The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Read the interview with Rob below to find out more… Not only is his car a rare beast these days, it’s in absolutely beautiful condition, and he’s made some great modifications to improve it from a performance standpoint. It’s also a facelift “Manta B2” which means it’s got the more aggressive styling that was lost on the original Manta B. Rob’s Manta is a special one, because it’s a GT/E. You won’t be surprised to hear, there aren’t too many decent Mantas left now, and values are beginning the represent that, especially for models such as the GT/E! Like with Ford and the Capri, the enormous sales success Volkswagen was seeing with the Golf MK1 was too alluring for the big-wigs at GM, and all efforts were directed into the hot hatch segment. Like so many cool 70’s coupes, the Opel Manta was the “last of it’s kind” for Opel. Opel finally gave up with the “cam in head” engine by this point too, reverting to the overhead camshaft design which by this point had become the industry standard for four-cylinder engines. These changes gave the Manta more of an aggressive sporting look. Opel improved the car’s looks with integrated plastic bumpers, side skirts and a small lip spoiler on the rear. In 1982 the Manta B received (in this writer’s opinion) a well-needed facelift and thus the “Manta B2” was born. The Manta B was radically different in terms of styling, most notably by the introduction of a modern aerodynamic “snoot nose” front end. In 1975 Opel released the second-generation Manta, the “Manta B”. Opel also released a few specials such as the “black magic” edition (think it sounds corny? Google the original adverts for it – it was!) and the extremely rare “Turbomanta” which was developed in conjunction with British engineering company – Broadspeed. The CIH (“Cam In Head”) engines developed by GM at the time were quite a clever design and were intended to achieve lower-maintenance requirements than over-head cam engines, and lower weight than the traditional “cam in block” engines.įor the first generation Manta A cars, the top-dog was the stunning looking “Manta GT/E”. The most common power-plants were however the 1.6 litre, and 1.9 litre CIH engines.
The “Manta A” first hit the market in 1970, and like Ford, Opel offered the car with a large range of trim levels and engine specifications allowing it to appeal to a broad segment of society at the time.
Opel didn’t take long to bring a competitor to market in the shape of the Manta, and though opinions were (and still are) somewhat divided on the matter, many would argue the Manta was the better car with it’s more refined CIH engines, and better axle location at the rear. The Capri has exploded onto the scene in 1969 as a “working man’s sports coupe” and sales had sky-rocketed. The Opel Manta was undoubtedly GM’s answer to the Ford Capri.
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