You may recall reading about the Vauxhall Cavalier Sportshatch on CC earlier this year. This was the Vauxhall version of General Motors Europe’s competitor to the Ford Capri II, Renault Scirocco, Renault 15, 17 and Fuego, Toyota Celics and many others. Back then, we had a wide range of saloon derived coupes to choose from. Now we have, for less than a BMW 2 series, the choice…oh, never mind for now, just pick an SUV with sports trim. The Manta was one of the last European example of this, and GME’s last attempt at a sports coupe, and was available as a coupe or as a sportshatch.
This a Manta B, based on floorpan of the Ascona B, was also sold as the first Vauxhall Cavalier, and on the GM U car platform. So, a four cylinder front engine, rear drive through a four speed gearbox, unequal length wishbone front suspension, coils and trailing arms at the back, and a range of engines from 1.2 to 2.0 litre (ultimately). There was a measurable if mostly cosmetic facelift in 1982, alongside the introduction of the new front wheel Ascona and Cavalier, the J cars. The Cavalier coupe was discontinued point, and all production ended in 1988.
Despite the uncomplicated nature of these, they normally got a fairly positive press, and were customarily considered as better than the Ford Capri for example. The GT/J trim level was really an entry level model and most, as far I can tell, were sold with 1.8 litre GM Europe overhead cam engine. Spotting one now is rare anywhere in Europe – this is my first on the road for several years. The UK car is a 1985 car, and the four handlamp front was by no means an unusual swap and indeed was standard on the last cars.
Fun fact – these cars very rarely had passenger side door mirrors, as the location and pillar profile made it almost totally unless for the driver.
Looks like a Vega/Monza/Chevette/Cavalier mash up. All GM’s styling cues from 1970 – 1981.
“GME’s last attempt at a sports coupe”
Calibra. I’m of the mind, outside of the homologation required i400 Mantas, the Calibra was a much more serious attempt at being a true sporting machine than the Manta B was. One could also make an argument for the Bertone styled Astra G coupes…
Sorry, but the Calibre was FWD, had bulkhead cracking issues, and wasn’t half the car the Manta was.
IMO, this coupe roofline would have been significantly more attractive than the formal roof used on the Monza Town Coupe, marketed in the US and Canada. With more of a family resemblance to the Monza hatchback, as well. In profile, it looks like a poor man’s Bitter SC. Didn’t realize the homemade appearing ‘MANTA GT J’ exterior black stencil graphics in this example, came from the factory.
Never mind the plate on the car, the brick wall is enough to identify this as a Gallery-Aaldering-ride (just scroll down a bit).
https://www.gallery-aaldering.com/collection/
Stereotyping the Manta in less than a minute:
This was entertaining!
The Manta B’s lowbrow image as depicted in this video, and in other things I’ve read, is such a foreign thing to U.S. readers like me. It always makes me wonder what was different enough about the conceptually similar Capri that it escaped similar image.
And then I think about the Camaro-Mustang comparisons from the ’80s. I can’t recall Fox-body Mustangs being referred to with the same low-income connotations nearly as frequently as the third-generation Camaro.
These are the types of interesting, culture-based things I can appreciate about a site like this one.
The contemporary Opel Kadett C, certainly the coupe, and Opel Ascona B (both RWD too) were also highly popular among the young “go-fast” crowd, especially in the more rural areas. Bought used -of course- and then pimped with some extra lights and wider tires, to start with.
Much more than Ford or Volkswagen, let alone the French brands. Which 18 to 25 years old guy lusted for a Renault, Peugeot or Citroën as his first car, back then? No one. At least, not where I’m living. And Alfa Romeos were way too exotic, plus the fact they didn’t live long (enough) due to deadly rust sins, unlike the Opels.
I did a backpacking through Europe in the early 1990s, at a time when Opel Manta jokes were apparently circulating the continent. It was pretty interesting. Most were in the vein of “What’s the difference between an Opel Manta driver and a ____?” (etc.) But my favourite was one told to me by a German fellow at a hostel in Luxembourg:
“I saw an Opel Manta parked at the university.”
Fill it with leaded, it’ll lower it .5cm.
Inspired the Chevy Monza?
And yet … what if Cadillac had imported this to give its dealers what they demanded for 1982 as the price of not exercising the right to add an import brand instead of the Cimmaron. Not as good as an E30 318i, but not nearly so far off.
CC effect: well, online at least, I was looking at an ’89 Manta GSI coupe listing on Trade Me this morning and thinking it’d been a long time since I last saw one. GM NZ sold the Manta B (and Senator B and Monza A2) in NZ in RHD form but with Opel branding rather than Vauxhall. Must have been about the only RHD Opel market in the world through the 1980s, and there are 25 of the Manta B still here.
This one on Trade Me was sold new here on 28 July 1989, surely making it one of the last ones, if not the last, sold worldwide. It’s been off the road since 2002 when it was written off by the insurance company – not due to accident damage but because the windscreen broke and a new one was unable to be sourced for a reasonable sum. Even though I’m not a GM man (and have my hands more than full keeping my ’89 Ford Sierra alive…), the immaculate condition of this Manta was certainly thought-provoking!
Saw that on TM nice looking cars but rare now my BIL was working for Schofields when these were released he seemed to think they were a nice drive
Opel manta GTE, è stata la mia prima auto, era di mio padre, la ho guidata per sei anni e la vorrei ancora oggi