This is a 1972 Opel GT that has been significantly modified from stock, it’s now powered by a turbocharged Mazda BP inline-four and it has a matching 5-speed manual transmission.
The Opel GT was a compact sports car developed in Europe with hefty influence from the Chevrolet Corvette, but scaled down for the European market. The car became a popular sports car both in Europe and the US – in fact 70% of production went to North America.
Fast Facts: A Mazda BP-Swapped Opel GT
- This 1972 Opel GT has been extensively modified, it now uses a turbocharged Mazda BP inline-four paired with a 5-speed manual transmission and a Volvo 3.70:1 rear differential. It also has Koni adjustable shocks, 11 inch disc brakes, flared fenders, and 15-inch XXR wheels, creating a much more capable, modernized sports car.
- The original Opel GT, built from 1968 to 1973, was Opel’s first true sports car and drew heavy styling influence from the C3 Corvette. Built on modified Kadett B underpinnings, it had good aerodynamics, pop-up headlights, and compact proportions that gave it surprising agility for its class.
- Offered with either a 1.1 liter or 1.9 liter inline-four, the GT delivered between 67 and 102 bhp depending on engine size and market regulations. US versions produced slightly less power but retained the model’s charm, with a 0 to 60 mph time near 11 seconds and a top speed around 113 mph.
- Roughly 103,000 Opel GTs were built, with about 70% sold through Buick dealerships in North America. The car gained a following for its distinctive styling and simplicity, and many owners later upgraded performance through carburetor kits, turbo conversions, or engine swaps.
History Speedrun: The Opel GT
When Opel unveiled the GT in 1968, it wasn’t quite like anything the conservative German automaker had ever built before. The car’s story begins all the way back in the early 1960s when Opel designers at Rüsselsheim (part of GM’s European division) began pushing for a new sports car model that could elevate Opel’s image beyond the sedans and family cars they had become known for – a halo model.
The first glimpse of the Opel GT came at the 1965 Frankfurt Motor Show, where Opel displayed a silver concept called the Experimental GT. The prototype’s long hood, fastback tail, and hidden headlamps drew clear comparisons to the C3 Corvette. Image courtesy of General Motors.
Their design inspiration came partly from across the Atlantic – the Chevrolet Corvette had become an icon of American automotive design, and Opel’s design studio, which worked closely with GM’s US styling team, wanted a European interpretation of that same formula that had proven so successful.
The team over at Ford’s European operations were working on a very similar car at exactly the same time – the Ford Capri. The Capri was essentially a downsized European answer to the wildly popular Ford Mustang, which had founded the pony car genre across the pond and set new sales records in the process.
The first glimpse of the Opel GT came at the 1965 Frankfurt Motor Show, where Opel displayed a silver concept called the Experimental GT. The prototype’s long hood, fastback tail, and hidden headlamps drew clear comparisons to the C3 Corvette. Public reaction was so overwhelmingly positive that Opel management approved the car for production.
Engineering development was handled by a small team led by Erhard Schnell, and the final design stayed remarkably close to the concept – a rarity in the 1960s.
Production began in 1968 with steel unibody shells fabricated by Chausson and completed by Brissonneau & Lotz before being shipped to Opel’s Bochum plant for final assembly. The car used Opel Kadett B underpinnings, which kept costs low but required substantial re-engineering for the low-slung coupe.
At 13.5 feet long the Opel GT was compact and surprisingly aerodynamic, with a drag coefficient of 0.39 – impressive for the era and not bad even by modern standards. Weight distribution and suspension geometry were tuned for balanced handling, giving the GT a reputation for agility even if outright power was on the modest side – particularly when compared to the fire-breathing Corvette.
The car sold particularly well in the United States, where Buick dealers handled distribution through GM’s import network. Image courtesy of General Motors.
Two engines were offered starting with a 1.1 liter OHV inline-four with 67 bhp and an unusual 1.9 liter cam-in-head-four-cylinder from the Opel Rekord developing 102 bhp, later reduced to 83 bhp for the US market. Most buyers chose the larger engine, which delivered a 0 to 60 mph time of 10.8 seconds and a top speed of 113 mph. Power went to the rear wheels through a 4-speed manual gearbox.
The Opel GT’s pop-up headlights were operated manually by a long lever between the seats that rotated them 180º – quirky but mechanically functional and more reliable than electrically or vacuum operated systems. The interior was simple but well-finished, with twin bucket seats, classic gauges, and a distinctive wraparound dashboard.
The car sold particularly well in the United States, where Buick dealers handled distribution through GM’s import network. Between 1968 and 1973, Opel built roughly 103,463 GTs, with about 70% going to North America. Prices were competitive – around $3,400 in 1970 – placing the GT against cars like the Datsun 240Z, Triumph GT6, MGB GT, and the Fiat 124 Sport Coupe.
Despite its success, the GT’s production ended in 1973 – rising safety and emissions regulations made it too expensive to update, and Opel shifted focus to mass-market models like the Manta and Ascona. For decades afterward, the GT became a cult classic among enthusiasts who loved its clean styling and simple mechanical systems.
Aftermarket tuners even offered performance upgrades, including Weber carburetors, turbo conversions, and outright engine swaps, giving the GT the performance it arguably deserved from the factory.
The Mazda BP-Swapped 1972 Opel GT Shown Here
The car you see here is a highly-modified 1972 Opel GT, now powered by a turbocharged Mazda BP engine which sends power back through a 5-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels.
That Mazda BP power unit is an inline-four with double overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, it’s been fitted with a a T28 turbocharger and there appears to be an air-to-air intercooler mounted up front, though we haven’t been able to confirm this.
That Mazda BP power unit is an inline-four with double overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, it’s been fitted with a a T28 turbocharger and there appears to be an air-to-air intercooler mounted up front, though we haven’t been able to confirm this.
Power is sent back to a Volvo 3.70:1 rear differential which is better able to handle the increase torque and horsepower. The car also now has 11-inch disc brakes, Koni adjustable shock absorbers, flared fenders, and 15 inch XXR wheels.
It’s now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum in late-October and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or place a bid.
Images courtesy of Mecum
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
