No. 68 Opel Corsa A three-door saloon 1982
The first Corsa, which fitted into the Opel range below the Kadett, was introduced in September 1982 as three-door hatchback and two-door saloon. In April 1985, a four-door saloon was added, and in September 1985, the Corsa was the first German small car to be fitted with a three-way catalytic converter and lambda-measuring head. In July 1993 it was replaced by the Corsa B.
The model is authentic, with an accurately shaped body painted in bright red, and an interior moulded in black. The wheels are good replicas. A number of separate parts are used but the baseplate has only limited detail.
No.69 Opel Vectra B four-door saloon 1995-2002
In October 1995 the Vectra A was replaced. Saloons, hatchbacks and an estate, called the Caravan as usual for Opel, were produced.
This model is of the saloon and is authentically shaped and painted in blue. The interior is moulded in black but the seats are also printed with a typical diamond-shaped pattern. A number of separate parts are used and the wheels are true to the originals. Again the baseplate has only basic detail.
No.70 Opel Kapitan saloon 1955-1958
A new Kapitan was introduced in July 1955. It was larger than its predecessor and a straight 6 cylinder engine which developed 75 hp at 3900 rpm. The front wheels had independant suspension and the rear ones were on a rigid axle with leaf springs. On November 9th 1956 the 2,000,000th Opel car left the assembly line, it was a Kapitan, which can still be seen today in Opel’s car collection. It was finished with gold metallic paint and instead of chrome many parts were gold-plated.
This miniature is of a normal production car and is well shaped, and features many separate parts. It is painted sahara-yellow and it has a light grey interior. Its appearance is enhanced by the wide white-walls on the tyres.
No.71 Opel Manta A GT/E “Black Magic” 1975
The hottest of all Manta A cars was named “Black Magic”. It was fitted with a four-cylinder 1.9 litre engine which produced 105 hp at 5400 rpm. It had a claimed top speed of 188 km/h.
This model is very authentic. The body is accurately reproduced and finished with a matt black bonnet and the characteristic red and yellow stripes. There are many separate parts and the interior was moulded in black with seats printed with the an authentic textile design. The wheels are not authentic and are based on the type of product available as an accessory from other suppliers at the time. As with all this range a basic baseplate is provided.
No. 72 Opel Manta B CC 1978-1988
The Manta B was launched in August 1975 as a saloon car. In September 1978 the CC hatchback version with a tailgate followed. In the 1980s the Manta became a the subject of jokes and in 1991 the movie “Manta, Manta” portayed the Manta as ‘prole’ car, which the Opel promotion department very much disliked. In spite of this all the Manta B was quite successful. Over the years, a number of Manta B models have been released, but all were of the coupe. Now we have a model of the CC in this collection.
The model is excellently detailed with the body painted in bright red. It is the GT/E-version of 1982, which can be determined by the position of the mirrors. The interior is also true to the original as are the wheel rims. The baseplate has only limited detail.
No. 73 Opel Ascona C 1982-1988
The Ascona Type C was introduced in three body-versions like its predecessors: two and four door saloons; and a five door hatchback. In January 1985, the Ascona 1.8 litre was the first Opel car fitted with a controlled three-way catalytic converter.
The model comes as a saloon with the 1987 modelyear facelift. The radiator grille is correctly painted in body colour. It is finished as the GT edition with the body painted in blue and fitted with black rubber spoiler on the boot lid. A very good detailed interior is finished in light grey and blue. Wheel rims are true to the originals. Again the baseplate has minimal detail.
No. 74 Opel Olympia Rekord 1956-1957
The two door Olympia Rekord was the last evolution step of the saloon which was originally introduced in 1953. Its design was similar to the 1956 version of the Kapitan. Painted in bright red, the model has an accurate shape. Radiator grille, bumpers and hub caps are chome-plated, the other mouldings are tampo printed in silver. An accurate interior is fitted and the overall appearance is complemented by neat whitewall tyres. Again the baseplate has minimal detail.
No. 75 Opel Monza A Coupe
The Monza has been revisited. In this case it is in the original version as it was launched in May 1978. The body is painted in light blue metallic with a faithfully executed interior in black. The excellent wheels are also worthy of comment. The baseplate has limited detail as usual.
No. 76 Opel Cadet Type B Caravan 1965-1973
The Cadet B Caravan was launched at the Frankfurt Motorshow in 1965. It appealed to workmen needing a cheap but spacious vehicle that had the space for both the family and the tools of the trade. It came in three and five door versions. The basic version was fitted with a 1100 cc engine, which developed 45 hp at 5.000 rpm.
The model is a realistic shape and is of a three-door version. It is painted in ochre, which is true to an original colour, and is fitted with black interior. Bumpers, hub caps and roof rack are plated and lights are separately fitted. The base plate has quite a bit of detail moulded in for this series.
No. 77 Opel Rekord Type E Caravan 1977-1982
Production of the Rekord E started in August 1977. The estate, again named Caravan, was available with three or five doors or as delivery van with closed side windows. The miniature is an excellent representation of the original vehicle which was designed by the American Henry Haga. The model is of the three-door version and is painted in yellow and fitted with a brown interior. Dashboard, steering wheel and centre console are authentic. The bumpers are plated, radiator grille is silver painted and the body side mouldings are in black. Baseplate has only basic details.
No. 78 Opel Bedford Blitz 1973-1980
The Bedford CF was launched in Britain in 1969. The contemporary Opel Blitz was rather out of date at the time and importing the Bedford and selling it as an Opel from 1973 was a makeshift solution. Quality problems affected sales so GM decided that Opel should concentrate their activities on passenger cars.
The Bedford Blitz is modelled as a delivery van. It is authentically shaped and painted in orange and light cream. Separate lights are used and bumpers and hub caps are plated. The emblems are neatly printed. Baseplate has moderate detail.
No. 79 Opel Super 6 four-door saloon 1937-1938
Production of the Opel 6 started in January 1934. It was fitted with a 6-cylinder engine, which developed 36 horsepower from 1932 cc. Then in 1937 the car was facelifted and the engine was developed to produce 55 horsepower from 2473 cc. It was named ‘Super 6’. In 1938, the Super 6 was succeeded by the newly introduced Kapitan.
This model is well shaped and detailed. It has a medium blue and a light grey interior. Lights are neatly done as separately inserted items. The radiator grille and bumpers are plated, and other mouldings printed in silver. The interior is realistic. The baseplate has a little more detail than usual for this series.
80 Opel Corsa B 1993 three-door hatchback
The second generation Opel Corsa was launched at Geneva Motor Show in March 1993. The first version to be seen was the three door version, as modelled here. Unusually for a small car the Corsa was equipped with ABS, even on the basic version, as well as side impact protection, and a driver airbag. The launch advertising in Germany featured a character double of Queen Elizabeth II.
The model is finished in star silver with a light grey interior. The plastic inserts in the bumpers and around the wheel arches are painted black. The steering wheel and interior are faithfully detailed.
81 Opel Manta B GSI Coupe 1984-88
The Manta Type B was produced from August 1975 to June 1988. Based on the Ascona it had the front axle from the Kadett C. In the UK it was offered with right-hand drive as the Vauxhall Cavalier Coupe.
The model is of the top of the range version of the Manta, which was powered by a 110bhp two litre four-cylinder in line engine.
This model captures the original well, and is finished in metallic black. The accurate detailed interior is finished in black and red. The ‘Manta GSI’ badges and the trim lines are printed in red, but some are not totally accurate. The wheels are authentic, however.
82 Opel Rekord P II 1960-63 two-door saloon
This casting has been seen before in the range. It is now finished in different colours; the body in ruby red, the roof in chamonix white, with a white interior. The radiator grille and bumpers are chrome plated, and mouldings are silver printed. The whitewall tyres look very good on this model.
83 Opel Frontera B 1999-2003 Polizei
The Opel Frontera was a popular vehicle with the Polizei, as it was reliable, roomy, and had four-wheel drive, so it could be used off and on road.
This casting has been seen before in the range in civilian finish, but now it is finished in classic white and green with Polizei markings, and a blue light bar. It has German registration plates from Hanover, the capital city of Lower Saxony. The wheels are accurately reproduced.
84 Opel Kadett D GTE 1983-1984
This version of the Kadett was the first with front-wheel drive. The success of the Volkswagen Golf GTI spurred Opel into launching their own hot hatch, the Kadett GTE. It had a 115hp 1796cc four-cylinder engine which enabled the car to accelerate from 0 to 100kph in 9.5 seconds and gave it a top speed of 187kph.
The car was available as a three-door or five-door saloon, usually in white or black with the distinctive GTE livery. This model is in the popular white finish with an accurate grey interior. Lights and other features are well-made separate components.
85 Opel Rekord P1 1957-1960 two-door saloon Polizei
The Rekord was a spacious car for its price and consequently it was often bought by Polizei authorities. After hard use most were sold cheaply on the secondhand market, and few now survive. The model is said to be based on a car currently displayed at the Police Car Museum at Marburg, Germany.
The model is painted in realistic fir green with a blue beacon. The bumpers and radiator grille are chrome-plated and additional mouldings are printed in silver. Lights and other separate parts are well made and neatly fitted.
86 Opel Admiral 1937-1939
The Admiral was first revealed to the public at the Berlin Auto Show in February 1937. It was released in December 1937, and was only available for wealthy customers. Because it was manufactured by an American company (Opel was owned by General Motors), the Admiral was not purchased for official use by the Nazi government. Today this first generation of the Opel Admiral is very rare, as many of them were converted to ambulances during the war, and those that survived the war were often then converted to makeshift trucks.
This is the second issue in this series based on this casting. The initial release was finished in black, but this model is blue, the same colour as the car in the Opel Classic Collection. The interior is light grey, the bumpers and hub caps are chrome-plated, and the mouldings and badging are printed silver. The base is more detailed than many other models in this collection.
87 Opel Calibra Coupe 1990-1997 Notarzt
Production of the Calibra began in June 1990, in March 1992 a version was released with a two litre turbocharged engine and four-wheel drive, and in summer 1993 there was an option of the 2.5 litre V6 engine from the Omega saloon. A few Calibras were used as emergency vehicles for the NEF (Notarzt-Einsatz-Fahrzeug). Four-wheel drive and its large tailgate were advantages for the emergency services.
The model is finished in fire service red and with a blue beacon and an aerial. The interior is light grey, with separately moulded and fitted parts to the usual standard for this partwork.
88 Opel Olympia delivery van 1950-1953
The post war Olympia was identical to the model whose production stopped in October 1940, except for the front wheel assembly. In January 1950 it was upgraded with a distinctive new body. The chromed radiator grille was modelled on the American cars of the time. It was also available as a cabriolet-saloon and as a delivery van as modelled here. This was a useful workhorse for small shopkeepers and traders. This model is based upon a delivery van used by a Frankfurt coffee roaster and dealer who used the car as an advertisement for the business.
The model is fully detailed and lovingly finished. The radiator grille is “chromed” and looks very realistic. Through the windows you can see a well modelled dashboard and steering wheel. Only basic details are moulded into the base.
89 Opel Rekord D Type 1972-1977 four door saloon Polizei
Production of the D type Rekord started in December 1971 and ended in July 1977 after 1,128,196 cars had been manufactured. In September 1972, a 60bhp Diesel engine developed in-house by Opel was introduced which was very popular with Taxi drivers.
This model of the Diesel version has been issued as a German Police car in the accurate period green and white livery. It is fitted with a blue warning light and a loud speaker. Unfortunately the model is not accurate since the German Police would not have used such a low powered vehicle as a patrol car and the registration plate with a blue EU-insert shows LUP, Ludwigslust and Parching in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, one of the new Federal countries. At the time that the D type Rekord was in use this area was still behind the Iron Curtain. Only a few D type Rekord patrol cars survive today in collections, all equipped with petrol engines.
90 Opel Kapitan 1938-1940
In November 1937 Opel launched a new six-cylinder car called the Kapitan. Like the smaller Olympia it was of unitary construction. It was offered as four and two door saloon and as a cabriolet. Production ended in Autumn 1940 due to the Second World War.
The model has been seen before and has now been re-issued with the body painted in prototypical black and is fitted with elegant white wall tyres. The headlights are still innacurate as they were in the first issue. Apart from this, body is very accurate, and well detailed and finished. A well moulded red interior is fitted.
91 Opel Vectra B 1995-2002 saloon Polizei
The Vectra B was first shown to the public in October 1995. The German Police departments were early purchasers and they proved to be reliable patrol cars. All were painted in white and green. It is hard to believe that any type B cars would have been still in use by around 2005 when the newer silver and blue livery was introduced. However this model appears in the newer Polizei livery and is fitted with registration plates from the German capital, Berlin. It is fitted with a blue light bar, but the police aerial is missing.
92 Opel Kapitan PII 1959-1964 Saloon in Taxi livery
From their early years Opel’s cars were widely used as Taxis. The Rekord and Kapitan models were the models most often used in the 1960s and 1970s. Until 1971 all West German Taxis had to be painted black, after that they had to be painted in light ivory. This model of the Kapitan PII is in black which is appropriate for its age. The body shape is well captured and there are seperate lights and small components as well as silver printing and “chrome” where appropriate. The dark grey coloured interior looks authentic, especially the steering wheel. The model is fitted with registration plates for West-Berlin, which was still under allied administration at this time.
93 Opel Corsa A 1982-1993 Three door saloon Polizei
Was the product manager who suggested this model drunk? Or is it a joke made up as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations? What is certain is that the model is not based on any known prototype operated by any German Police Force. The model is a good representation of the Corsa itself and the green and white painted body is fitted with a large blue light bar and looks quite impressive, It is a pity that it is not authentic.
94 Opel Rekord A 1963-1965 Cabriolet
This was the most elegant version of the Rekord A and a car to be seen in during the 1960s. The cabriolet was converted by Deutsch of Cologne for Opel. This model has appeared before in the range but has now been released with the body painted in white and with a closed matt black soft top. There is a good level of detail provided using small separate parts as well as silver printing and a plated radiator grille and bumpers. A nice little detail is the “D” sign beside the rear registration plate. The body shape and interior are good. Unfortunately the hood does not fit accurately to the window frame.
95 Opel Kapitan P 2.6 1959-1964 Polizei
Immediately after the Second World War Volkswagen Beetles were the main type of patrol cars used by the West-German Police. With the growth of prosperity and the associated rise in traffic on the Autobahns bigger and more powerful patrol cars were needed. The Opel Rekord was often used as a Motorway patrol car in West Germany but they lead a tough life and few survive. The model is based on a survivor which can be found in retirement in a museum of old Polizei vehicles in the the City of Marburg. The model is well shaped and painted in the period fir green. Detailing is up to the usual standard for this range and includes registration plates for Marburg.
96 Opel Olympia Rekord P1 two door saloon 1957-1960
The Rekord P1 was first presented to the public in August 1957. It was initially only available as a two door saloon, estate and delivery van and its’ design was influenced by contemporary American cars. The model is painted in medium blue and has seperate lights as well as having “chromed” bumpers and grilles and silver printed features. A brown interior looks authentic.
97 Opel Super 6 1937-1938
The Super 6 two seater cabriolet has already been seen in this range. It has been re-issued in new colours: brown and light beige with a light brown interior. This is an attractive model set off well by the wide whitewall tyres. The model is detailed to a standard typical for this range.
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