For a period of more than 25 years, starting in the mid-sixties, the Opel Kadett was the best selling car in the Netherlands. Affordable, uncomplicated (in every aspect) and solid. Yes, those Rüsselheimers certainly knew what we were looking for in a car. As an aside, the Kadett model name dates back to the thirties, but that’s not important right now.
All five post-war Kadett generations were present in the Autotron’s classic car parking lot, last November. The show’s focus was on the 120th anniversary of Opel car production, so as expected, many owners of a classic Opel showed up in their ride. Now then, let’s walk the Kadett-timeline.
1962 – 1965 Kadett A
1965 two-door sedan. The only engine available in the Kadett A was a 993 cc OHV four-cylinder, 40 or 48 DIN-hp.
1965 – 1973 Kadett B
1969 two-door sedan. The base engine of the B-series was a 1.1 liter OHV engine.
Another 1969 two-door sedan.
From a German visitor, a Kadett Super two-door wagon with a roof rack. Opel wagons were called Caravan.
1970 LS two-door Fließheck-Limousine, or fastback, if you wish. Mind you, not the same as the Kadett B coupe.
1973 – 1979 Kadett C
1979 City (the hatchback) Automatic.
1976 City Automatic 1200 S.
1978 Rallye 1.6 S coupe (CIH engine, 75 DIN-hp).
1977 GT/E coupe (1.9 liter CIH engine, Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection, 105 DIN-hp). Yellow on black, that’s the first 1975 – 1977 series of the GT/E alright.
1976 coupe with an automatic transmission.
1978 four-door sedan.
1979 two-door wagon.
1979 1.2 four-door sedan.
1979 – 1984 Kadett D (the first front-wheel drive Opel)
1984 1.3 S Automatic hatchback in a wonderful condition (OHC engine, 75 DIN-hp).
1984 – 1993 Kadett E
1987 2.0 GSi (with Opel’s 20SEH engine, OHC, 129 DIN-hp).
Now let’s go out with a bang…
In 1988, this Kadett E left the factory as a 2.0 GSi 16v, maximum power output 156 DIN-hp.
But after a major, professional tuning job, 620 horses are in (turbo)charge now. The owner-operator of this savage beast: a friendly, well-spoken, 60+ gentleman.
More smaller and (much) bigger Opels in a next episode.
And the letter sequence would continue with the Opel Astra.
One point that isn’t clear here is that the four-door sedan started in the B generation (and was offered in the US in two non-consecutive years, 1966 and 1970). There was a Kadett B four-door wagon and a fastback sedan, both of which weren’t continued into C (the Chevette four-door hatchback was North America-exclusive) only to reappear in the Kadett D line which, like the firstgen Civic and the Ford Pinto, offered two-box trunked fastbacks and hatchbacks with the identical profile.
Though in Britain Kadett D & E were Vauxhall Astra Mk.1 & Mk.2, while the RWD Kadett C was the basis for the Chevette, the two on sale alongside the Mk.1 Astra until 1984.
Wow! Didn’t suspect a turbo on the tuned E Kadett GSi….must be interesting trying to put the power to the tarmac…..
Love how balanced the Kadett C coupes look – styled by Erhard Schnell, as was the rest of the range. He also did the Opel GT, Vectra A and Calibra, to name but a few of his many other designs for Opel….a true gentleman that was the first studio chief I worked for.
Huey – if you´d be interested in sharing some insights on the Opel Design Studio I can be contacted over at Driventowrite.com (I hope this is okay with Paul N.).
I am very interested in Opel design and would like to hear about some aspects of the design situation at Ruesselsheim.
Richard Herriott
+1
I would certainly like to read more from Huey & The Opel News!
Strangely familiar cars we didnt get here, we got the UK Vauxhall versions but they look similar The T cars came in Vauxhall and Isuzu/Holden flavour and only Vauxhall had the 3 door hatch version Isuzu did the coupe, later FWD Opels were RHD Vauxhalls rebadged Holden for down under consumption, mostly quite rare cars now. And of course the E arrived in NZ with Pontiac badges from Daewoo in Korea.
Thanks for posting this. The Golf gets quite a lot of appreciation (and it deserves some) but the Kadett is an oddly neglected product line. Opel managed to maintain two contradictory things at the same time: 1) consistently contemporary design to attract new customers and b) consistently high standards of design to keep the old customers happy. If you switched from one to the next generation of Kadett you´d have to accept design changes that the Golf customer didn´t have to deal with.
In terms of leaving a monument, this was not a good approach. Yet, added up, Opel managed to keep producing well-rounded and capable cars at a decent price and they all lookked good and novel. It has taken me a long time to appreciate these democratic and accessible examples of good industrial design. All of them have their charms. (I love the last Kadett – it still looks fresh).
I always thought the Kadett ‘C’ Coupe was a stunner, but it was never a suitable purchase. Any Kadett ‘C’ was really a 2+2 as there was no legroom for adults in the back.
Around here they were mostly 1.2 models, with a small number of 1.9s – I didn’t realise they produced 1.6 versions as well.
As per the pattern, I think the styling looks good until you get to the mid-70s, then it’s all downhill. Although the ’78 Rallye works for me. The red Kadett-A looks like such a happy little motoring tool. Put the 106hp Toyota 1.5 in there with a stick shift and that would be a great way to bomb around town.
I owned a beige 1965 Kadette A in the early seventies. It had the revised headlights with squarish bezels instead of the round ones shown here. A unicorn even back then. Top speed, observed, 80 mph downhill. As I recall, excellent in winter with studded tires but crappy brakes that faded all to quickly.
I’ve never understood the “overbodied” styling of the Kadetts. Look at that light blue Kadett B—there is way too much metal above the wheel arch. It lends the impression of a car sitting atop its wheels, rather than within them. It makes the car look top-heavy and unstable, like a strong breeze could topple it.
Now I really want a Kadett A! As you know, my father had one, and I never got to drive it. it sure is cute.
Did you say you were thinking of visiting Austria again?
https://www.willhaben.at/iad/gebrauchtwagen/d/auto/opel-kadett-a-l-356622170/
Revised front clip on that, more like it’s cousin the Viva HA. Interesting.
I had the Vauxhall version with later HC engine and gearbox it went better than the original and later I had a B estate version by Vauxhall and a couple of Aussie versions badged Holden Torana one of them with the 6 cylinder Holden engine, later models came here as Holdens via Isuzu and Vauxhalls but the British model had different front sheetmetal and engines.
The only Opel we ever got in Canada was the 1900GT coupe, and the only Vauxhall the U.S. ever officially received was the Victor. While the US received other Opel models, including the Kapitan, Reckord, etc, Canada received other Vauxhall models including the Cresta and the Viva, plus a badged-engineered line called the Envoy for Chevrolet Oldsmobile dealers.
I know little about these cars, but I saw Richard Hammond’s “Oliver”, and a bunch of what looked like much, much cooler-looking versions of our (U.S.) Chevette. Also, that first photo of the blue one is quite pretty. I’m a sucker for a big rounded rear side window ever since I saw the first Capris as a kid.
Thanks for posting these. I sure wish that the General had done a better job supporting Opel in the U.S.
I am one of three Dutchmen who never owned one!
Instead of dissolving the Saturn dealership network, GM’s ‘executors’ in 2009 should have made them into Import Dealers, to handle Opel, Vauxhall, Holden, Daewoo, etc. (This was attempted in Canada in 1989 with the ‘Passport’ agencies, but some higher-up didn’t like the idea and killed it.) The parts department already had most of the Opel parts in stock when the ax fell as a couple of the Saturn models like the Astra were rebadged Opels, anyway. If the sales in North America were solid enough, perhaps GM wouldn’t have had to sell Opel to PSA Group.
I’ve had two of their Aussie cousins in my COALs. TD van and a TX coupe. Give me A/C in one and I’d happily use one as a DD.
Thank you for this trip down memory lane. The maternal chariot when I was born was a green Kadett B 4-door, which for traded in 1984 for a Kadett D (still in green). My mother always thought Opels were solid and dependable cars – at least, that was their reputation in France at the time. Her advocacy of GM Europe products even swayed my grandmother, who bought a Corsa in the late 80s.
Superb photos as always, Johannes.
Your mother wasn’t wrong – into the 80s, Opels were indeed still solid and dependable, although less solid as the decade wore on.
The 1200cc pushrod motor in the Kadett D was bullet-proof.
The outwardly identical Mk1 Astra used electrics from different sources and was perhaps slightly less dependable…
Looking back, the Kadett D was the last Kadett built to last. The E’s main problem was premature, serious rust.
My brother bought a used Kadett D 1.3 and drove it for years. As I said, uncomplicated and solid, with good rust proofing.
Thanks T. Not easy to take decent pictures with a bright November sun in the afternoon. All shadows on one side, all reflections and too much light on the other side…
Thanks for the comprehensive overview. The Kadett C really stands out since the hatchbacks are a better Chevette than the US model and my son just saw one of the Isuzu built fastback coupes in a junkyard in Albany Oregon. Also I really like the orange Kadett C wagon with alloy wheels.
The Kadett E also got the screw up the Opel treatment as the Daewoo built Pontiac “LeMans”, which leaves the Saturn Astra as the only unbotched US market Opel.
The Kadette B is the car that I remember. The fastback coupe is a pretty cute car. I didn’t realize that the Chevette was sold as an Opel. I thought that was a “US only nightmare”. I also see the Pontiac Lemans from Daewoo. It was an abomination to use that name and the car was horrible. I never understood why GM sold Opel’s with Buick. They should have sold them with the Chevys and let people move up or down from Nova. We may have never had a Vega, if Opel was there. It was a far better car.
Got to be the 1977 GT/E Coupe for me. Stunning looking car.
Thanks for the tour Johannes!
Absolutely agree. Plus my first ever girlfriend’s mother has a Kadett C Coupe – but just plain yellow. Happy memories 😉
Most of the Kadett Bs I have seen in real life tend to be that light blue colour.
Love the post. Here in Australia, our equivalent was the Isuzu-sourced Holden Gemini. It was identical in all respects, other than only being available with a 1.6 litre engine. They’re rare now, especially in coupe form; seems nobody realised how good they were until most of them were gone.
Boy racers figured it out and found the engine from the Rodeo pickup also an Isuzu bolts right in for a bit of power, that might account for some of the scarcity some met scenery before brake and suspension upgrades were fitted.
The true Kadett is until the C series , even this graceful C series in notchback configuration was one of the most succesful global cars in its time . Built even under many brands who can’t never hide the sleek original design from Deutschland’s Opel Kadett C .
Was assembled everywhere as :
Vauxhall
Isuzu
Saehan
GMC Chevette
Opel 180
Grumett
plants who produced it simultaneously apart from UK and Germany were located in Japan, South Korea , Venezuela , Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and perhaps more .
Only for very refined clinic visualization :
if you follow carefully the roof’s portion , the waistline , the front doors , the wheelbase and the shape of the opening engine’s capot , then please do not say you never guessed the American infamous Chevrolet Vega was an anericanization or chevroletization based on the original structure of the German Opel Kadett C zwei turig !!!!
It’s missing the Olympia, which was a Kadett B more refined until the arrival of the first Ascona (Cavalier’s grandpa). It’s interesting how good the Chevrolet Nova’s style fit so well in the Olympia, Monaro and Opala (Rekord C). If I were a collector I’d love to get the four just to put them side by side like a matryoshka hahaha
The title photo shows a car of impressive subtlety of line. Opel has turned out a remarkable number of attractive and well-considered cars. For decades I didn´t notice this because a long-running anti-Vauxhall/anti-Opel current in the UK automotive media. I´d not argue they´ve had a few disapointing cars if your focus is pin-sharp steering and the edginess of tail-out RWD antics. Looking strictly at styling, Opel´s output has been both prodigous and usually very good. They get taken for granted to a large degree. Yet very many of their cars offer a high standard of design excellence and absence of flubs that few other marques manage.
The last Kadett is a serious a bit of automotive design as the equivalent Golf. And I can´t see one single iteration of the Kadett/Astra line that was not a good bit of styling.
If you review the Ascona series there are some gems there too along with the Rekord series: smart looking cars that sold well and for a reasonable price.
While I am here, yesterday there was an article on the ill-fated X-body GM cars. Without working too hard to research this, would I be right in saying the Rekord was much the same kind of size and if so, why did GM not just import the plans for that and build Chevrolet, Olds and Buick versions of that?
They did with their next FWD effort – the J-bodies, starting with the Chevy Cavalier.
Once they upgraded those from the wheezy, gutless OHV 1.8 to the fuel-injected OHC 1.8 and OHV 2.0, they became decent cars – IMHO much better than the X-bodies!
Happy motoring, Mark
In 1976, I bought a ’68 ‘B’ two-door sedan at a tyard-sale for $150 – a very base model with the tiny 1.1 and red rubber floor-covering that had bio-degraded into hardened goo!
In addition the the usual repair needs, he poor little car had also suffered the ravages of ‘Handy-Andy’s’ Micky-Mouse fix-ups, including an alternator bolted to the engine at one end and the inner-fender at the other, and a drilled out steering-lock, along with an aftermarket ignition-switch dangling from the hole by a bit of muffler strap.
A local salvage-yard furnished a proper ignition-lock & key, along with the correct Bosch generator and regulator. Other upgrades included a complete carpet set to hide the red goo, an original Opel-Delco AM radio, and a Keinzel electric clock to replace the black blank-off plate in the cluster and provide a tiny extra bit of ‘bling’!
A few parts like the motor mounts were still available but very pricey from Temple Buick – the local Opel dealer.
I finished the car off with a shiny, white $89 Earl-Sheib paint job and drove her for a couple years. Aside from being a bit under powered, she was fun to drive.
I sold her to a friend of a friend, who bought it for his daughter. She later replaced it with a used 1979 Datsun 210 that turned out to be a lemon, and her dad would constantly nag her with “You should’ve kept the Opel!”. Meanwhile, I had replaced the Opel with a 1972 Audi Super-90 wagon that turned into another can-o-worms. Maybe I should’ve kept the Opel!
Happy Motoring, Mark
Hello there,
It’s amazing how you discovered your own car after two years of posting.
I’m the owner of the blue Kadett c coupé 1.6S Rallye in “Winterfest” edition. I’ve bought it in July 2000 in current condition. I’m very pleased I got this piece of Opel history and people still like to see them running.
Best regards,
Dennis Vergeldt
Mooie Kadett Dennis!