mokka was sold as 1st gen Chevrolet Trax in US There's a lot of cars the video you watched missed. Zafira A, B and C which were compact MPV, and D which is called Zafira Life is Citroen Jumpy Astra J GTC Agila was rebadged Suzuki Wagon R and Suzuki Splash Adam and Karl (named after company's founder and his eldest son)

[@taavihorila3879]

And if you're wondering why Astra starts with letter F, thats because letters from A to E belongs to Kadett. So there was never Kadett F, that was Astra F. :)

[@foxy126pl6]

@@taavihorila3879 yep, it was seen as a continuation of the line, plus in the UK the kadett was called astra from the beginning

[@wuestenfuchsxy]

@@foxy126pl6interesting, never knew that.

[@paradoxofgodexisting]

Did you spend more than a hour constructing this comment? xD

[@rrrrr-s3q]

There's also a C Vectra

[@vinylDJ]

The Opel Manta is a legend. Even a german comedy movie franchise was made: "Manta, Manta". Please go down that rabbit hole, you will be surprised. The tuning scene went mental with that car.

[@ftfmf3448]

Mental? No, they did go crazy, the new kid's car it is, but the Omega lotus is also a look-worthy

[@hw2508]

Back to back watch of Manta, Manta and Manta, der Film. Quite cringe, but also funny.

[@vinylDJ]

@@ftfmf3448 Mental. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jp_PfKdjba2AgNk

[@erraldstyler]

@@ftfmf3448 Man, imagine you would still have one of these cars nowadays. A few years i worked with someone who showed my his pride, a Zakspeed Turbo Ford Capri in white with red flame decals on the side. Porn on wheels. I woild die for a Mattig widebody Manta with a proper engine or a Rieger Catano Calibra Turbo.

[@YBM2007]

Funny I could swear the Mantas had an appeal to a certain type of young men, looks like it was the same in Germany

[@huwdavies6650]

Opel Speedster or Vauxhall VX220, based on the Lotus Elise but with a Vauxhall/Opel engine. That chassis was also slightly stretched to form the basis of the original Tesla Roadster.

[@felipetank1313]

There is the Hennessey Venom Gt which also uses the same platform as the Lotus Elise

[@markusbaumgartner9266]

Finally! I am still driving my Opel Astra from 1999, and I absolutely love this car - everyone in my family always had an Opel.

[@tonycasey3183]

I love how videos like this highlight specific cultural differences. The chuckle and the "weird-looking" comment when you saw the Opel Combo surprised me. Small businesses here in the UK and most of Europe run on small vans that look almost identical to the Combo. It is impossible to leave the house any day of the week without seeing something that looks like that, so when somebody thinks it's "weird" I find that an interesting peek into another culture.

[@XTRLFX]

Let him look at all the variants of the VW Caddy. That thing was ugly as shit too. Especially the 2nd generation. They now have it right with the Caddy V.

[@rocon86]

Opel won a WRC Drivers title with the Opel Ascona 400 with Walter Rohrl at the wheel. I still have my 1977 Opel Kadett C saloon. Very underrated, reliable cars. You need to watch Jimmy McRae or Russell Brookes drive the Vauxhall Chevette HSR, the Opel Ascona 400 and the Opel Manta 400. Legends of UK and European rally.

[@ca9968]

South Africa had 2 very special Opel`s, only released in that market...The Kadett 200 GSi "Super Boss" and the Kadett/Astra 200TS...both really fast cars for their day! Both cars were developed for the South African Touring Car series, The GSi "Superboss" was a giant killer, developed with one purpose, to take on and beat the E30 BMW 325i and it did just that, repeatedly! (BMW South Africa then later released it`s own homologation special to fight back, the 325is, then it was on, some of the best racing i`ve ever seen!) Quite and interesting story if you look into it...

[@laurencefielder]

Opel technology was used extensively in Australian Holden especialy in the Commodore range

[@Tullerkc]

Vectra was SO popular in Scandinavian!! My parents had Vectra A,B, B facelift and C 😂😊

[@Soulvex]

Good cars, and as far as I know it is why the Vectra C was chosen as the last Saab 9-3 platform.

[@ElectricEnfield]

Rebranded was also some Models of the Kadett as a Pontiac LeMans, Pontiac T1000, Chevrolet Chevette, Isuzu Gemini and in Canada sold as the Passport Optima. The V8 Engine of the Diplomat B is a Chevrolet 327.

[@simbob26]

There is a great deal of Opel DNA in the Holden Commodore, Berlina, Calais, Statesman and derivatives. The Commodore was built on the same platform as the Opel Senator, but with a larger engine and very modified suspension. The panels are even similar. Obviously the Commodores were stylised in a very Australian way, but underneath the skin and in the interiors they are very similar vehicles.

[@jonaszahid3892]

My grandpa was working for the local steet maintainance and drove an Opel Blitz while on shift. He always praised that thing.

[@thesushifiend]

Oh my goodness! You said “anyway” instead of “anyways”. You are single-handedly raising the entire continent of North America in my estimation every time you open your mouth and say something sensible.

[@RSProduxx]

he correctly said "Teegra" and not "Taigra" Mindblowing :D

[@LalaDepala_00]

When I hear an American say "exspecially" I always tune out immediately

[@GrimpakTheMook]

To note: PSA is now part of Stellantis, so Opel/Vauxhall is now under the same marquee as Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, FIAT, Maseratti, Jeep, Ram, Abarth and the previous PSA brands (Citroen, Peugeot and DS Automobiles)

[@devilkuro]

5:18 My uncle has this exact model, with bucket seats and a roll cage. I remember that he used to drive me around with it as a kid, was crazy fun. The Opel Kadett GTE also saw some rally action and can be driven in the Dirt Rally games.

[@elcsabitodewid5376]

For sure my favourite brand. Very underrated

[@JDoors]

My first car was an Opel Manta, bought new from a Buick dealership. Likely the best car I ever owned.

[@Flamebeard0815]

The Opel GT roadster was not only marketed as Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice, but also as Daewoo G2X. They have, to this day, the engine with the most HP per unit displacement in stock configuration (130 HP/liter or 2.1 HP/ cubic inch) GM was able to produce. Sadly, the viedo you watched didn't show the heritage that model was based on, the '68-'73 Opel GT, affectionally called Baby 'Vette. Along the Manta A and some Asconas, this was the only model sold in the US under the Opel brad back in the day. You still can find some in rural Arizona. (at the end of the video, I realized you got into that through the pictures.)

[@martinkasper197]

It's the model build 2007-2009. Build in the USA, when Opel was part of GM. Now Opel belongs to Stellantis.

You sure about first statement? Astra J OPC had 280hp from 2l (so 140hp/l) (GM A20NFT engine). Btw it's just upgraded engine from GT (GM Z20NHH)

[@Flamebeard0815]

@ the A20NFT is the 2nd evo of the Z20NHH, so same engine with better parts (a different type of casting process for the block, for example).

[@ftfmf3448]

The omega Opel/ Lotus is a look in to car, in the 1990 to 1992 they make 950 of this monster sleepers, It look like a 90's smal family car but it gets 377HP

[@wernergatterer2953]

My coolest and fastest car was a tuned red Opel Calbra 2.0 16V 4×4 Turbo from 1994 with more than 300 PS with 6 gear handshift, this car was a dream to drive! It was really fast, one time i look how fast and i drive 300 km/h on a german Autobahn. But the coolest Calibra was the Calibra 4×4 Race Car from the german touring car championship DTM from the 90ies, you should look a video with this race car! I loved the black CLIFF Calibra race car, this V6 engine sounds so great with more than 12000 rpm, i also love the white/yellow DTM Calibra in the Opel race colours.

[@foxy126pl6]

Ive heard their AWD system was very problematic

[@feedingravens]

Roter V6, 1994, 139,000 km, so original, dass er noch 1995er Reifen hatte, finnische Karosse, und daher tatsächlich kaum Rost. Hat einer Frau gehört und offenbar rund 10 Jahre in der Garage gestanden. Und irgendwo in der Nähe ist noch ein roter C20NE, in Erstbesitz. Und beim Rumstöbern stellt sich raus, dass auf der griechischen Inse (Levkada)l, auf die ich schon fast so lange wie das Auto alt ist zum Katamaranfahren hinfahre jemand einen roten Turbo hat(te). Die Bedingungen sehen ganz gut aus, der Sohn meiner Freundin/Bekannten ist Kfz-Meister, in der Nähe ist auch eine Karosseriewerkstatt, wo sie Interesse hatten, eine Mietwerkstatt ist auch erreichbar (und den Auspuff und die Benzinleitung hat geklappt). Mal sehen...

[@Blackadder75]

300 from a 2 liter is really impressive

[@erraldstyler]

@@Blackadder75 maybe 300 on the speedo. probably real 280-290 max, the car was extremely aerodynamic tho. Not sure if the Calibra even had a 300 kph speedo. The Lotus Omega which had 380hp didnt even do 300 by factory advertisement and it was a big deal, this thing was the fastest sedan of the world for a very short time. Although the C20LET engines are very capable, theres dudes running about 700hp with them in Kadetts nowadays.

[@erraldstyler]

@@foxy126pl6 it was shit to be precise. They should have never went from RWD to FWD, engines were a dream back then. The 2.0 are definately faster than their VW counterparts with matching HP numbers.

[@eirik_halvorsen]

The best video I've watched so far, topic wise! I usually say "born and raised in Opels". It is a brand very close to my heart. I've still got my grandpa's '80 Kadett and my own second car, '85 Rekord +some junk cars.

[@JohnZonneveld]

The Opel Ascona A-type was sold as a Buick 1900. Early 1990s Pontiac Grand LeMans was a rebadged Opel Astra, but it had a different grille.

[@TheAquarius1978]

Ahhh yes the Opel " Thecunt " in Portugal, as you can imagine lol, we never got the Ascona per say lol, we had it with a completelly different name, same with the Hiunday Kaway, that as far as i now only exists in Portuguese speaking countries since Cona/Kona = Cunt, and Norway since the same name is slang for House Wife, but my favorit by far is the great Mitsubishi Wanker ( Pajero in Spanish speaking countries, of course it was sold as the Mitsubishi Montero )

[@lucaslorandi5089]

Chevrolet cars sold in brazil between the early 70s until about 2010 were mostly rebadged Opels or based in Opel platforms. We had rebadged Corsa, Astra, Vectra, Zafira, kadett and others like the Chevette (based on the kadett C) opala (based on the rekord c, and related to the Holden Monaro), and a lot more. We even had pickups based on the Corsas B (Corsa Pickup) and C (Montana).

[@luinpuin4152]

Opel is now part of Peugeot which is now called Stellantis. It also has other brands Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Vauxhall, Ram.

[@gorex6480]

The Cadillac Catera was actually built in Germany,in the Rüsselsheim Plant,right in Line with the european Omegas. I think if you would check the VIN on the Cars,you can see if it´s built in Germany. German VINs start usually with WO,signaling it´s built by Opel in Germany

[@bigoz1977]

A lot of the 80s cars are all a mix of Vauxhall , Holden and opel 👍🏻

[@Grex79]

Great video! It was nice to see you discover the brand. completely without prejudices and accusations. In Germany there were a lot of jokes about the Opel Manta and its driver. I never owend one, but I think they were really stylish. So far I had only once an Opel - Astra CC (convertible with steel roof) 1.8l naturally aspirated engine once. It was the most reliable car I've ever had, although it lacked some power. I've only had to do the regular oil changes and that was all in 6 years. Had much more problems with the VW, Ford, Mazda and Dodge I have owned.

[@valleurz]

For a long time in Europe it was normal for many car manufacturers to have in their catalog an industrial vehicle known as a combi, which basically used to be the front half of their smaller vehicle with a box-shaped rear part. Citroën manufactured, for example, the 2CV AK400, a 2CV van. Ford had the Ford Courier, based on the Ford Fiesta. The Opel Combo that appears in the video was the same but based on an Opel Corsa. Due to my job I have driven many vans over the years, but my favorite will always be the Citroën C15, which was based on the Citroën Visa. With the arrival at the end of the 90s of the Citroën Berlingo and the Peugeot Partner, the trend changed and the combis disappeared. Edit: OPC means Opel Performance Center. The models with those letters are the most powerfuls ones of the line.

[@fryke]

My dad liked his Opels in the 70s and 80s. His blue Commodore 2.8 GS (Commodore B) with black vinyl roof was the first car I loved. (The 2nd one was the yellow 2CV they bought for my mom a few years after they got the Commodore.)

[@robert4you]

Hello from Sweden. My father worked for GM, and especially the Opel brand, for 25 years here in Scandinavia. I was just a kid when my dad and his boss went to Hungary for a business trip in the mid 1970s. They decided to go by car with a brand new _Opel Commodore Coupe_ (B model), six cylinder and around 160 HP (which was huge for an Opel in the 70s). You can imagine the peoples reaction in a strict communist nation who had only access to Trabant, Wartburg, Lada, Dacia (before Renault bought it) etc... Opel cars (the more regular ones) were hardly seen as a "fun", "cool" or "exciting" car to have, but they were scary reliable and great German engineering. And in my opinion they had some really good looking cars too, the Opel GT and a few others were in fact cool. We used to take road trips to Italy, Hungary, Austria, Spain, France every summer in the late 70s and 80s... not once did we have any problem whatsoever with our Opel Commodore, Rekord, Ascona or Vectra. Fun times... My father passed away 4 years ago at the age of 83. I have so many great memories of our road trips all over Europe. Miss you so much dad...

[@vereybowring]

My father had an automatic Commodore B, one of only a few in the UK, it was a bit of a beast (he'd rebuilt and tuned the engine) and he used to troll many BMW and Mercedes drivers. They had better initial acceleration but his Commodore had better top end lol

[@melchiorvonsternberg844]

Ähm... Dacia and Renault worked together, since the early 70's. Dacia produced the R12 in license as a Dacia 1300, or so...

[@robert4you]

@@melchiorvonsternberg844 That early? Did not know that. I just remember the Dacias from the 70s and early 80s being horrible cars... always lots of smoke behind them 😂

[@melchiorvonsternberg844]

@@robert4you If I remeber it right, the R12 was the only car, which was built in license, before the Iron Curtain fell. Let's say, they work toghether since 1972 (the R12 came out in 1970), then it was only 17 years before, the "eastern time" ends. And remeber how slow new models were developed in the Soviet block. So there is no real surprise that was the only cooperation, till that time...

[@gustavmeyrink_2.0]

4:54 The Diplomat Coupé has a Chevrolet V8. However the standard Chevrolet V8 kept self-destructing during high speed tests on the Autobahn so that coupé ended up with a race-prepped Corvette engine (all forged internals) that was down-carbed. Only 374 or so were mad

[@chrismatze4365]

My First Car 1991 is a Opel Kadett E 16V 150 PS. Color in Red.

[@chrismatze4365]

Opel Kadett E GTI 16 V

[@chrismatze4365]

GSI

[@SeanGavin-rf5vd]

I had a 1991 Kadett GSI 16V as well but mine was a South African homologation special dubbed the Superboss. Had a F20 LSD gearbox, Cosworth head and made 170 PS

[@petebeatminister]

II have driven Opels for several years in the 2000s, during my time working for the British army. Back then, they switched from buying cars - it was mainly Fords, like the Escort - to the system of leasing cars. They had the Corsa as a small runaround, the Astra Estate (which I mainly used), the Vectra as a staff car for senior officers, the Combo for maintainance workers, and the 9 seater bus/van thing Vivano or what it was called. The Astras (I always had them for 2 years, so they were basically always new cars) were 1.9ltr TDI Estate models, with 90 hp or so, good enough for about 210km/h on the Autobahn. And the thing sat on the road like a race car. But best of all: it was absolutly reliable. There was never a problem with the engine, the (manual) gearbox or the suspention, during the 6 years or so I drove them. Can't say the same about the Ford Focus, which was chosen after the Opel lease ended.

[@markalexander71332]

Oh yes 😮! Opel Manta Classic ❤

[@TotalOpel]

You can't beat a good Manta 😜

[@eelco1982]

I'm a die hard Opel fan, I drive them for nearly 25 years now. They are probably not the most advanced or exciting but they are really well built well engineered honest cars and incredibly versatile. I have a 2009 Insignia 2.0t now which is basically a Regal Turbo. A lot of development of smaller GM cars took place in Germany. The J body's you got there as cavalier and pontiac sunfire were developed aside the Ascona and the Pontiac Lemans from the 80s is a Deawoo Nexia which on itself is an clone of the Opel Kadett E (5th gen). Also Holden commodore, statesman etc were built on the underpinnings of that '77 rekord and later the Omega. It is to easy to say it is a Rekord with a chevy v8 because Holden changed a lot but they are definitely related. One of the most beautiful cars is the Opel Commodore A coupe from 1967. That was Europe's equivalent of a pony car. The Brazilian department used them to make a Chevrolet Opala, with Chevrolet Iron Duke i6's. Very cool car.

[@rogerk6180]

Manta, Manta! A german movie from the late 80s. You should definatly watch that some time, a real cool throwback into time with loads of cool cars and german car culture of the time. An ode to the opel manta! Watch it lol 😂!

[@theobenz6127]

Opel, Chevrolet, Holden (Aus), Vaushall. Opel Ascona and Record were a popular cars, in the 80's.

[@flashback0994]

9:31 Around 2013 my Dad got this Tigra in a very nice green yellow color from his mother because her friend owned the car and he passed away and sadly only i think 3 or 4 weeks after he had taken the Opel Tigra over the car got rear ended on a red traffic light :( My Dad had only little pain with this neck after the crash luckely but the Opel Tigra was completely junk.

[@zeincexxx1285]

The Opel Caliba Cliff DTM Touring Car is absolute legend. Loved those Calibras within the german touring car championship

[@Sat-Man-Alpha]

Opel Kadett B Caravan … Never let me down…😊

[@christianknobel978]

I owned an Opel Astra F GSI 1.8 16V and an Opel Corsa C GSI 16V 1.8. I ❤ed them, great cars😊

[@d-d-i]

If I were to describe Opel, they've always been well build family oriented cars. In general, they never have made a bad car, and stuff in them was well thought out and well put together.

[@thedutchhuman]

#05:08 yes!....Opel Ascona B...had four of them 😁 Love those cars.

[@danielhillier7417]

The Opel Speedster was also called the Vauxhall VX220 in the UK, they were built by Lotus, Its basically an Elise with a different body and engine.

[@Mister__Jey]

18:23 my mum had a yellow Opel GT when she was young in the 70s as a small child I loved watching Knight Rider and she told me that she always had a car that was as fast :D

[@morbid1.]

Opel Combo from 93 was one of the most common "delivery" cars... usually for grocery stores sometimes also used by construction workers. It's basically mini pick up truck with closed bed

[@derpherbert3199]

Hey there, this is my plucky local brand and it deserves some love and attention :) Thanks for spending some time on this, please have a look at German tuner culture from the 70s-00s, you'll find Opel there in any time period. Cheers, hope you're doing well.

[@ralphbuurman4489]

I once owned 15-year old Opel Kadett model D from 1981. It was a white one, but around the doors it was more of a yellow. It had holes in the bottom that were so large that I needed to wear rubber boots when it rained. I paid about 100 USD for it, drove it for about 9 months and then immediately to the scrapyard. Today I drive 2012 Opel Insignia 2.0 CDTI Biturbo 4x4 Sports Wagon, with literally all the options that were available at the time. It's a stationwagon on diesel with a Haldex AWD. The biturbo system is quite interesting because it was not designed to go fast (it's a very heavy car anyway), but to have a lot of torque at any time and to prevent turbo lag. So it has a small and a large turbocharger. The small turbocharger starts to work almost immediately at 1500 rpm so there's always at least 350 Nm of torque, up to 400 Nm above 3000 rpm.

[@Derliebesandmann]

I'm from Germany and drive an 'Opel Astra G' from the early 2000's. It still runs like its new!

[@jduck1979]

First gen Opel Corsa was sold in the UK as a "Vauxhall Nova", which was popular with car tuners who read "Max Power" magazine. Biggest factory engine you could get in them was a 1.6-litre in the sport "Nova GTE", but a common modification was to take the 150bhp 2.0-litre 16-valve engine from the Astra GTE 16v / Cavalier GSi / Calibra 16v (GM C20XE "Red Top"), and squeeze it into the Nova. Next gen the Vauxhall Nova became the "Vauxhall Corsa" (bubble shaped thing), upon with the Vauxhall/Opel Tigra was based. Eventually there was a competing "Ford Puma" to rival the Tigra, based on the Ford Fiesta Mk4 and earlier Mazda MX-3.

[@CeiStockport-nx2qi]

Problem was the Nova GTE was either A. Immediately towced or B. Ended up rolled over in a ditch or C. The engines blew because of the high pre (although they weren't anywhere near as bad as the 3 cylinder Daihatsu Charade)

[@TheBlackD]

Really nice video dude ! Keep them coming. My father owned mostly opels back in the days. Omega 3000 station wagon etc. My mother had the first gen corsa in sporty trim. I always had a soft spot for them. And btw that first opel roadster from the early 2000 is a rebadged Lotus Elise ;)

[@4svennie]

The Opel Omega first gen was sold in the U.K. as the Vauxhall Carlton. They did a co-lab with Lotus to make a Vauxhall Lotus Carlton. 950 were made between 1990-92. The standard 3.0 24v was enlarged to 3.6 with two turbo chargers making 377bhp. These things go for anything from £50,000 to £120,000. The Opel/Vauxhall Mokka first gen is the Buick Encore. After GM sold Opel/Vauxhall was sold to PSA, Buick did their own thing, while PSA/Stellantis did theirs.

[@PhilipShand]

The Aussie Holden Torana had its' roots in an Opel model as did the Holden Commodore.

[@MikesVoyagesAndDrives]

I have driven a whole series of Opelz in the course of my life. The first was an Omega A in 1989 (2.0, 115 hp), then I had an Omega B in 1995 (V6 2.5, 178 hp), followed by a Signum in 2002 (2.2, 170 hp). After that, I drove a Chevrolet Malibu 2012 (2.4, 168 hp), which was based on the Opel Insignia chassis. Later came a Grandland X 2019 (1.3, 130 hp) and then an old Antara 2006 (V6 3.2, 223 hp) for another six months. So I can justifiably say that I have a lot of experience with Opelz. Most of them were very reliable cars that were easy to drive. The Omega B 2.5 V6 in particular was a fantastic car. Very comfortable and yet sporty.

[@AHVENAN]

I used to own two Opel Omegas, one after annother, a 97 and 98 I think they were, the sedan 2 liter versions, They were pretty nice, specially the last one because the previous owner had tinted the windows, put a sports exhaust on it and a few other bits and pieces... But the best thing about them by a million miles was that they were REAR WHEEL DRIVE! So far the only two cars I've owned that have been RWD and I still miss them every single winter for obvious reasons 😅 Had some bad luck with them though, on the first one the CCU (computer) went and a new one would've been over a 1000 euros not including installation, and since I only payed 800 for the car I could not justify it. That's when I found the second one and thought "Perfect, i'll keep the old one and use it for parts for the new one" Well that one had a tiny little oil leak when I bought it, and before I could get around to fixing said leak, it must have gotten a lot worse cause suddenly it just ran out of oil, no oil light ever came on, it just suddenly died one morning on the way to work, and it turned out the engine was seized Sold both cars as a package at a bit of a loss, and a few days later the new owner had the newer one running again

[@edwinveening8537]

i love my opels! i have a 1983 Opel corsa A1 and a 2006 Opel Vectra OPC wagon :)

[@sergevereecke680]

I had two left-hand drive Vauxhall Cavaliers (the first a 4-door GL I wrecked from 1980 , the second a 2 door L automatic from 1978 converted by me to a 4 speed manual) with construction tags showing they were build in Opel Antwerp.Both were rear wheel drive .

[@feedingravens]

I began my automobile "career" with an Opel Ascona A, 42 years ago. 1.6 liter 75 hp, RWD, loved it for drifts in winter. But the rust... Then I used up the old Audi 100 GL 5E of my father. After that my first new car, an Opel Vectra A 2.0 l, 115 PS I didn't dare buying a Calibra (which shares lots of parts with the Vectra) back then. Lots of fun, really quick on the autobahn, was usually around with 90-110 mph (140-180 kph). Was always good let a Porsche or BMW in front and follow him. With an Opel you could come with 180, and the guy went out with 80 behind a truck 20 meter in front of you. When a Porsche in the lead, they have respect and stay in.... the psychology of car behaviour. Then came a long pause, then an Astra H (1.6 l, 105 hp) as "practice" car. where it does not matter too much if there is a dent or a new scratch. But before I got too old, I revived my dream of my early years, and got an Opel Calibra V6, 24V, 2.5l, 170 hp. My after-midlife-crisis toy... The Caiibra had one of the best aerodynamics of its time. In the 3 years I have the old boy, I have pushed him up to 130 of his official 147 mph (not long, autobahns are not so empty on warm, dry sunny afternoons at places that are nice, the right conditions to keep a youngtimer alive in it unrestored form).

[@eatsmylifeYT]

The Opel Omega was available in Australia as the Holden Commodore. It was also known in South Africa as the Chevrolet Omega and in the Middle East as the Chevy Lumina. Opel and Lotus collaborated sometime in the early 90s to produce the Opel Lotus Omega, a 3.6-liter twin-turbo Ferrari killer.

[@giuseppelopresti3740]

The Opel Kadett 5:14 was sold in the US (with a slightly different front and rear) as a GMC Chevette and as a Chevrolet Chevette.

[@j.l.2263]

Great post, here is a little information. The Chevrolet Monza is based on the Opel Manta. They also have the same platform. You once did a report on Group B racing and you were so excited about a long drift in a fast left-hand bend. This car was a Manta 400.

[@SugarBlood15]

The Calibra was fire. The name, the looks, the stance. It was a cool ass car back in the 90s.

[@yodaistheone]

I Cannot believe that you did not recognize Oliver from the Top Gear Botswana special. One of the best episodes ever with Jeremy, Hammond and James. Richard Hammond even took the car (His name is Oliver) back to the UK with him. He still has videos on Drivetribe with the car.

[@base36w]

Our second car is a 4 speed automatic OPEL MPV Zafira B Cosmo 2.2ltr. with a sport undercarriage. It goes trough corners like a race car, sticks lika a go-kart on the road. In sport MODE the Zafira B is fast AF! Also from the inside a very luxurious car. It is a 7 Seater. The 2 last seats can flip into the floor of the car. With both seats and couch folded away the Zafira becomes a small van. Its a MPV, a race car, a small Van. We love our tiny MPV. Ik even prefer it above our Hybrid Mitsubishi..

[@storyclips]

FVD🤟🏻🤟🏻

[@biljancanin]

As someone who's all-time favorite car is the Opel Calibra and Opel in general, i really appreciate this video...

[@adrianmclean9195]

The first picture of the Opel Kadett ( later ones were our Holden Gemini with Isuzu engine ) - was the one used in Top Gear when they did their African Challenge with the Lancia Beta and W123 M-Benz. Richard Hammond called it Oliver. He went and found it afterwards and bought it and restored it. Has displayed it at English car meets.

[@VIennCalling86]

Nice Video! I drive the Opel Astra L (2023) and i love it

[@helmuthschultes9243]

Opel had very close work with Holden. Large export of 4 cyl Fam II engines to Opel by Holden Aust manufacturing. Over the years I worked on numerous fuel injection calibrations for Holden Commodore, and Frontera, the Frontera was basically for IBC/Vauxhall with injection system work by Holden with my support as engine was Opel/Holden manufacture, for 2 and 4 door Frontera, with minor design variation on 2 and 5 door versions and also assisted Holden with modified/calibration fixes on Vectra and Gemini calibrations for fixing of field issues. Did alarm system work for Opel. Had near 35 yrs with Holden and Opel related work for my job, employed by Aust based division of major German company

[@Twenty_Six_Hundred]

The Holden Commodore was based off the Opel from 1979 till 2005 when the VE came out. Basically the rear and front was were changed to appear as a completely different car. Also Holden obviously used Chevy/Buick and local engines

[@johnd8892]

A lot of extra work needed to engineer out the Opel weaknesses and cope with Australian roads. Not entirely successful as the Commodore was the start of Holden's decline from earlier massive market dominance.

[@chrisperyagh]

I was in Heidelberg back in the late '90s and saw a white Bedford Astra van there which was the last thing I expected to see in Germany as my boss at the time back in the UK had one (and also an F reg) - I thought I was being followed! The commercial division of Vauxhall was called Bedford in the UK due to one of the factories based in Bedfordshire (in Luton - part of the assembly line goes above the road and you can drive under it). Large vans and lorries with the front end of the cargo area that overhangs or sits directly above the cab are usually called 'Luton vans'. Now it's just Vauxhall across the board for all cars and commercial vehicles as the name Bedford was dropped a while back.

[@juhahonkanen9222]

My second car was Opel Ascona from 1986, after I had couple Astras and 1 Vectra from 90's

[@TiborgSGE]

I drive an automatic 2018 Opel Insignia and i am really satisfied with this car. 2l diesel with 185ps.It's great for a city drive,but it's actually meant for the autobahn and longer distances.Some people tend to belittle Opel even if it's not the class of VW,BMW,Audi and Mercedes,but it also doesn't cost as much as those mentioned.You get quite a good quality for your money to be honest. Greetings from Westerwald,Germany.

[@stefkobl]

Opel had a nickname "Mercedes for middle class" in 70s. I've tried that Insignia that you own, I just think it was 170ps if I'm not mistaken. Trust me, on open road its more comfortable than those expensive german cars, and I don't know how. Yes, it has few ups and down, but for that price you are getting quite a lot...

[@edwardlloyd1516]

I've had quite a few Opels over the years. My favorite was my 2005 Vectra Station Wagon with the 3.2 V6 automatic which was a Holden/Cadillac motor.

[@ThESlAcKeR-r5r]

when the opc astra came up ....right away i bought it and now i have the 2023 astra gtc...my father has a 2010 astra j ...i guess we love OPEL

[@TotalOpel]

I have a couple of Opels. I've a 69 Commodore Coupe, 2 Manta Bs, a Monza GS/E and a Vectra A saloon. All great cars and fun to drive.

[@iEnofadov]

The Opel Calibra, sold in Australia as the Holden Calibra, was one of my favourite Holdens of the 90's. Of course we received many Opel's in Australia as Holdens and then in 2012 Opel was sold in Australia as a stand alone brand for 12 months, featuring the Corsa, Astra and Insignia. The Opel Zafira MPV also made it to Australia, but just before GM axed Opel from Australia, so wasn't 'officially' sold in Australia, even though the left over stock was sold off by Holden dealers. The Opel Mokka was also due to go on sale in Australia around the same time, but those vehicles were redirected to New Zealand and sold as used cars in that market. Opel is currently sold in New Zealand and there are plans to reintroduce Opel to the Australian market, now that it's under the guidance of the Stellantis Group. I've previously owned a 2016 BK Holden Astra RS-V 1.6L Turbo manual hatch (Opel Astra K) which was one of the most underestimated small cars on the Australian market at the time!

[@jonntischnabel]

When i was born (77)* my dad had a vauxhall cavalier coupé, which was a rebadged opel manta. He had it until 1984, amd i loved that car. Then in 1995 my friend got one , and it brought back so many good memories. If you want to do a reaction video, check out the opel/lotus omega (vauxhall/lotus carlton). It was a 3.6 twin turbo super saloon, and for a short time the worlds fastest production saloon. ❤

[@MartijnV452]

My first car was an Opel! A Corsa sport from ‘94. Sweet memories

[@MapOfEurasia]

The Tigra is a nice little coupe with a timeless and unique design (I had one, the 1.4 90HP Ecotec variant). It was also sold in LATAM markets as Chevrolet Tigra. The Calibra is an another timeless car, it almost made it to US market as a Saturn. The C20LET engine is a beast!

[@crackers562]

Ian, you might find a documentary showing how Opel Rekord/Senator became the Holden Commodore. GMH had to beef up the suspension and frame to handle Aussie conditions. We also had the smaller Gemini, and others rebadged as Holdens. The Commodore story is a good one and we had a strong engineering connection with Opel in the from the 1970s through 2000s. Be good if you can find a video clip.

[@MarioLamRedRebel]

I have a Opel Mokka 1.4 Turbo. Love Opel 🎉 Greetings from the Netherlands

[@R1DER420]

Opel glorius racing brand 🔥🔥🔥

[@TheRat4938]

Man, I just love the "G IWrocker" plate in the background

[@aeh2435]

I've had an Opel Vectra 2002. There is very high driving comfort in them and they run quite quietly. Now I have an Opel Corsa 2009, not my first choice but it is very cheap to own if you live in Europe, very cheap spare parts and it is reliable, always starts from the coldest winter day to high summer

[@adrianmclean9195]

So the 2009 Opel Insignia was actually sold along side our Commodore in Holden Showrooms for awhile, with its Opel badges. Sedan and wagon and I think possibly full on twin turbo V6 all wheel drive. Not for long. Smaller than the Commodore. Still see some around. We always miss out on the good stuff, back then - so didn't get the GT convertible / Pontiac solstice. The Pontiac looks really good. Didn't get the retro Ford Ute nor the Thunderbird nor the Plymouth prowler. There is one purple prowler in Albury - Wodonga at the local Audi/Mazda/ Jeep dealer - the owner sometimes displays it in the showroom.

[@LemmyD_from_Germany]

In the 90s I had an Opel Rekord (I called it Fuchs) from the 80s with an automatic transmission, red velvet seats, red paint, a black vinyl roof and lots of chrome parts on it. Unfortunately the engine was very thirsty (about 11 l per 100km - only 75 PS...) and I couldn't drive it for more than 1 year. Now I'm currently driving an Opel again. Opel Crossland from 2018. I affectionately call him Crossy. Diesel, 6-speed manual transmission with cruise control (!) - what a strange combination actually, LED headlights and HUD in gray metallic with a black roof. The Crossland is always two-tone. One of the first vehicles that Opel developed together with Citroen, even before Stellantis was created. With around 4.6 liters of diesel per 100 km, it is economical with around 102 hp. To be honest, it's not my dream car, but it was cheap compared to other brands. I needed to quickly find a replacement for my beloved BMW 320d 3 Series Estate after it was totaled in an accident (it wasn't my fault). That's when I came across the Crossland and after a good year we, Crossy and I, got used to each other. Unfortunately, it will no longer be produced in the near future and no new model will be released after the facelift. The Frontera is intended to replace the Crossland. Oh well... I don't really like SUVs... Greetings from the north of Germany ♥️

[@Herrolas]

The Opel Omega wich was sold as Cadillac Catera among others has technique - wise a very good reputation in germany, really surprising to hear, that it wasnt like that in the US, especially we got the TÜV and have everything checked at least every two years...