1972 Opel Manta Luxus 2.0L normally aspirated from North America
Summary:
A great example of superior and indestructible German engineering as well as style!
Faults:
Other than routine maintenance, nothing except...
Water pump gave out and stranded me in Cheyenne, WY in 1978 at around 85000 miles. Had to rent a tow bar and enlist a friend with a hitch to get it back to Denver. Repaired it myself at minimal cost in one afternoon in a parking lot.
General Comments:
My very first car of my own and a truly great one! Sporty-looking, quick, and great handling! Raced a BMW 2002 all the way uphill from Denver to the Eisenhower Tunnel and kicked it's butt...I'd let him catch up and then pull away from him once he did... over and over again. Drove it (carefully) on Jeep trails and Forest Service roads in the mountains. Abused it like hell and it just came back for more and still ran like a champ. Truly an excellent example of German engineering at its best. Finally sold it in 1980 and flew back to New Orleans only because the transmission was starting to make a funny "whiney-crunchy" noise and I didn't want to risk possibly getting stranded somewhere in the Texas panhandle with no funds.
I used the proceeds from the sale to help finance my next car... an Audi 100 LS, a major disappointment that I ended up nicknaming "Hitler's Revenge".
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 11th August, 2005