1969-73 Opel GT

Over 70,000 GTs were peddled in the U.S. from 1968 to 1973.

by Rob Sass

H&H Auctions

The history of captive imports is a tale of ill-starred orphans. If you recall the Plymouth Cricket (née Hillman Avenger), Plymouth Fire Arrow, (aka Mitsubishi Lancer Celeste), or the Ford Sierra sold here as the Merkur XR4ti (complete with pronunciation guide), you need to get out more.

Captive imports were usually marketed in the U.S. until a competing domestic product came along, demand slackened, or the exchange rate shifted. Then they disappeared —along with parts and dealer support. So it was with GM’s Opel GT, done in by the excellent Datsun 240Z and the weakening U.S. dollar. The GT started out in a promising enough fashion with renowned designers such as Clare McKichan (think ’55 Chevy) and Chuck Jordan involved. Like most sports cars of the day, it was based on a prosaic sedan—in this case, the Opel Kadett. Utterly conventional, with a live rear axle located by trailing arms and a Panhard rod, sprung by coils, and sporting adequate disc/drum...