Choose Your Swoopy 70s Two-Seater: 1973 Opel GT vs 1975 Chevrolet Corvette

Menu Home » Choose Your Swoopy 70s Two-Seater: 1973 Opel GT vs 1975 Chevrolet Corvette Choose Your Swoopy 70s Two-Seater: 1973 Opel GT vs 1975 Chevrolet Corvette By Peter Vieira October 12, 2026 11:58 am 46 Comments Today we have a Chevy Corvette and a “baby Corvette,” which is not actually a Corvette, of course, but an Opel GT. Aside from just now, I’ve never been one to refer to the Opel as any flavor of Corvette, and not just because it literally isn’t. I get it, the GT is also a fishy if snot shark-y looking sports car with two seats and pop-up headlights, but I don’t think anyone would mistake it for a Chevy product. And the GT isn’t really that much smaller, with a wheelbase just three inches shorter than a C3 Corvette’s, leaving most of the body size difference to the Corvette’s much larger overhangs, especially in the rear (look). The Opel does put up a much smaller number on the scale, however; around 2000 pounds for the GT versus 3,600 for the ‘Vette.

But first, let’s turn our attention to Friday’s contestants, the 1990s MN12 platform-mates Ford Thunderbird SC and Mercury Cougar. I thought the Thunderbird would take the win despite its automatic transmission by virtue of it looking oh so good and having a legit odometer reading (you’ll recall the Cougar’s 14,000 miles were highly dubious), but twas the Cougar that took the win – “right number of pedals” and all that. Also helping: it looked well and truly stock, whereas the lowered T-Bird had been fussed with.

I remain torn based on what little I can see in the words and pictures, but I can tell you for certain that if I were schlepping out to see these MN12s in person to make a buying decision, I’d be looking for every reason to rationalize getting the T-bird.

I thought I was mildly clever with today’s picks, though I suspect few buyers in the normie world would flip a coin between an Opel GT and a Corvette of any variety. As for us Autopians, it’s likely a different story. I can certainly see myself enjoying either of these machines, though in very different ways, and with very different vibes at stoplights (and levels of attention from law enforcement). Let’s take a closer look:

Engine/drivetrain: Not stated, but it should be a 1.9-liter inline-4. Transmission listed as “automatic,” which should be a 3-speed

Odometer reading: Not stated, but the seller replied to a message to say the car has 100,000 miles on it, with the original engine.

Operational status: “Good running condition.”

One might expect the Facebook Marketplace ad for a clearly-loved example of an obscure, collectible enthusiast car to be chock full of information, but guess again. This example appears to be painted in Jade Mist, a color that was indeed offered for the final year of Opel GT production, but I suspect the green-apple hue we see here is a repaint (UPDATE: the seller says the paint and interior are original, as far as she knows). Of much less ambiguous provenance are the wheels. Opel did offer Ronal alloys for the GT, but the kidney-bean rollers seen above aren’t them, and I doubt the offsets and the Hot Wheels stance they provide are correct.

The interior looks to be in nice shape, but I’d prefer to have the original steering wheel over the fat-rimmed Momo. Failing that, can I at least get the center cap for it? Maybe it’s in the glove compartment. Also, what does that very-tacked-on switch do?

Hmm, I know the car is allegedly all original, but those don’t look like 100,00 mile seats and rather a clean reupholstery job. I wonder, was the surround for the auto’s gear selector supposed to be installed first, and then the console goes over it? Sure looks that way, based on how it’s floating. Note also what appears to be a knife plunged into the center console (but it’s not a knife, of course).

No, it’s the lever for the mechanical, muscle-operated pop-up headlights, which delightfully flip rather than pop. Sound up if you’re able, these things thunk open and shut as solidly as well-engineered doors.

Where’s the engine photo? Believe me, I wish I had one. Other than being original to the car and having gone 1000,000 miles, there’s nothing to go on regarding the condition of the Opel-made cam-in-head inline four. But it’s in “good running condition,” so it runs good, presumably? Definitely a test-drive situation. As for this rear view: I’m a sucker for a kammback and bus lights, but oof, looks like this GT backed into something (or was backed into). Still, the body could be much, much worse.

Engine/drivetrain: 327 cubic-inch V8, Turbo 400 automatic transmission

Operational status: “Very quick.”

I would be remiss if I didn’t give you the full Facebook Marketplace description on this one:

‘75 Vette fresh rebuilt 327 with original forged steel crankshaft. Numbers matching camel hump heads. Edelbrock Torquer 2 intake. Manuel choke 600 Holley, Comp Cams 270 Magnum camshaft. Rebuilt Turbo 400 tranny. Limited slip Posi tear end 355 gears. New tires, straight body, interior needs some TLC. Very quick small block vette. Beautiful Sunset Orange paint job. Won’t last long.

1975 is cited as an all-time low for Corvette performance, but clearly any low-po issues this particular ’75 had have been well solved. I assume it’s had headers and other bits of pipe installed since the photo below was taken …

There’s no telling how skillfully the engine was rebuilt, but a nicely painted block shows some care was taken. Not enough care to mask off the gasket area for the headers, but still, some care. One hopes the rest of this ‘Vette is as clean …

Ahhh, nope. This interior is looking rather nautical with all that (ply?)wood, and not in a cool Spyker kind of way. I expect the seats are downright shabby beneath those covers, and the unskinned doors suggest this Corvette is not for shorts-wearers. Nor does it appear that resting an arm on the door would be very comfortable.

Pop-up delete, whyyyy? It’s giving Corvette Summer, and that’s not a compliment. Much love for the Rally wheels though, I can’t get enough of those deep trim rings and tall sombrero centers. Not to mention orange paint. Man, I love orange.

Headlights notwithstanding, the body looks to be all here and in great shape. Not sure how much of that might be Bondo, but I wouldn’t worry about that until I’d gotten a proper interior in the thing. And even then, I’m not sure I care. Looks good, is good.

I was actually going to go C3 today until I saw that interior and the headlights.

0 Member Spikersaurusrex 35 minutes ago I voted for the Opel for the headlights, but my guess is you couldn’t find the replacement parts it needs (could be wrong). Meanwhile the Vette is relatively common and easy to find parts for. I’m pretty sure sourcing the interior parts wouldn’t be too hard; I can find pretty much all of it for my ’80 Fiat, and these are much more common. I’m a bit nervous about the engine rebuild. If you can’t be bothered to do a decent job painting it, I wonder where else you took short-cuts. You’d think they would have installed the exhaust and included pictures if it were actually running, or maybe exhausts are optional?

It really is a toss-up here, but I’ll stick with the GT and send it to auction when I’m done with it.

0 GENERIC_NAME 50 minutes ago Both of them need going over to get them to be nice, but the Opel is going to be nigh-on impossible to sort out due to parts availability. Corvette because I like C3s and burnouts.

0 M SV 1 hour ago Soft spot for opel gt especially in that green. Definitely opel. That is the cleanest one I’ve seen in years. My dad worked at a Buick dealer when he was young and had friends that had got good deals on them. I always thought they were good looking and those guys loved them.

0 TDI in PNW 1 hour ago This is no contest. Unless you absolutely love Vettes, that’s ones a turd and that Opel is a cream puff, by comparison. Far more interesting car anyways. Opel by a country mile.

0 Member Ex-Exeo 1 hour ago I wonder, was the surround for the auto’s gear selector supposed to be installed first, and then the console goes over it?

If we compare the pictures to the one from the Opel brochure, your assumption seems to be correct.

If the whole gear selector seems like an afterthought, that’s because it was. Outside of the US, nobody in their right minds would have bought a GT with a slushbox.

It’s hard to take a pick. If the headlights really open and close, I’d probably take the Opel.

BTW, the color was known as Jade Green in Germany for a good reason – the same reason, in fact, that made Rolls-Royce change the name of the new Silver Mist to “Silver Shadow” at the eleventh hour.

0 Member Max Headbolts 1 hour ago That Vette is a hack job in every possible way. Paint INTO the exhaust ports, thats gotta smell great. The lack of masking there speaks to the level of attention paid everywhere else.

I’m no Vette expert, but I do believe the rear bumper trim was a separate piece, that has been fused to the rear fiberglass in this example, plus it’s missing the best part of a 70s ‘Vette, the pop up up and down headlights.

The Opel is at least honest(mostly) about what it is.

1 Member Grayvee280 1 hour ago Opel, by like a lot. I know all to well the joys of C3 vacuum actuated headlights, but that was not the answer. Plus no door cards, missing sweet stock dash, and no emblems on the back, its lost so much of what makes it a Vette. CP!