Car Lust--Opel Manta Rallye
OldCarGuy, your wish is my command--though you may not like my intro.
It's difficult to describe the attraction a car like the Opel Manta Rallye holds for me. In comparison to the lowliest late-model Ford Escort, the Manta is a gigantic, steaming pile of automotive dung. To a modern driver, the Manta would be considered noisy, unrefined, and cramped--but at least it's slow and ugly. To the casual observer, the Manta Rallye looks like nothing more than a slightly less offensive Datsun B-210 with a weird flat black hood that ostensibly was obtained from a junkyard.
At least that's how I think most modern observers would react--I'm biased because I'm hopelessly besotted with the Manta and think it's wonderful.
In 1971, the Manta was nothing less than a class leader--a revolutionary small performance car that was sadly ignored despite its excellence. We've discussed the 1970s Super Coupes in this space before with the Ford Capri and original Volkswagen Scirocco. Until the Scirocco debuted, the Manta was the class of the field, with the sharpest, most involving moves and an excellent racing record.
In an era of behemoth road yachts, the Manta was a pint-sized muscle car minus a muscle car's muscle-bound torpidity. Incredibly light and agile, the Manta's eager 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine moved it well enough to make it one of the fastest small cars around at the time. Its agility and German intensity made it the General Motors equivalent of the vaunted BMW 2002.
(Queue the BMW purist backlash in three ... two ... one ...)
Oh, and did I mention that it's gorgeous? Just as the Capri looked a bit like a pint-sized Mustang, the Manta had the glowering glare, muscular haunches, and purposeful profile of a Camaro or Chevelle, but on a trimmer scale. I'm sure there are many who would disagree, but I think the Manta is one of the best-looking small cars of this era.
The problem the Manta and its sporty Opel brethren faced was horribly confused marketing. In an era when every domestic automaker was scrambling to produce compelling small cars, GM had a great one available in the Manta--then promptly torpedoed it by selling them exclusively through Buick dealers. In retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Who better to sell light, sporty minimalist cars that eschewed typical 1970s American ostentation than a confused Buick salesman who would rather upsell a Century customer into a Laundau Brougham package?
Sold and marketed by a company and salespeople who didn't really know what to do with them, Opels never really managed to catch on to the degree they deserved in America. Eventually the quality German engineering gave way as well, as GM cut costs by having ersatz "Opels" built by Isuzu--replacing an unpopular but high-quality small car with an unpopular low-quality small car.
It's a real shame because, in the context of when they were built, the Manta was one of the best small cars GM ever sold in this country. The whole sad affair was among the first in a long line of failed small car strategies by GM.
It's pretty hard to find good Manta photos on the web. The top one is from Autobahn Power, the second is from the foreign-language Opel 6070 club, the third is from Manta Club.nl, and the fourth is a period photo from a guy who actually owned one.
Three notes from the below commercial:
1. Doesn't that Manta look good through those curves? Most cars of that era would have been on their doorhandles.
2. The driver had some fantastic driving gloves. I tend to think of stylized driving gloves as belonging to 1980s commercials (specifically, the Corvette and Pontiac ads already featured), so Opel was ahead of its time here.
3. I love how an ad all about how the guy loves his car morphs into a story about how much he hates his family. Is this German schadenfreude on display?
--Chris H.
Mochi Mochi on April 18, 2008 at 10:54 AM
OPEL !!! Gorgeous. The Manta was a lovely car. But for absolute sexiness the GT was everything - a diminutive corvette. I can't tell you how my head is reeling right now. The Opel time machine has put me in a complete spin. I'm caught up in the beauty and oddity of these cars. Just start with the name alone Opel Manta - reference a jewel and a sleek sea bat. That whole sea-bat thing just permeated Opel design aesthetics of the time.
Here's a quote about the GT: "One unusual feature of the Opel GT was the operation of the pop-up headlights. They were manually operated, by way of a large lever along the center console next to the shifter. Unlike most pop-up headlights, they both rotated in the same direction (counterclockwise from inside the car) about a longitudinal axis. One standard joke about GT owners was that you can easily spot them due to the heavy muscles on their right arm built up by using the lever to pop up the headlights.
The Opel GT was a fastback, that had neither an externally accessible trunk nor a conventional hatchback. There was a parcel shelf behind the seats that could only be accessed through the main doors. Behind the parcel shelf was a fold-up panel that concealed a spare tire and jack."
These things alone would be incredibly endearing. Put them in a sleek little package like the Opel and you are really talking my language. It is so refreshing to see cars that did not get things completely right, but did so in such a lovable and attractive way. It is such a wonderful contrast to today's cars that are so well executed and get everything "right".
These cars barely broke 2000Lbs curb weight. Apparently there was a Turbomanta that output +150hp and did 0-60 in 7.6 seconds. I can't tell you have much I want one of these. And the Opel logo was also very cool.
David Traver Adolphus on April 18, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Lots more on the Manta
http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/2007/08/01/hmn_feature7.html
OldCarGuy on April 18, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Chris, you were right when you said I would not like your intro . . . until you qualified it with, “At least that's how I think most modern observers would react--I'm biased because I'm hopelessly besotted with the Manta and think it's wonderful,” and, in the words of Lloyd Christmas, you completely redeemed yourself!
The Manta, Capri, and Scirocco – I’ll take one of each, please! I spent seat time in all three, and they all were a blast to drive, but if I could only pick one to put in my garage today it would be the Manta. The engine ran smoother, the shifter felt great, the steering was responsive, and the handling was excellent! What puts it at the top for me? The quality feel it had, the beautiful sound of the door closing, the fit and finish, and the design of both the exterior and interior. Look at the front end, the hood. What an appropriately named car.
Thanks Chris, for featuring the Manta, and thanks to David Traver Adolphus for the Hemmings link! I am (again, still) deeply in lust.
Oatworm on April 18, 2008 at 01:28 PM
It's kind of hard to believe that the same people who brought the Car & Driver-derided Kadett to our shores brought that thing over. That looks absolutely sweet.
Also, for the record, I love Datsun B-210s. I'm not kidding. I always thought they looked pretty cool, in a "I guess the Japanese make interesting-looking cars, too" sort of way. Then again, I also enjoy the styling of late-'70s Subaru wagons with their quirky wedge back, but that's an entirely different neurosis.
AutoCar-Live on April 18, 2008 at 11:10 PM
I have submitted your article to http://www.autocar-live.com which is a social site where users can submit car articles and vote for already submitted articles.
Rob the SVX guy on April 19, 2008 at 09:57 AM
I almost bought a 1971 Opel GT this summer. It had 63,000 miles, original paint that was slightly faded (could have been buffed into amazing shape), good chrome, good interior, ran and drove fine. They wanted $3,200. God I wanted that car. The wife talked me out of it since we don't have a garage. I guess it's for the better, I'd hate to see it rust.
R.B. Phillips on April 19, 2008 at 12:49 PM
All the 1968-up Opel cars were pretty good. I was in grad school and impecunious when the Manta came along in the U.S. Looking at it today you can see its tires were not tucked needlessly far into the fenderwells like most cars back then, but are most of the way out where they can be useful, as on modern cars. A little work and one of these would have really ripped - ah, to have a time machine.
Brian on April 19, 2008 at 02:50 PM
At one point when I was growing up, we had a Manta and three Opel GT's at the house in various states of road-worthiness.
Dad turbo'd his GT with an Air Research Turbo.
The 1.9 engine would work well by itself, with Weber carbs or the turbo and made for a fun little rat racer.
Learning about aero as the car would start to float at speeds over 100 explained the after-market front glass dams that were built and started showing up if you looked for them.
Some suspension work and wider alloy rims helped both the Manta and the GT's track better.
Would that I had not been a punk when I owned my 73 GT and destroyed it.
Having looked for a replacement GT from time to time, most of the ones I've found since are rotted as the monocoque body had plenty of places to trap water and the metal of the day was not well protected.
Fred on April 19, 2008 at 03:05 PM
The 1971 Manta Rallye Coupe (metallic blue with black hood and interior) was my first real car--it was a choice between a BMW 2002 or the Manta, and since I was short on cash, the Manta it was. I never regretted that decision.
I loved it! The only problem was that the engine was detuned for U.S emissions in 1971, so it dropped from 100 hp in German trim to 76 hp or so in the U.S. With the additional 25 HP that the engine had in 1970, it would have been unbeatable. Unfortunately, in 1970, only the GT and the Kadett were available--no Manta.
It was fabulous through the back roads of San Diego County on my daily commute--light, lithe, and smooth. The gearbox and steering were particularly strong.
The Manta sedan was also a great car, and one of the all-time sleepers--it did extremely well in in European rally competition at the time.
Of course, as you note, the weakest link was the dealer network. My local Buick dealer and staff were basically clueless about the Manta.
Having also driven the Scirocco and the Capri extensively, I'd give the performance edge to the Scirocco, but take the Opel any day over the Capri. I'd also take the Opel for style and personality.
Walt on April 19, 2008 at 07:33 PM
Amen to the Buick dealership observation. Marge Schott herself tried to talk me out of this "foreign piece of shit." I eventually traded it for a 320i, for which I got no additional performance benefit but I got a little more admiration. Ah, well.
Bryan Frymire on April 19, 2008 at 10:35 PM
My cousin Robert had the Opel GT with the funny twirling headlights. I got in his car when I was a kid and started messing with the cool lever in the console. He tried to stop me but it was too late. The headlights got stuck and he had to spend about twenty minutes getting them to move back to square one. Apparently there's a trick to it. Or an eight-year-old's arm isn't strong enough to flip 'em over in one smooth movement.
Sorry Robert!
Cookie the Dog's Owner on April 20, 2008 at 05:13 PM
Your usual nice work, Chris. Add another car to my list of toys I'll probably never buy.
David Drucker on April 21, 2008 at 09:43 AM
Ah, the Opel Manta. A wonderful car, and one on which I placed a deposit back when they were new and shiny. I didn't order the Rallye, opting instead for the cushier version. Alas, the dealer kept changing the delivery date, and eventually I decided that if Buick wasn't going to take the Opel seriously, either would I.
Instead, I bought a 1970 Chrysler 300, which weighed more than twice the Opels 2100-odd pounds, and had a 440 c.i. engine rather than the Opel's 115. The Opel probably would have gotten better mileage, but with gas at half a buck, or so, I was living large.
Steaming Pile on April 22, 2008 at 05:49 AM
I had a Kadett when I was stationed in Germany in 83-86. Decent little car. Of course, it had the 1.2L sewing machine engine in it, so it could barely do 65 on the Autobahn. Passing beer trucks was an adventure.
timemachine on September 27, 2008 at 12:48 PM
I'm the person who owns that yellow Opel Manta in the Hemmings article and while I'm not so pretty as the car, I'm the one who gets to drive it. Talk about a lucky find...
I owned three Mantas in the 1970s and drove them for 10 years and at least 200K miles. Swapped out or rebuilt everything you could on these cars and loved working on them almost as much as driving them.
I started driving other cars in the 1980s but never forgot the Manta and bought this one three years ago. All three cars I owned in the 1970s were pretty heavily used so imagine what it felt like to find one with low miles and tighter than the cars I drove 35 years ago!
It's not my daily driver but I am not afraid to drive it - a lot. I took it 2000 miles to Illinois and back last year and took a 1,200 mile trip to Charlotte a few weeks ago. The car loves the highway and you really feel in touch with the road. I take a lot of back roads on these trips and the Manta excels in twisty places even though it's all stock. I am building a stronger 1.9 on the side but probably should find another Manta to put it in since this one is so untouched.
I encourage everybody to check out these cars. Once you find a decent one (rusted out frame rails and battery trays are deal killers) they are inexpensive to own and drive and there's a great community of people I've become good friends with. Check out opelgt.com to learn more. I have the same screen name there.
I'm keeping mine.
Jim
tony grieder on November 17, 2008 at 04:36 PM
I had a 1974 manta, with the big bumpers. Was an interesting shade of blue when I bought it in 1978, as a high school senior. Worked in a NAPA store in college, and changed out the wheels for Rallye wheels with 195-60-13 tires (pretty wide for 1978!), a Weber 2-barrel carb re-jetted for high altitude (I'm in Colorado), and free-flow exhaust system. Painted it a nice gun-metal metallic grey. Really loved that car, except for it's tendency to eat clutches for lunch. I went through three before I eventually sold the car. I had it redlined in top (4th) gear one day with the speedo showing 117mph, in a convoy with an Alfa Sprint Veloce, a BMW 2002, and a Porsche 914. The roads were a lot less crowded in 1980 than they are now...
Dana B on March 30, 2009 at 11:54 AM
Where can I get one! One of the best looking cars I've ever seen.
Dan Zinkand on April 06, 2009 at 03:10 PM
Nice Article!
When I turned 16, my father bought me a 74 Manta, silver with dark red clothe interior. At the time, my sites had been set on a 66 Mustang which I had the money for, but to no avail, I got the Manta. I abused that car, punishing it like there was no tomorrow. I drove that Manta everywhere, often 100-150 miles on each weekend night, HARD miles. That 1.9 just kept running, it ran and ran and ran. At 18, I had to give it back to my old man and he gave it to my little brother who drove it through high school and then gave it to my little sister three years later. My sister was driving it home from high school when the clutch FINALLY gave up, the springs had exploded. She drove it for another year before wrecking it, although it really did not have much power left. I am in my forties now and I could never imagine ever abusing anything as badly as I did that Manta. I got my Mustang, handled like a boat comparatively. I am now looking for a Manta or a GT as a daily driver. WHAT A CAR!
Steve on June 24, 2009 at 08:08 AM
My very first car was a 1973 Opel Manta Rallye sport purchased used in 1978 with 47,000 miles. It was orangeish yellow with black hood and stripes (looks exactly like the one in this article). I drove it well over 200,000 miles and at one point jacked it up and put 60 inch wheels on it. My Dad worked for Oldsmobile and hated seeing it in the driveway (he did not consider it an American car). Since then I have also owned a 71 and 73 GT. My heart and soul still belongs to the Manta. I used to drag race it against capri's, mustangs, Datsuns and Toyota's. Never lost a race.
I recently found a 1973 Opel sales brochure that was given out at the dealerships. No wonder it never took off. The descriptions were underwhelming (such as, if you can't afford a real Eurepean sportscar, the opel is right for you....My God)
Buckskin viynal interior, black dash and wheel, all the gauges and a foot pedal to engage the windshield wiper (pulse). I want one again