In the rearview mirror: Opel's sporty gold pieces
It had no chance of going into series production from the outset, yet it was one of the stars of the 1975 Geneva Motor Show. 50 years ago, the Rüsselsheim-based company presented the Opel Genève, a sports car study with an ultra-flat silhouette. The two-seater with the typical folding headlights of the time was very popular with the public. Unlike the Experimental GT ten years earlier, which led to the Opel GT, the Genève remained a pure show car.
The Swiss "Automobil Revue" wrote at the time: "The light-footed, elegant coupé turns in an elevated position on a windshield, thus serving as an eye-catcher for showroom visitors. (...) The front and rear are tapered with integrated bumpers. All window surfaces, including the side ones, are strongly curved." This shape was made possible by the "Opel Advanced Design" team led by Erhard Schnell, who chose the material fiberglass.
The Genève was originally launched as the "GT-W". The coupé was designed under this working title in Rüsselsheim in 1972. The flat mid-engined sports car was to be powered by a twin-disc Wankel engine, hence the "W" in the name. However, as a result of the oil crisis, the rotary engine project was stopped in 1974. The Opel was then allowed to live on in a modified form and under the new name Genève, appropriately chosen for its first public appearance. In the same year, another Opel study caused a sensation: Opel had reserved the world premiere of the futuristic and also golden GT2 for the IAA in September 1975. This was much more detailed, with functioning sliding doors, a fully equipped interior and a functional drive train.
While the GT2 was donated to the German Museum in Munich in May 1978, the gold-colored Genève remained a showpiece in the Opel design department for many years. It was repainted in 1977 and has been presented in a bright orange color ever since. The study is now one of the highlights of the Opel Classic collection. (aum)
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Photo source: Opel via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Opel via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Opel via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Opel via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Opel via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Opel via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Opel via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Opel via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Photo source: Opel via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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Opel GT2 study (1975).
Photo source: Auto-Medienportal.Net/Opel
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Opel GT2 study (1975).
Photo source: Opel via Autoren-Union Mobilität
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