1969 Opel Monza

1969 Opel GT The first signs of Opel's ambitions were seen at the 1965 Frankfurt motor show, when the company unveiled an experimental coupe. As soon as the GT went on sale, it was a hit. Opel had planned to build 60 cars per day, but production quickly doubled, which was easier said than done. Parisian company Chausson produced the body shells, while Brissonneau & Lotz, also based in Paris, was commissioned to take care of body trimming and painting. When the GT proved to be such a hit, Opel had to lend a hand by also finishing cars in its factory in Bochum, Germany. Thx Hagerty.com For consignment, a 1969 Opel GT with a title verified 86,307 actual miles, a one owner car, restored at 77,000 miles with additional items added to the exterior and interior since then, and mechanical upgrades as well. Nearly 35,000 Opel GT's were produced in 1969 but you could probably count the one owner survivors on one hand! This one has garnered more than 25 best of class awards.  Exterior They say good things come in small packages and the first glance of the GT is proof enough that sometimes design oversized wins out. Many compare it to the Vette, but this is a unique exterior with a fantastic front end that features bold integrated hood scoops not on the hood, but in the nose. The hood itself is no design slouch and has an offset hump and a pair of louvered vents behind the hidden headlights, all contributing to a slightly aggressive and very European profile dressed in Rallye Red. The diminutive tail is the definition of sport, with an integrated flared wing, round tail lights and matching marker lights rimmed in metal, and bold dual exhaust with a center exit under a contoured valance. Then, there's the central gas filler which admittedly, is very Vette like indeed. 13-inch wheels carry 165/80R13 tires and the Opel logo appears on the center caps. The only exterior imperfection is a touched up scrape by a wheel opening and from 10 feet, you won't see it.  Interior Pleated black vinyl inserts are framed with smooth panels and silver trim on the doors, looking clean and intact. Tall bucket seats with leather seat covers have a tuck and roll insert and the bottoms sit low to the floor allowing for butt first entry, and both seats are in great shape. A vinyl wrap makes the three spoke steering wheel grippy and leads to a simple dash sporting a new dash cap over basic round gauges with the center stack unit canting towards the driver and including a clock. Also in the center stack is an AM/FM/CD radio with AUX and USB ports over a series of standard toggle switches and vent levers. A voltmeter has been added and resides on the center console where we also find the very cool shifter wrapped in a circular accordion style boot. The black carpet in the footwells and rear cargo area along with the headliner are all in great shape.   Drivetrain Under the hood is a show worthy 1.9 liter cam in head 4 cylinder engine producing 102 horsepower and fueled via new dual Weber 1-barrel carbs. Our consignor tells us it has a new camshaft, lifters, power valve, crank, bearings, head and oil pan gaskets as well as a rear main seal. It's fantastically clean and mated to a 4-speed manual that routes power to the rear axle and 3.44 gears. Newer disc brakes occupy the front while drums are in back.  Undercarriage Clean and simple underneath where surface rust is mostly reserved for the exhaust, a single system that runs through a stock style muffler then into a resonator which sends out two exhaust pipes and stainless steel tips.  We see a rust hole in the right lower side of the resonator. We note some oil underneath, particularly on the rear differential which appears to be coming from the pinion seal, and some drops on the transmission. Suspension consists of a transverse leaf spring up front and radius arm and coil springs out back.   Drive-Ability We're thrilled to have a little romp in the GT, a short ride in a small car wi