Opel Manta

Opel Manta
Opel
aka
Production
Class	Sports Car
Body Style	2-Door Coupe
Length	171 in.
Width	64.3 in.
Height	53.3 in.
Wheelbase	95.7
Weight	2,150 lbs.
Transmission	4-Speed Manual
Engine	1,900cc (115.8cid) I-4
Power	90 hp @ 5,200 rpm
Similar	Ford Capri
Designer	Chuck Jordan

The Opel Manta was a small, sporty coupe based on the Opel Ascona. It was developed by Opel of Germany along with help from stylist Chuck Jordan, and was helped by Opel sales manager Bob Lutz to get to market. The Manta, as many of the contemporary Opels, were sold through Buick dealerships in the U.S. However, because the customers who visited Buick dealships were typically looking for large, comfortable, highway cruiser-style vehicles Opels did not have much sales success in the United States.

Although the Manta was offered with a range of different displacement four-cylinder engines in Europe, all of the Mantas sold in the United States carried the 1900cc engine.

See Wikicars' comprehensive Opel Manta Review.

Styles and Major Options

Luxus(1973-1974):The Luxus version was meant to be a more comfortable and less sports-oriented Manta. Luxuses were fitted with corduroy upholstery, which was the main focus of the Luxus package.

Rallye(1971-1974):The Rallye version of the Manta primarily consisted of visual upgrades such as a flat-black painted hood, full gauges, rallye-style wheels, side stripes, a sports exhaust, and foglamps. It also came with a lower rear differential gear ratio than standard Mantas.

Pricing

The base price of the Opel Manta when new was $3,267.

Gas Mileage

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As seen on the FuelEconomy.gov website, the City/Highway MPG averages are as follows:

Trim
Trim1	Trim2	Trim3	Trim4
MPG
c/h	c/h	c/h	c/h

Reliability

Opel's four-cylinder engines are considered to be very reliable, and accordingly are sometimes described as "bullet-proof". Despite this, the Solex carburetors often cause trouble and are frequently replaced by more reliable Weber 38 DGAS carburetor.

Safety

This section should reference points on safety ratings and features of the vehicle.

Photos

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Colors

Opel Manta A Colors Manta Club

Main Competitors

• BMW 3-Series
• Ford Capri
• Mazda RX-2
• Toyota Celica

Unique Attributes

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Criticisms

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Generations

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Worldwide

Opels that were sold in the U.S. were sold through Buick dealerships, and thus General Motors had to be careful that the Opels did not compete for customers with the Buick models that they were shown alongside. Because of this, the Opels marketed were the smaller models that had four-cylinder engines and the larger Opels (such as the Rekord and the Commodore) were excluded so as not to compete with the large Buicks.

Due to the fact that all U.S. Mantas had the 1900cc engine, they were named "1900 Sport Coupe" during the 1971 and 1972 seasons. The Ascona, the sedan from which the Manta was derived, had also been called the 1900 during the years that it was imported to the U.S. Strangely, in 1973 the 1900 Sport Coupe was renamed the Manta, the name it always carried in Europe, but the Ascona continued to be named the 1900 until it was discontinued along with the Manta in 1976.

The Manta had used Solex carburetors to deliver fuel to the 1900cc four-cylinder engines from 1971 to 1974 in the United States, but due to tightening emission laws in the states they were fitted with Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection systems that helped to improve declining horsepower numbers that had also been caused by federal laws for the 1972 through 1974 Mantas. The U.S.-bound Asconas also recieved the fuel-injection systems for 1975, but neither model recieved these upgrades in the European markets.

Design quirks and oddities

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Awards

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See also

• Opel GT
• Opel Kadett
• Opel Ascona

External Links

Opel Motorsports Club - US-based Opel club that specializes in 1968-1975 Opels