Opel GT
In the late ’60s, the German brand Opel was one of Europe’s most popular economy car manufacturers. Since General Motors owned it, the design of all Opel’s models was approved or even styled by GM’s design department, which meant that Opel models looked like scaled-down versions of Chevrolets or Buicks. This was precisely the case with Opel GT, a sporty affordable coupe presented in 1968 (via Net Car Show).
Opel needed a sports car based on its entry-level model – the Kadett, and in the mid-1960s, it got approval from GM to introduce such a vehicle. The design was heavily influenced by Corvette and GM’s concepts from the mid-1960s. Of course, with 1.3 and 1.9-liter four-cylinder engines, Opel GT didn’t have any of the Corvette’s power or performance, but it had the looks. Opel sold it in America through the Buick dealership network; interestingly, it sold well. More Opel GTs were sold in the US than in Europe during its five-year production run.