Buick Opel?

[Xander Wildeisen]

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/d/riverside-rare-1959-buick-opel/6975306533.html

[Lebowski]

Buick dealers sold Opels....

[mike6024]

 

Interesting

 

 

[zepher]

Lots of key pieces missing.

He will be lucky to sell it for that price.

[what is it?]

THIS!......is a Buick Opel!

............................................................*made by Isuzu*

[Spinneyhill]

I think they were here as Isuzu, and in Oz. I think I rented one once and couldn't find the petrol filler. It was in the rear pillar behind the side window.

[Craig Gillingham]

They were sold as the Holden Gemini over here. They have a following and are still popular.

 

 

[8E45E]

Aren't some Buicks today based on Opel platforms?  And the Buick Regal Tour-X wagon Cascada convertible is essentially a rebadged Opel.

 

Craig

 

 

[Ozstatman]

Craig,

 

Thought the same as you, that it looked like a Gemini.

 

This from  WIKIPEDIA

[padgett]

 Lessee car made of unobtainium that is missing parts, was boring to begin with, is rusty, and has no title. What's not to like ?

 

Opel GT is a neat car, only one I know of with mechanical hidden headlamps.

 

Opel 1900 dominated SCCA SSS class in early '70s.

 

Cad Catera (now Catera Touring Sedan or CTS) began as an Opel. Gas filler on passenger side is a sign of a European car,(are others).

Edited September 18, 2019 by padgett (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

Actually, the cars aren't "Buick Opels."

They are simply Opels.

Back in the day, a dealership might have

a sign listing the cars it sold:

 

BUICK

OPEL

 

However, those are two entirely different marques.

[Frank DuVal]

4 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

those are two entirely different marques.

 

Like a Chevrolet is different than a Pontiac. Opel was part owned by GM, GM of Europe or such. Then later, GM brought over rebadged Opels with domestic names, not as an Opel, but Cadillac, Saturn, and Buick. Seems GM sold their interest in Opel in 2017.

 

Then there is the Isuzu connection in 1976 (?), then it was a Opel by Isuzu and then badged Buick Opel up to 1979. Yep, aka the Holden Gemini.

[TerryB]

Opel Manta was on my radar in 1973, bought a Chevy instead.

[8E45E]

5 hours ago, padgett said:

Opel GT is a neat car, only one I know of with mechanical hidden headlamps.

The 1937 Cords had mechanically, or crank-actuated headlamps. 

 

Craig

[8E45E]

42 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said:

 

Like a Chevrolet is different than a Pontiac. Opel was part owned by GM, GM of Europe or such. Then later, GM brought over rebadged Opels with domestic names, not as an Opel, but Cadillac, Saturn, and Buick. Seems GM sold their interest in Opel in 2017.

 

Then there is the Isuzu connection in 1976 (?), then it was a Opel by Isuzu and then badged Buick Opel up to 1979. Yep, aka the Holden Gemini.

But it was still sold as the 'I-Mark' after 1979 at Isuzu dealerships.

 

Craig

[Buffalowed Bill]

I have a friend who owns two Opel Manta Rallyes, one of which he bought new in 1973. I keep trying to get the juices flowing, so he will bring it out. It wouldn't take much to get it back on the road. They are seldom seen, I only know of two people in the Seattle area who carry the torch for these. My friend can quote chapter and verse on why they are special, but why it has not translated into positive action, I just don't know.

[Spinneyhill]

8 hours ago, Craig Gillingham said:

They were sold as the Holden Gemini over here. They have a following and are still popular.

That is what I couldn't find in my messy head. Gemini. Did they turn into a Vauxhall Chevette?

[TerryB]

1 hour ago, Buffalowed Bill said:

I have a friend who owns two Opel Manta Rallyes, one of which he bought new in 1973. I keep trying to get the juices flowing, so he will bring it out. It wouldn't take much to get it back on the road. They are seldom seen, I only know of two people in the Seattle area who carry the torch for these. My friend can quote chapter and verse on why they are special, but why it has not translated into positive action, I just don't know.

They are really great looking cars for the period.  I used to pass a Buick dealer on the way to work each day, when I saw the Manta in the showroom window I stopped to check it out and really liked it.  As a stubborn Chevy guy I would up buying a Chevelle instead of the Manta.  In hindsight the Manta probably would have been the better car.

[cheezestaak2000]

worked at a buick dealer back around 1970. the opel was a pretty much trouble free car. the GT would have sold better if air conditioning was available in it.

[Locomobile]

Our neighbor had one of these Opel GT's growing up, same color, it was a new car and he could never get it started, I still remember going over there as a kid and helping him jump it. If it rained, forget it.

 

-Ron

 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Locomobile (see edit history)

[Rusty_OToole]

General Motors bought the German Opel car company in the late 1920s. They made cars for sale in Germany and other European countries. When small European cars were a fad, in the late fifties, GM brought some Opels to the US and sold them thru Buick dealers. This more or less came to an end when they got the compact Buick Special in 1961. Although, they did bring in some Opel GTs and possibly other models in the 70s. In both cases they were a stop gap until they could get their own American made small cars to market.

 

Pontiac did the same with the English Vauxhall, in the late 50s. In Canada they also sold Vauxhalls in the late sixties and early seventies. They were known as 'captive imports'. Many American car dealers sold imports under similar arrangements, at various times.

[Locomobile]

Speaking of GM and what went where, here is a video seen recently that may be of interest, some great shots of early 70's classics.

 

 

[TerryB]

A lot like the SIMCA with Chrysler relationship.  A ready to sell small car until each of the big three had their own in house small car offering.

Edited September 19, 2019 by TerryB (see edit history)

[Frank DuVal]

6 hours ago, Rusty_OToole said:

This more or less came to an end when they got the compact Buick Special in 1961.

 

Really? You never saw lots of Opel Kadetts in the 60s? The wagons were really popular around here. All sold by Buick dealers.😉

 

[Xander Wildeisen]

Had to look that one up, I have never seen one around here. 

[Rusty_OToole]

1 hour ago, Frank DuVal said:

 

Really? You never saw lots of Opel Kadetts in the 60s? The wagons were really popular around here. All sold by Buick dealers.😉

 

Never saw any Kadetts but did see the Opel GT in the 70s. I'm in Canada and they did things different here.

[8E45E]

8 hours ago, Rusty_OToole said:

Never saw any Kadetts but did see the Opel GT in the 70s. I'm in Canada and they did things different here.

No, but you got to see LOTS of Vauxhalls (and the badge-engineered Envoy models) that the US market never saw! 

 

Craig

[TerryB]

My son found this on a hike in northern CA.  It’s a Vauxhall like in the Internet photo