HAVE YOUR SAY
Did you spend more on your classic in 2011 than the previous year?
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| Opel Kadett |
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General Motors was lagging behind the rest of Europe. Perhaps wary of the dangers of merging after the rather laughable attempts to do so by BMC, GM was left reeling as the other American giant Ford demonstrated how it should be done. 1965’s Transit van was the first joint operation between the German and British Ford forces, closely followed by the Escort and Capri. Meanwhile, Opel and Vauxhall still enjoyed complete design freedom from one another with both brands being sold through the same showrooms. British loyalty meant that Opel sales in the UK remained very low. In fact, they didn’t even start until 1967, by which time the Kadett was in ‘B’ form. This was the second upgrade of a whole new generation of Kadett launched in 1965. The name itself was in use by Opel as early as 1936. Proving that some discussion was going on between Opel and Vauxhall, the Kadett of 1965 had leaf rear springs and a 1078cc engine (1196cc optional) to the Viva HA’s 1057. The Viva got coil springs at the back first, with the HB of 1966. The Kadett was reworked into Kadett B form in 1967, picking up coils. Both cars were seen as competent if a little unremarkable back in the Sixties but one delightful spin-off of the Kadett was the beautiful GT. Launched in 1968, this mini-Corvette was anything but unremarkable.
If you’ve kept up with all of that, you’ll see that the bright Orange Kadett featured here is a late Kadett B, dating from 1973 – the last year of production. These cars rarely come to market, so classic car enthusiast Michael Carpenter leapt at the chance when this one came to the market in August 2010, replacing his BMW 1602 with something far rarer!
FACT FILE 1973 OPEL KADETT 1200
VALUES Despite their rarity, you can pick up a Kadett for little outlay, as demonstrated by this feature. If any owner wasn’t in a desperate rush to sell, the value may creep higher than £2000, but when the market is so ignorant of the model, you shouldn’t have to break the bank – though you may face a wait for one to hit the market. A rusty project may be only a couple of hundred quid, but parts can be tricky to find.
NEED TO KNOW Vauxhall Opel Drivers’ Club: www.vodc.co.uk
THINKING OF BUYING ONE? Your first issue will be finding one. Not many were sold here, and they’re a touch forgettable – which is a shame given how capable and tough they are. There is a dedicated forum for the Kadett C though, which will certainly put you in touch with people of the same frame of mind. We’re sure they won’t mind you talking Kadett B at them. Corrosion is the obvious enemy – all cars of this era do it. Your problem here is going to be finding panels, but there is a strong Opel following on the continent. Remember also that the mind-blowingly beautiful Opel GT shares some underpinnings with the Kadett – you need to be a bit resourceful when part hunting. Mechanically, they’re very tough so just watch out for blue smoke, nasty clunks and unseemly behaviour on a test drive. Lastly, be prepared for a lot of people to ask what it is you’re driving. You may find you get a lot of attention on the show scene.
To read the complete road test see the April 2011 issue of Classic Car Mart. Back issues available here. |
What’s orange and will make your mouth water? Ian Seabrook discovers the answer in the form of a rare German saloon
The GT primarily used an 1897cc Rekord engine and again apeing the work at Vauxhall, it also found itself under the bonnet of the Kadett Rallye while the Viva got 1975cc Victor power.
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Cyriel Gaemers.
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