When I married my Brazilian wife in Brazil she said “we’re getting an antique car to take us from the church to the reception!” So in my mind I pictured like a model T. Imagine my surprise when up pulls a 1970s opala. 🤣 the thing burned rich and we stunk like gasoline after the ride. The “opalão” is truly a beloved ride in Brazil
I owned a 1978 Commodore Opala coupe, vinyl roof, from time to time, I used turn the key on, but the engine was already running, it was very quiet. Old good times. Greetings from Brazil, thank you!
Adam , excellent! Being a Brazilian I am very Happy for your vídeo . One tech note : the body was based on the Opel Rekord, but the underpinnings are from the Chevy Nova due the fact the German parts were not suitable for the road condictions. This car was Also manufactured in México, with the German mechanicals. Being a Ford man, I can tell you the Opala could not carry a candle for the Maverick GT Quadrijet ( My father helped to develop the front discs with dual Calipers) In the Endurance Racing Championship .There are some Opalas with Brazilian collectors In USA! Many thanks for the good memories ( and the sleepless nights at Interlagos)!!!
@@dariomarin6375 I found on Wikipedia: In Mexico, the Rekord C was marketed as the "Opel Rekord Olimpico", celebrating the 1968 Olympic Games. Since then, the Opel brand has not been traded in Mexico; beginning in the late 1990s certain Opel models have been commercialized there under the Chevrolet brand.
Adam , another note : there was a station wagon named Caravan which was a beauty!! And with the 6 cilinder engine and a few tweaks,like a Iskenderian cam and Weber 42 DOHC you could have a Happy day while carrying your dog to the pet shop.
@@TheChill001 the alignment with Opel. came to be complete in the 90s when "Chevrolets" Corsa, Astra, Vectra and Omega were sold here, along with our version of the American Blazer (prettier by the way).
As a Brazilian, I would say your review was the best one I've seen made by a foreigner. My father had some Opalas, being the first one a 1975 standard coupe with a 151 c.i. inline four and a three on the tree. He later had a 1988 and a 1992 Comodoros 4.1 inline six sedans. Those cars were real tanks! If you search for some further pictures of such cars, you'll notice the 1968-1970 front end was strongly inspired on current Chevy Novas and that the steering wheel for 1974-1977 models is almost identical to those used in 1969 and early 1970s Chevys. The Opala was not a perfect car, but it was truly an honest car and, nowadays, it's a collectors item, especially the SS version, which was a sedan in 1971 and early 1972 and then only offered as a coupe from 1972 on, when the coupe version was launched. There was also a station wagon (Chevrolet Caravan - 1975-1992), which was only offered as a two-door version. I've reviewed two 1:64 Opala model cars in my videos and I mention some of those facts. Glad to know you guys appreciate that classic of ours, even having what I consider the greatest cars of all! Thanks for sharing one more of your great reviews as well as your awesome cars!
The styling influences in the Opala tend to be interesting. The first lines bear resemblance to the Nova on the front end and the Chevelle on the taillights, while the mid-1970s restyling brought turning signals that looked like the ones from the 1973 Chevelle, with four round taillights that resembled the ones from the 1967 Impala but its placement on a recessed rear end panel reminded the Corvair. The 1980 to 1984 restyling bear some resemblance on the front to the Citation on the shape of the grille and the rear reminded both the Rekord E and the first year-models of the Holden Commodore. The 1985 to 1987 year-models lines had taillights that reminded the ones used by the later Rekord E, while the square front itself was a variation of the one put in 1980. The 1988 to 1990 lines reminded a bit some Holden Commodores from late-1980s, being the 1991 to 1992 lines overall a variation of this theme with added envolving plastic bumpers that hidden some of the fluid lines of the model, taking away some of the harmony of the original design. Itself the Opala tended to be a better looking car than the Opel Rekord C it came from. Probably the 1988 model-year coupe version can be considered the last car without a B-pillar to be made in the Americas, something interesting considering that after this production pillarless coupes would only come out from Euro brands, while pillarless sedans would only last until 1990 in Japan.
The Opala never had fuel injection. About the transmission options, the 6 cilinders were offered with 3 speed manuals, later upgraded to a 4 speed (most common), and in the very last year of production (1992) it received a 5 speed. The 4 cilinders were also offered with 3, 4 or 5 speed, but received the 5 earlier, in 1983. The automatics was an option for both engines from 1974 onwards as a 3 speed, becoming a 4 speed ZF trans in 1988 till its last days. About the underhood room, there are some V8 swaped Opalas running around
Here in Costa Rica brazilian Chevys were imported for a few years (late 80's). The inline six in the later Opalas was none other than the good, old, trusty Chevy 250ci, called 4100 in Brazil. The weird part is that these GM do Brazil cars came with Bosch electrics and Solex carbs!
And they were made until 2001, used by the GMT400, Tahoe-derived Grand Blazer and Silverado. Also used in the 1995-1998 Omega, in both cases with electronic fuel injection. The most powerful version was rated at 168 net horsepower. Fun fact: this 'modernized' 250 was tweaked by Lotus (!) under GM's commission.
@@davesimmons1373 in the 80's the 4 cylinders had the optional solex H-34, both in gasoline and ethanol engines. In the 6 cylinders, the h-34 was only available in ethanol engines
American cars are my favorite, but I'm absolutely loving learning about other cars that never made it to the US. I love how oftentimes they were mini versions of the usdm vehicles. This early 80s opala is a fascinating blend of mid to late 60s body shape styling with much more modern details like the front and rear styling, and even the rear view windows. That lower body cladding is definitely a riff on the handsome merc. South American cars in particular area a bit of an enigma for an English speaker to learn about. Australian and English cars are a lot easier to research, especially with some great channels covering regular cars of yesteryear from these markets.
I always found it funny how american style in a smaller european sized package worked, but european style in a massive american package never worked xD
I've never been to South America myself but remember reading about those cars in international auto almanacs at the time. I understood that Brazil was a market strongly protected by tarriffs favouring cars produced locally. So those companies with manufacturing capacities had the market to themselves and used this power by offering warmed over designs long discontinued elsewhere. I pitied the locals for those leftovers... looking back, however, they actually look quite good. Technical progress wasn't that quick back then, so before ABS and genuine improvements were introduced in Europe around 1990, Brazilians didn't actually miss s lot.
That’s correct. The 1980’s Opala had a very nice “plastic surgery” from the GMB’s design department, but it was already a 10 yr old car at the moment, pretty long in the tooth.
I drove one of this when I was 13 years old, it was 1976 Opala Caravan (station wagon variant), it was equipped with the 151 4 cylinder, three on the tree and bench seat. She was a nice cruiser!
Fun fact: the entire galaxie production in Brazil (1967-1983) was based on the American 1966 four door model with only changes on the front, rear, steering wheel and seats, and It was the most expensive car you could afford here.
1980 my father owned a station wagon from the opala, and he did even have a driver. As you like to put it, "humorously" the car wasn't even available as a four doors model, as almost all the wagons on the brazilian market until the mid-eightys, they had only two doors...
About 40 years ago I owned a used 1972 Opel Manta Luxus coupe--it was then an imported model sold in the U.S. by Buick dealers. Its side view, rear 3/4 view, semi-fastback style bear a strong resemblance to the Opala coupe shown here. Very stylish at the time and still attractive today.
The early 70’s Mantas and 1900s were great cars, well built, great handling and spacious for their size. I have a 1971 1900 (Ascona in Europe) sedan bought new by my grandparents. The doors shut as solidly as a 1964 Cadillac. Only problem was their resistance to rust (virtually none).
Great to see as Brazilian the opala history. When kid, I dreamed to buy my neibor Opala, a orange color 4 door 1969 full of cromes. Only 30's I had a 4.1 liters 1992. The engine sound was marvelous. I had a lot fun driving in the highways of Brazil. Thanks to remind those good memories!
I've always thought the Opala was a cool car. They took an already attractive car and made it so much more attractive. I have always been fascinated by the design choices of Brazilian subsidiaries of national brands... The VW SP1 and Typ 3 Ghia come to mind.
Even the 1978 Chevrolet Opala DeLuxe sedan was nice! Slightly smaller than a Nova, but bigger than a Citation. The 1975-1979 Opala Coupe 4100 with those Ferrari or Skyline taillights was to die for. Very Corolla like and appealing. GM has, and still has, the bad habit of building good cars for the foreign market, but not domestic. The 1978 Opala DeLuxe sedan would have sold very well in the US.
Each country's regulations played a big role in that, with the USA having among the strictest emissions and crash standards as well as bumper requirements that, in retrospect, seem a little irrational. So, even if we had gotten some of these models U.S. automakers built for other markets, they would have been heavier, slower and less fuel efficient after being modified for the U.S. market.
You don't know what's it like to drive a GM with an 1.3 engine wide ratio gearbox and 236mm front brake rotors while being around people who have an 1.6 Turbo 160hp GM as their top of the line dream car. Excited yet? You can get a Daewoo Lanos or a Saturn, they're just a little better than what GM was selling in Europe before it they sold Opel to PSA and the market was going crazy with such high performance models cause they know nothing else than garbage.
@@johnbelwell2461 er...dude, daewoo were downgraded Opels, the saturns at the end of their lives were just rebadged opels, in the eightees and nineties prior to Geo almost all subcompacts and compacts were...you guessed it Opels. The probelm with both ford and GM has been the incessant idea to build a world car, draining the funds of their foreign departments to do so and then basically building cars that just don't appeal anywhere. Not to mention the fact US companies generally suck at knowing what appeals to other regions, so the moment the GM and Ford execs step into the leading roles in europe and australia...usually it all goes downhill...
Hey Adam! I am Brazilian living in Canada. In Brazil I own a '81 Caravan, which is the wagon version of the Opala. Mine have the spiced up version of the 251 engine known as the "250-S" It have pushrods instead of the hydraulic lifters and a faster cam. This spicier version was developed for the tracks to keep up with Ford's Maverick and It's 302 V8 and they did a very nice job, apart from the sewing machine ticking noise. Here in Canada I daily drive a '88 Cutlass Cruiser Brougham with the 3.8 and the only resemblance between them are the keys and ignition stock.
Miss this car so much, my grandfather used to have some opalas, 4 door sedan, 2 door coupê and SW the gorgeous Caravan, we travelled in the trunk, was big like a room. Two uncles had Opala and the Caravan too, this car is an icon! A true classic!
In 1987 I worked in Caracas Venezuela and was in awe of the good looking GM cars because the best looking body parts and lines were combined between Buicks and Chevy cars into one car. On all the fenders was a high performance emblem. However, sadly, any car that was two years or older smoked out the tail pipe because no one had the money to change the oil. The air pollution in Caracas was terrible by 6:30am every day. You could stand and watch the oil cloud rise up from the streets
@@MrZdvy you know people and their messed up priorities. They can always find the money for something new that they want, then complain they can’t afford what they need.
Traditionally, socialism has never raised a lot of money for nature conservation. The environment can only be protected where the standard of living increases. Thanks for the example and greetings from the resurgent planned economy republic of Germany 😉🇩🇪🤝
My Grampa had lots Opalas models (1976 Coupé, 79 Comodore, 84 Black Comodore coupé and Finally her last car, an 85 Diplomat sedan. Literally i grow up in the back sit of 3 of this cars, and learned drive in the last. This cars bring back to me lots of nostalgics moments of life. My Grampa passed in 2004, an we sold her last Opala. Miss you grampa! I will never forget you, an ours happiests moments, and yours emblematics Opalas! Sorry about my bad write english guys,but i have learning for improved mi achievement and I refuse to use a translator!
Awesome video. I love seeing how foreign people see our vehicles. As a long time watcher of your channel and also the owner of one of these opalas it's nice to see you praising the design and the style. Mine was bought 10 years ago and I have no plans of selling it anytime soon. Keep up the good work sir.
Is quite nice to see someone out of Brazil finding our cars. An idea: you can also show the two last facelifts the Opala had: from 1988 to 1990 and 91/92. Even being released in 1969, with a body project from 1965 Opel, the platform/main body never chanced completely, but there were lots of facelifts for making the Opala look as something actual for the time, and that halped to keep him from production from 1969 to 1992 straight
I had a 1971 4-doors Opala. A really beautiful car that granted a very pleasant driving. Maybe the best Brazilan car on its days. Surely the most beautiful car made in Brazil till today. My favorite version would be the 88-90 2-door Comodoro and Diplomata versions. Notice the version is DiolomaTA, not DiplomaTIA, as mentoined on the video. Anyway, congratulations for this remarkable video about Brazil-made model and one of the most iconic Brazilian cars ever. That's very rare to have such videos in English. By the way, if you do not know, 70s and 80s Brasilian stock cars racing (similar to US Nascar) only used Opalas 250 cubic inches inline-six engine, the famous 4.1.
Nice to see you talking about the opala, Adam. I have a 1980 (opala) caravan, so I'm always excited to see people from other places talking about these cars. The coupes from 75 to 79 are the best looking, in my opinion, though the simplistic look of the 80 to 87 models and the more modern look of the 88 model definetely appel to me as well.
Im a big fan of these Brazilian Chev's. Very similar second box to many Holdens dating from 68 ~71. However the First and Third boxes were partially updated over time and IMO nearly every one looked good. Plenty of things like the door height and glass style unchanging over the years. I would have to say it was/is the best looking South American Unique car. It certainly dated far better than the Argentine Falcon although that was 10 years older. VW also built its best looking cars the Marque ever made in South America with stuff like the Hardtop Karmen Giha, SP2 and the Bianco Tarpan. Many of these would have been successful if marketed in Australia.
My great grandparents had a first gen 4 door 6cc, my grandparents from the other side had multiple 6cc Caravans (the station wagon version of the opala), my dad had a 1982 4 door 6cc that he had to sell when he got kids, now I have a 1980 opala 4cc that I fully rotissery restored with him. My dream is to one day find his 82 and the green 72 opala that my great grandfather had and bring them back and possibly carry them over to the US as I live here now.
a little correction, the name opala comes from a fancy gem called Opala, but most people also say its the combo of opel and impala, and many say the name is from the both sides at the same time. and these cars have a very extensive racing pedigree in brazil, be endurance racing at the mil milhas (1000 miles) endurance race, at the group 3 (divisao 3) and turismo 5000, dirt oval racing, drag racing, stock car (with superbird esque aero). it raced everywhere and won a lot
I also thought it was a bit of both, Opals as in Opala because those are mined in Brazil and well the portmanteau of Opel+impala can be a more internal reasoning for GM
I'm really shocked (in a good way!) with this car. Just the fact that a real Chevy coupe existed that was a true pillarless hardtop where all the windows went down, and it had the vent window in the front is astonishing, and beautiful. I really love the Opala!
Thanks for sharing...this is the first I had heard of this vehicle. I can see the resemblance to the Mercedes for sure, but also it is reminiscent to 60s Chevrolet Impala coupes. GM's decline began in the mid 70s and the 80s were a design and performance nightmare for many of their vehicles. By time I finished college in '78, the Germans and Japanese had captured the young car buying market with more affordable gas-saving vehicles. I never owned an American made vehicle since then.
The fuel crisis in the 70's and 80's hit manufacturers hard in brazil. Ford for an example only offered the 302 V8 on the maverick and had to use a ancient willys straight 6 and even offered a 4 cilinder option to keep sales up but never recovered. But the opala not only was smaller than the competition but already had the 4 cilinder avaible. One fun fact is that GM had a policy of offering all options to all trim levels. i have two examples of that: A collector got a base model Opala Caravan SL(wagon version) that was ordered with the best engine/transmisson option: a 4.1L and a 4 speed auto transmission. He also got a Opala diplomata coupe with all options(including power mirrors and windows) but came with 2.5 4 cilinder and a 5 speed manual trans.
Adam, you should take a look sometime at Classic Isuzu (60’s-80’s), especially the stuff that was never really rebadged/imported to USA. The 117 Coupé is a really cool little Grand Tourer.
We Brazilians are passionate for what we like, so it was a real treat to watch you talking about our beloved Chevrolet. My dad had a black Cadillac (paint name) diplomata 86, what a car. Nowadays I'm bringing back to life the pretty station wagon of Opala's family, Chevrolet Caravan. A nice 4 cylinder engine with that 151cu.
I have been around the proverbial block. I’m 64 and I’ve seen anything automotive from pretty much everywhere since the beginning of time. This is the first time I’ve ever seen this car, and it’s mimicry of the Merc is point on. Your website is nice. Keep it up.
I was in Brazil in 1992-94 opalas and mavericks were their muscle cars. I still wouldn't mind getting an opala stateside. The chevy sqarebody with a diesel was popular, as was the Toyota landcruiser trucks and hilux 4-doors, which we didn't have stateside.
Well stated Adam. I know about GM do Brasil and its models, but you covered every single detail I would have said or mentioned. You did an excellent job on the features, the car and more. Once again well stated and well put together. You should cover more of GM's models globally and the connections. You could do a lot on Holden I am sure. There are the Opels, Buicks, Chevrolets that were sold globally under other GM brands at one time. Thank you again.
We don’t see any Brazilian cars in my country, so this video was fascinating for a car fan like me. I had no idea that this lovely looking car existed. We have European Opel cars here, and I can remember the old 60s/70s Rekords, Admirals, Diplomats, Commadores, Kadetts etc. I liked them all. My father once owned an Opel Monza, and later a Senator. Great cars.
Oh boy….my dad had two of the 4 door diplomata Opala and he also had two of the station wagon stile opala, called Caravan. 3 of them 6 cilinders 4.1 and one of the station wagon 250S, also 6cc but with a different configuration. Until today I still remember those monsters shaking all around when you press the gas pedal!! Great memories.
I was born and raised in Brazil, but my dad was an American. When he lived in US, until early 70s, he used to have some big blocks, some of those afforded to buy new. But in Brazil, he never even tried to buy an Opala because it was kinda expensive... even if the always had new cars, buying a new one after two or three years. For a Brazilian, relative to the family income in each country, to buy an Opala was like to buy a Cadillac in the US or a Rolls Royce in Europe. As 1/4 of the price of a middle class house at a good neighborhood. Anyway... this car still surprises. If you look for the channel of Fueltech (a Brazilian fuel injection manufacturer and car shop that have also a filial in Florida) and see the Opala that they imported to USA doing 2000HP with the old original block. Cheers!
The non domestic vehicles from Europe Australia & South America have always interested me , the trim designs seemed more appropriate then some of our overweight cars we had at the time.
GM’s Opel Division seems to have had quite an influence around the globe with different nations putting their own brands and model badges on them. My 2018 Buick Regal TourX wagon was built in Germany and is actually a rebadged Opel Insignia Estate wagon. I wonder why GM divested itself of Opel. Do you know, Adam? Thanks for the Opala video… had never heard of it. 👍👍👍
GM also had trouble making money in Europe for a long time (high competition, some mediocre cars, high costs, inflexible labour regulations, etc.). But the final nail in the coffin was when VW stole all the plans for Opel's supercar & factory; that IP really killed the other European automakers. That is a sad story and VW is finally facing the music.
@@dosgos the F are you talking about. The only reason GM dumped Opel is because like with everything they touch, GM's business model is from the fifties: cut costs everywhere, even quality. Meaning they've run a short term policy on long term scale and this has been killing their image everywhere. the first full fiscal year Opel had been under PSA/Stellantis control, it made it's first profit in thirty years...meaning GM was the problem, not opel or any fake news you're spreading
I immediately recognized the lines of the old Opel Rekord, which you could still see everywhere when I was a child, although it had been out of production for a long time. The four-cylinder was called Rekord and the six-cylinder Commodore. Greetings from Germany 😀🇩🇪🤝
THANK YOU ADAM! I became interested in South American market vehicles a few years ago. I LOVE the IKA Torino, the Falcon less so, but also intrigued at how the t-platform (Chevette) continued to evolve after it disappeared from US showrooms. I think American viewers would be interested in learning more about these, and of course about the pickup truck platforms which also evolved separately from the US versions. Although not South America, I've always been intrigued by Mexico market AMC's, such as the VAMS Lerma, in hatchback coupe, and especially the 5-door hatchback! I hope to see one some day just because I love the idea of a 5-door Spirit/Concord.
GM of Brazil did a serious interior upgrade for model year 1985 with the addition of electric windows and mirrors and way more comfortable velour seats and carpeting, this was done in response to the introduction of the VW Santana (Mark 2 Passat) and Ford Del Rey (similar to the British Cortina) that had those luxury items available. Leather seats were introduced for the 1991 lineup. Today those model years are highly sought after by collectors.
I'm quite happy more "unique" brasilian market cars are getting attention! They're not the best in build quality or even performance but still some lads here treat them extremely well And we have a car that looks like the porsche 944 with a literal wedge in the front 💀 and its name its the miura yep same as a lambo Its model chnaged from a FB RX-7/Strarion mix to a 944/concept with reverse pop ups
Adam, you should do a video or series of videos on the strange and quirky Brazilian versions of vehicles that are very familiar to us in America. Being there are so many examples, and that they all are super interesting I think this would absolutely be a hit. Could even do a separate video on each of the big 3 as they all had numerous oddball versions of US based vehicles that we never got (For example Chrysler had the two door Ramcharger based off of the 94-2001 Ram and used a rear hatch straight from the Caravan, and a midsize cab and chassis F-650 competitor also based on the 94-2001 Rams just to name a few)
A good buddy of mine from São Paulo had sent me an old video of this very car, an Opala... knowing that I'm a car buff! And here you are talking about it!
There is a1991 Opala Diplomata SE advertised for sale in Beantown. This looks very high spec with black leather interior, fancy wheels, and tinted tail lights. The exterior looks Opel-ish with some of those South American bits. Interior looks right out of a German Opel.
Wow, what a beauty the Opala coupe was, the roofline and windows look like a blatant steal of the very attractive '66 and '67 Chevy II/Nova 2-door hardtops! It's just a crying shame these weren't available in the US as they undoubtedly could have been a good seller and very desireable! Now I gotta look-up and see what an Opala Caravan 2-door wagon looks like! 😊
I am an American but I have travelled to Brazil more than a few times and on my last trip I went to a car show where I saw some very interesting Brazilian creations, including the Opala. I found it interesting that Chrysler brought the Dart to Brazil but not the Slant-Six - all the Brazilian models came with V-8s.
I'd like to see an Opala parked next to a car I'm familiar with, to be able to get an idea of just how large or small, the Opala really is. I remember when the Miata came out, and I saw pictures of it and got an idea of what to expect. Well when I first saw one in person, I couldn't believe how small it was. I was expecting a bigger car, based on my impressions of the pictures and drawings.
Very interesting car. The Opel Rekord C that the body is based off of was introduced in August 1966 way before the w126. There was also an upper trim variant called the Commodore A. Furthermore the biggest and most luxurious car Opel sold at the time was the Diplomat (a chevy V8 Limousine). The names of the brazilians trim levels sounded familiar to me :) Anyways these late 70s square headlights weirdly remind me of the european Ford Granada Mk2. I love the look. I think there are earlier Opala models, which have the same body (side profile) but fronts and rears more in line with 60s styling. Thanks for the video :)
Yep, the names come from Opel. The Comodoro was introduced as a luxury coupe (meaning it had a vinyl top and air conditioning) in 1976, and the Diplomata as a sedan in 1979. From the 1980 lineup, those became trims for either the sedan or coupe variants, you could get them with either the 4 or 6 cylinder engines.
@@mr.grumpygrumpy2035 in case of Opel, The commodore was the exact same as the record, but only had 6cyl and the diplomat was in fact an entirely different model which replaced the old kapitan in its entirety as the top of the range V8 sedan
The part of the car from the front doors and forward looks very similar to the G-Body Malibu. The angle of the sedan from 6:55-7:21 has a combination of second and third gen Nova, Peugeot 505, and the Mercedes you were talking about. I'm a big fan of the design of the W126. Very modern for its time. Beautiful luxurious contemporary design with the perfect touches of sportiness and performance. Smooth, sleek shape with the perfect touches of aerodynamics.
The Mercedes SEC is indeed a lovely car. I have a green 1983 model (380 SEC). The Opala to me is a stylistic miss. It is an amalgam of incoherent styling elements that are atypical of many South American cars. These often relied on a parts bin approach and it shows.
Never heard of it. Great story. Thanks Adam. Here's an idea-A story on the 4.1 inline 6 with the later model cylinder head that had the integrated intake manifold and how it was prone to cracking. And the weird fact that it ran decent cracked.
Being familiar with the German cars from the 80s (because I grew up in Germany in the 70s and 80s :) you can find a lot of let's call it "german design pieces" on that car, besides the obvious similarities to Opel cars from that era. Along the side trims an the overall shape similar to the C126, the front from the older models looks pretty much like a Ford Granada second gen. facelift, while the front from the later Opalas is quite similar to the Opel Ascona C3 or the Opel Kadett E. The rear lights, at least from a certain angle, have a touch from a BMW E28. The interior is 1:1 80s Opel, especially the dashboard. The dials are pretty much the same than in almost every Opel from that era. Even the two spoke steering wheel can be found in some Kadett models, depending on the trim level (in a slightly different shape). But I have to admit, even being a kind of a copy & paste car, it is quite handsome.
@@TheChill001 yep, there is that. The Opel Monza never came to Brazil. IMHO brazilian 80s cars suck so much balls I can not even account, pardon my french but the brazilian car market still sucks.
What a beautiful car and nice to see a Brazilian car. You should review the Ford Granada Coupe (the UK/Euro one, another 70’s stunning car. Love the channel, learn so much stuff, thank you Adam
I seen an opala with the ss trim pkg, it was good looking,but it was all show and no go. I surprised you didn't mention the rebodied 60s era suburban that was sold in Brazil. Now you mentioned the Brazilian Opala ,do a story on the Argentina Ford Falcon, people will be surprised
When I married my Brazilian wife in Brazil she said “we’re getting an antique car to take us from the church to the reception!” So in my mind I pictured like a model T. Imagine my surprise when up pulls a 1970s opala. 🤣 the thing burned rich and we stunk like gasoline after the ride. The “opalão” is truly a beloved ride in Brazil
Que casamento bonito deve ter sido! Kkkkk
Was this yours? czcams.com/video/udWF6RmZp-4/video.html
@@pamonha2312 foi lindo
You should have married inside the Opala as in Brazil this car is way more veneered than JC Himself, lol. Grande abraço!
Does the 1970s model have AC?..I'm trying to figure out will I need to install this
I owned a 1978 Commodore Opala coupe, vinyl roof, from time to time, I used turn the key on, but the engine was already running, it was
very quiet. Old good times.
Greetings from Brazil, thank you!
What a treat to see you feature a car from the Brazilian market! I enjoyed this overview very much.
Adam , excellent! Being a Brazilian I am very Happy for your vídeo . One tech note : the body was based on the Opel Rekord, but the underpinnings are from the Chevy Nova due the fact the German parts were not suitable for the road condictions. This car was Also manufactured in México, with the German mechanicals. Being a Ford man, I can tell you the Opala could not carry a candle for the Maverick GT Quadrijet ( My father helped to develop the front discs with dual Calipers) In the Endurance Racing Championship .There are some Opalas with Brazilian collectors In USA! Many thanks for the good memories ( and the sleepless nights at Interlagos)!!!
It kinda looks like on old nova with the way the doors and sail panels look
Nah, it was never offered in Mexico.
@@dariomarin6375 I found on Wikipedia: In Mexico, the Rekord C was marketed as the "Opel Rekord Olimpico", celebrating the 1968 Olympic Games. Since then, the Opel brand has not been traded in Mexico; beginning in the late 1990s certain Opel models have been commercialized there under the Chevrolet brand.
@@donperry4573 it’s smaller and lighter than a Nova.
Yeah, from Europe and it sure looked like a Opel Rekord.
Adam , another note : there was a station wagon named Caravan which was a beauty!! And with the 6 cilinder engine and a few tweaks,like a Iskenderian cam and Weber 42 DOHC you could have a Happy day while carrying your dog to the pet shop.
man, they literally had all the opel names xD (yes, even caravan is an opel designation for station wagons at the time)
@@TheChill001 the alignment with Opel. came to be complete in the 90s when "Chevrolets" Corsa, Astra, Vectra and Omega were sold here, along with our version of the American Blazer (prettier by the way).
I really like the look of this car. Wish GM had shared more of their international offerings in the US over the decades
There were some incredible Opels and Fords in Europe. I feel like the best cars were reserved for the wealthy Euro markets.
At least the Euro tiny & big vans are trickling in here. And the micro Japanese kei trucks are bargains too.
@@dosgos they weren't cars built for the wealthy, nor was Europe the wealthy market. The US was.
@@jamesengland7461 The euro cars were smaller but a lot were higher spec than what was sold in the US, particularly Northern Europe.
@@dosgos what cars and countries are you referring to?
As a Brazilian, I would say your review was the best one I've seen made by a foreigner. My father had some Opalas, being the first one a 1975 standard coupe with a 151 c.i. inline four and a three on the tree.
He later had a 1988 and a 1992 Comodoros 4.1 inline six sedans. Those cars were real tanks!
If you search for some further pictures of such cars, you'll notice the 1968-1970 front end was strongly inspired on current Chevy Novas and that the steering wheel for 1974-1977 models is almost identical to those used in 1969 and early 1970s Chevys.
The Opala was not a perfect car, but it was truly an honest car and, nowadays, it's a collectors item, especially the SS version, which was a sedan in 1971 and early 1972 and then only offered as a coupe from 1972 on, when the coupe version was launched.
There was also a station wagon (Chevrolet Caravan - 1975-1992), which was only offered as a two-door version.
I've reviewed two 1:64 Opala model cars in my videos and I mention some of those facts. Glad to know you guys appreciate that classic of ours, even having what I consider the greatest cars of all! Thanks for sharing one more of your great reviews as well as your awesome cars!
The styling influences in the Opala tend to be interesting. The first lines bear resemblance to the Nova on the front end and the Chevelle on the taillights, while the mid-1970s restyling brought turning signals that looked like the ones from the 1973 Chevelle, with four round taillights that resembled the ones from the 1967 Impala but its placement on a recessed rear end panel reminded the Corvair. The 1980 to 1984 restyling bear some resemblance on the front to the Citation on the shape of the grille and the rear reminded both the Rekord E and the first year-models of the Holden Commodore. The 1985 to 1987 year-models lines had taillights that reminded the ones used by the later Rekord E, while the square front itself was a variation of the one put in 1980. The 1988 to 1990 lines reminded a bit some Holden Commodores from late-1980s, being the 1991 to 1992 lines overall a variation of this theme with added envolving plastic bumpers that hidden some of the fluid lines of the model, taking away some of the harmony of the original design.
Itself the Opala tended to be a better looking car than the Opel Rekord C it came from. Probably the 1988 model-year coupe version can be considered the last car without a B-pillar to be made in the Americas, something interesting considering that after this production pillarless coupes would only come out from Euro brands, while pillarless sedans would only last until 1990 in Japan.
I am so glad that Adam finally made a video about a brazilian car ❤ Hope a video about the Galaxies made here come up soon !
True. That Galaxie looked a lot nicer than the boxy-looking cars offered by Ford (USA) at that time.
So do I!
The Opala never had fuel injection. About the transmission options, the 6 cilinders were offered with 3 speed manuals, later upgraded to a 4 speed (most common), and in the very last year of production (1992) it received a 5 speed. The 4 cilinders were also offered with 3, 4 or 5 speed, but received the 5 earlier, in 1983. The automatics was an option for both engines from 1974 onwards as a 3 speed, becoming a 4 speed ZF trans in 1988 till its last days. About the underhood room, there are some V8 swaped Opalas running around
Here in Costa Rica brazilian Chevys were imported for a few years (late 80's). The inline six in the later Opalas was none other than the good, old, trusty Chevy 250ci, called 4100 in Brazil. The weird part is that these GM do Brazil cars came with Bosch electrics and Solex carbs!
Blue Flames for everyone!
Do you have any other info about that? I've never heard that Opalas were sent to Costa Rica!!!
And they were made until 2001, used by the GMT400, Tahoe-derived Grand Blazer and Silverado.
Also used in the 1995-1998 Omega, in both cases with electronic fuel injection. The most powerful version was rated at 168 net horsepower.
Fun fact: this 'modernized' 250 was tweaked by Lotus (!) under GM's commission.
Solex carbs ? Wow...never heard of that on a Chevy before now.
@@davesimmons1373 in the 80's the 4 cylinders had the optional solex H-34, both in gasoline and ethanol engines. In the 6 cylinders, the h-34 was only available in ethanol engines
American cars are my favorite, but I'm absolutely loving learning about other cars that never made it to the US. I love how oftentimes they were mini versions of the usdm vehicles. This early 80s opala is a fascinating blend of mid to late 60s body shape styling with much more modern details like the front and rear styling, and even the rear view windows. That lower body cladding is definitely a riff on the handsome merc. South American cars in particular area a bit of an enigma for an English speaker to learn about. Australian and English cars are a lot easier to research, especially with some great channels covering regular cars of yesteryear from these markets.
I always found it funny how american style in a smaller european sized package worked, but european style in a massive american package never worked xD
I've never been to South America myself but remember reading about those cars in international auto almanacs at the time.
I understood that Brazil was a market strongly protected by tarriffs favouring cars produced locally. So those companies with manufacturing capacities had the market to themselves and used this power by offering warmed over designs long discontinued elsewhere.
I pitied the locals for those leftovers... looking back, however, they actually look quite good. Technical progress wasn't that quick back then, so before ABS and genuine improvements were introduced in Europe around 1990, Brazilians didn't actually miss s lot.
That’s correct. The 1980’s Opala had a very nice “plastic surgery” from the GMB’s design department, but it was already a 10 yr old car at the moment, pretty long in the tooth.
Hi Adam, Very good. André from Brazil
Hi André
I drove one of this when I was 13 years old, it was 1976 Opala Caravan (station wagon variant), it was equipped with the 151 4 cylinder, three on the tree and bench seat. She was a nice cruiser!
Three on the tree rock, sir!
Holy cow that Brazilian Ford Galaxy was gorgeous
Fun fact: the entire galaxie production in Brazil (1967-1983) was based on the American 1966 four door model with only changes on the front, rear, steering wheel and seats, and It was the most expensive car you could afford here.
1980 my father owned a station wagon from the opala, and he did even have a driver. As you like to put it, "humorously" the car wasn't even available as a four doors model, as almost all the wagons on the brazilian market until the mid-eightys, they had only two doors...
About 40 years ago I owned a used 1972 Opel Manta Luxus coupe--it was then an imported model sold in the U.S. by Buick dealers. Its side view, rear 3/4 view, semi-fastback style bear a strong resemblance to the Opala coupe shown here. Very stylish at the time and still attractive today.
I didn't know the Manta was sold in the US. That is a funny name for a car.
I had the same car, 1972 Opel Manta 1900 in green.
The early 70’s Mantas and 1900s were great cars, well built, great handling and spacious for their size. I have a 1971 1900 (Ascona in Europe) sedan bought new by my grandparents. The doors shut as solidly as a 1964 Cadillac. Only problem was their resistance to rust (virtually none).
I assume there's a reason the GM Opel & the GM Opala look alike. But look like a Mercedes? No.
It wouldnt surprise me if the rear end from the opala 75~79 was inspired by the Manta
Great to see as Brazilian the opala history. When kid, I dreamed to buy my neibor Opala, a orange color 4 door 1969 full of cromes. Only 30's I had a 4.1 liters 1992. The engine sound was marvelous. I had a lot fun driving in the highways of Brazil. Thanks to remind those good memories!
I've always thought the Opala was a cool car. They took an already attractive car and made it so much more attractive.
I have always been fascinated by the design choices of Brazilian subsidiaries of national brands... The VW SP1 and Typ 3 Ghia come to mind.
Even the 1978 Chevrolet Opala DeLuxe sedan was nice! Slightly smaller than a Nova, but bigger than a Citation. The 1975-1979 Opala Coupe 4100 with those Ferrari or Skyline taillights was to die for. Very Corolla like and appealing. GM has, and still has, the bad habit of building good cars for the foreign market, but not domestic. The 1978 Opala DeLuxe sedan would have sold very well in the US.
Plenty of Europeans would argue that point.
Each country's regulations played a big role in that, with the USA having among the strictest emissions and crash standards as well as bumper requirements that, in retrospect, seem a little irrational. So, even if we had gotten some of these models U.S. automakers built for other markets, they would have been heavier, slower and less fuel efficient after being modified for the U.S. market.
You don't know what's it like to drive a GM with an 1.3 engine wide ratio gearbox and 236mm front brake rotors while being around people who have an 1.6 Turbo 160hp GM as their top of the line dream car.
Excited yet? You can get a Daewoo Lanos or a Saturn, they're just a little better than what GM was selling in Europe before it they sold Opel to PSA and the market was going crazy with such high performance models cause they know nothing else than garbage.
@@johnbelwell2461 er...dude, daewoo were downgraded Opels, the saturns at the end of their lives were just rebadged opels, in the eightees and nineties prior to Geo almost all subcompacts and compacts were...you guessed it Opels. The probelm with both ford and GM has been the incessant idea to build a world car, draining the funds of their foreign departments to do so and then basically building cars that just don't appeal anywhere. Not to mention the fact US companies generally suck at knowing what appeals to other regions, so the moment the GM and Ford execs step into the leading roles in europe and australia...usually it all goes downhill...
Hey Adam! I am Brazilian living in Canada. In Brazil I own a '81 Caravan, which is the wagon version of the Opala. Mine have the spiced up version of the 251 engine known as the "250-S" It have pushrods instead of the hydraulic lifters and a faster cam. This spicier version was developed for the tracks to keep up with Ford's Maverick and It's 302 V8 and they did a very nice job, apart from the sewing machine ticking noise.
Here in Canada I daily drive a '88 Cutlass Cruiser Brougham with the 3.8 and the only resemblance between them are the keys and ignition stock.
I have always liked the Brazilian market cars of the 80s. Western Kentucky.
I like that the sports roof contuines on into the trunk lid; sort of reminds me of the 67/68 Mustang fastback.
Would love to see a feature on the Brazilian Ford Galaxie
Hey Adam, thanks for sharing the story of the Chevrolet Opala. Very interesting!!! 👍👍🙂
Miss this car so much, my grandfather used to have some opalas, 4 door sedan, 2 door coupê and SW the gorgeous Caravan, we travelled in the trunk, was big like a room. Two uncles had Opala and the Caravan too, this car is an icon! A true classic!
In 1987 I worked in Caracas Venezuela and was in awe of the good looking GM cars because the best looking body parts and lines were combined between Buicks and Chevy cars into one car. On all the fenders was a high performance emblem. However, sadly, any car that was two years or older smoked out the tail pipe because no one had the money to change the oil. The air pollution in Caracas was terrible by 6:30am every day. You could stand and watch the oil cloud rise up from the streets
They had the money to buy a new car but no money to change the oil?🧐
@@MrZdvy you know people and their messed up priorities. They can always find the money for something new that they want, then complain they can’t afford what they need.
Traditionally, socialism has never raised a lot of money for nature conservation. The environment can only be protected where the standard of living increases. Thanks for the example and greetings from the resurgent planned economy republic of Germany 😉🇩🇪🤝
My Grampa had lots Opalas models (1976 Coupé, 79 Comodore, 84 Black Comodore coupé and Finally her last car, an 85 Diplomat sedan. Literally i grow up in the back sit of 3 of this cars, and learned drive in the last. This cars bring back to me lots of nostalgics moments of life. My Grampa passed in 2004, an we sold her last Opala. Miss you grampa! I will never forget you, an ours happiests moments, and yours emblematics Opalas! Sorry about my bad write english guys,but i have learning for improved mi achievement and I refuse to use a translator!
Awesome video. I love seeing how foreign people see our vehicles. As a long time watcher of your channel and also the owner of one of these opalas it's nice to see you praising the design and the style. Mine was bought 10 years ago and I have no plans of selling it anytime soon. Keep up the good work sir.
Is quite nice to see someone out of Brazil finding our cars. An idea: you can also show the two last facelifts the Opala had: from 1988 to 1990 and 91/92. Even being released in 1969, with a body project from 1965 Opel, the platform/main body never chanced completely, but there were lots of facelifts for making the Opala look as something actual for the time, and that halped to keep him from production from 1969 to 1992 straight
I had a 1971 4-doors Opala. A really beautiful car that granted a very pleasant driving. Maybe the best Brazilan car on its days. Surely the most beautiful car made in Brazil till today. My favorite version would be the 88-90 2-door Comodoro and Diplomata versions. Notice the version is DiolomaTA, not DiplomaTIA, as mentoined on the video.
Anyway, congratulations for this remarkable video about Brazil-made model and one of the most iconic Brazilian cars ever. That's very rare to have such videos in English.
By the way, if you do not know, 70s and 80s Brasilian stock cars racing (similar to US Nascar) only used Opalas 250 cubic inches inline-six engine, the famous 4.1.
Nice to see you talking about the opala, Adam. I have a 1980 (opala) caravan, so I'm always excited to see people from other places talking about these cars. The coupes from 75 to 79 are the best looking, in my opinion, though the simplistic look of the 80 to 87 models and the more modern look of the 88 model definetely appel to me as well.
Always suprised at car models I've never seen! Great vid
Im a big fan of these Brazilian Chev's.
Very similar second box to many Holdens dating from 68 ~71. However the First and Third boxes were partially updated over time and IMO nearly every one looked good.
Plenty of things like the door height and glass style unchanging over the years. I would have to say it was/is the best looking South American Unique car. It certainly dated far better than the Argentine Falcon although that was 10 years older. VW also built its best looking cars the Marque ever made in South America with stuff like the Hardtop Karmen Giha, SP2 and the Bianco Tarpan.
Many of these would have been successful if marketed in Australia.
My great grandparents had a first gen 4 door 6cc, my grandparents from the other side had multiple 6cc Caravans (the station wagon version of the opala), my dad had a 1982 4 door 6cc that he had to sell when he got kids, now I have a 1980 opala 4cc that I fully rotissery restored with him. My dream is to one day find his 82 and the green 72 opala that my great grandfather had and bring them back and possibly carry them over to the US as I live here now.
Another lovely Brazilian car: the VW SP2. What a beauty.
a little correction, the name opala comes from a fancy gem called Opala, but most people also say its the combo of opel and impala, and many say the name is from the both sides at the same time.
and these cars have a very extensive racing pedigree in brazil, be endurance racing at the mil milhas (1000 miles) endurance race, at the group 3 (divisao 3) and turismo 5000, dirt oval racing, drag racing, stock car (with superbird esque aero). it raced everywhere and won a lot
I also thought it was a bit of both, Opals as in Opala because those are mined in Brazil and well the portmanteau of Opel+impala can be a more internal reasoning for GM
I'm really shocked (in a good way!) with this car. Just the fact that a real Chevy coupe existed that was a true pillarless hardtop where all the windows went down, and it had the vent window in the front is astonishing, and beautiful. I really love the Opala!
I liked it. Thanks for showing us some cars we’d never see otherwise.
Proud owner of a 74 Opala here in Brazil.
Thanks for sharing...this is the first I had heard of this vehicle. I can see the resemblance to the Mercedes for sure, but also it is reminiscent to 60s Chevrolet Impala coupes. GM's decline began in the mid 70s and the 80s were a design and performance nightmare for many of their vehicles. By time I finished college in '78, the Germans and Japanese had captured the young car buying market with more affordable gas-saving vehicles. I never owned an American made vehicle since then.
The fuel crisis in the 70's and 80's hit manufacturers hard in brazil. Ford for an example only offered the 302 V8 on the maverick and had to use a ancient willys straight 6 and even offered a 4 cilinder option to keep sales up but never recovered. But the opala not only was smaller than the competition but already had the 4 cilinder avaible. One fun fact is that GM had a policy of offering all options to all trim levels. i have two examples of that: A collector got a base model Opala Caravan SL(wagon version) that was ordered with the best engine/transmisson option: a 4.1L and a 4 speed auto transmission. He also got a Opala diplomata coupe with all options(including power mirrors and windows) but came with 2.5 4 cilinder and a 5 speed manual trans.
Adam, you should take a look sometime at Classic Isuzu (60’s-80’s), especially the stuff that was never really rebadged/imported to USA. The 117 Coupé is a really cool little Grand Tourer.
We Brazilians are passionate for what we like, so it was a real treat to watch you talking about our beloved Chevrolet. My dad had a black Cadillac (paint name) diplomata 86, what a car. Nowadays I'm bringing back to life the pretty station wagon of Opala's family, Chevrolet Caravan. A nice 4 cylinder engine with that 151cu.
I'm restoring a sedan 1985 Opala Comodoro (with the 4cil engine running on ethanol), i adore this car. And can confirm, the seats are great!
I have been around the proverbial block. I’m 64 and I’ve seen anything automotive from pretty much everywhere since the beginning of time. This is the first time I’ve ever seen this car, and it’s mimicry of the Merc is point on. Your website is nice. Keep it up.
I was in Brazil in 1992-94 opalas and mavericks were their muscle cars. I still wouldn't mind getting an opala stateside.
The chevy sqarebody with a diesel was popular, as was the Toyota landcruiser trucks and hilux 4-doors, which we didn't have stateside.
Well stated Adam. I know about GM do Brasil and its models, but you covered every single detail I would have said or mentioned. You did an excellent job on the features, the car and more. Once again well stated and well put together. You should cover more of GM's models globally and the connections. You could do a lot on Holden I am sure. There are the Opels, Buicks, Chevrolets that were sold globally under other GM brands at one time. Thank you again.
We don’t see any Brazilian cars in my country, so this video was fascinating for a car fan like me. I had no idea that this lovely looking car existed. We have European Opel cars here, and I can remember the old 60s/70s Rekords, Admirals, Diplomats, Commadores, Kadetts etc. I liked them all. My father once owned an Opel Monza, and later a Senator. Great cars.
Oh boy….my dad had two of the 4 door diplomata Opala and he also had two of the station wagon stile opala, called Caravan. 3 of them 6 cilinders 4.1 and one of the station wagon 250S, also 6cc but with a different configuration. Until today I still remember those monsters shaking all around when you press the gas pedal!! Great memories.
Thanks for sharing these wonderful cars that are all 100% new to me!
I was born and raised in Brazil, but my dad was an American. When he lived in US, until early 70s, he used to have some big blocks, some of those afforded to buy new. But in Brazil, he never even tried to buy an Opala because it was kinda expensive... even if the always had new cars, buying a new one after two or three years. For a Brazilian, relative to the family income in each country, to buy an Opala was like to buy a Cadillac in the US or a Rolls Royce in Europe. As 1/4 of the price of a middle class house at a good neighborhood.
Anyway... this car still surprises. If you look for the channel of Fueltech (a Brazilian fuel injection manufacturer and car shop that have also a filial in Florida) and see the Opala that they imported to USA doing 2000HP with the old original block.
Cheers!
The non domestic vehicles from Europe Australia & South America have always interested me , the trim designs seemed more appropriate then some of our overweight cars we had at the time.
Brazil also produced the best looking Volkswagen, ever! The SP2.
it did look great...but to call it the best-looking ever...nah
GM’s Opel Division seems to have had quite an influence around the globe with different nations putting their own brands and model badges on them. My 2018 Buick Regal TourX wagon was built in Germany and is actually a rebadged Opel Insignia Estate wagon. I wonder why GM divested itself of Opel. Do you know, Adam? Thanks for the Opala video… had never heard of it. 👍👍👍
GM also had trouble making money in Europe for a long time (high competition, some mediocre cars, high costs, inflexible labour regulations, etc.).
But the final nail in the coffin was when VW stole all the plans for Opel's supercar & factory; that IP really killed the other European automakers. That is a sad story and VW is finally facing the music.
@@dosgos Have no knowledge of the VW news you mention. Guess I should get up to speed. Cheers! 👍
@@Primus54 The SuperLopez story was very sad.
@@dosgos the F are you talking about. The only reason GM dumped Opel is because like with everything they touch, GM's business model is from the fifties: cut costs everywhere, even quality. Meaning they've run a short term policy on long term scale and this has been killing their image everywhere. the first full fiscal year Opel had been under PSA/Stellantis control, it made it's first profit in thirty years...meaning GM was the problem, not opel or any fake news you're spreading
I immediately recognized the lines of the old Opel Rekord, which you could still see everywhere when I was a child, although it had been out of production for a long time. The four-cylinder was called Rekord and the six-cylinder Commodore. Greetings from Germany 😀🇩🇪🤝
Fascinating! I have heard of this vehicle once before, but never knew of its origins, history, or anything.
I am so glad I came across your channel, beautiful content
The two door looks like a Rolls-Royce Camargue from some angles. It for sure looks better than my 1980 Malibu did.
That's exactly what I thought; the Rolls-Royce Carmargue.
When I see what other countries got vs what we got in the us, I’m just jealous lol. Thinking Falcon from Australia and now this car from Brazil
Oh believe me we envy you more. That was the best car you could have.
Nice vídeo! I had 2 Opalas and I love this car.
THANK YOU ADAM! I became interested in South American market vehicles a few years ago. I LOVE the IKA Torino, the Falcon less so, but also intrigued at how the t-platform (Chevette) continued to evolve after it disappeared from US showrooms. I think American viewers would be interested in learning more about these, and of course about the pickup truck platforms which also evolved separately from the US versions. Although not South America, I've always been intrigued by Mexico market AMC's, such as the VAMS Lerma, in hatchback coupe, and especially the 5-door hatchback! I hope to see one some day just because I love the idea of a 5-door Spirit/Concord.
Rides smooth.
More comfortable than any modern sedan.
GM of Brazil did a serious interior upgrade for model year 1985 with the addition of electric windows and mirrors and way more comfortable velour seats and carpeting, this was done in response to the introduction of the VW Santana (Mark 2 Passat) and Ford Del Rey (similar to the British Cortina) that had those luxury items available. Leather seats were introduced for the 1991 lineup. Today those model years are highly sought after by collectors.
I'm quite happy more "unique" brasilian market cars are getting attention!
They're not the best in build quality or even performance but still some lads here treat them extremely well
And we have a car that looks like the porsche 944 with a literal wedge in the front 💀 and its name its the miura yep same as a lambo
Its model chnaged from a FB RX-7/Strarion mix to a 944/concept with reverse pop ups
Adam, you should do a video or series of videos on the strange and quirky Brazilian versions of vehicles that are very familiar to us in America. Being there are so many examples, and that they all are super interesting I think this would absolutely be a hit. Could even do a separate video on each of the big 3 as they all had numerous oddball versions of US based vehicles that we never got
(For example Chrysler had the two door Ramcharger based off of the 94-2001 Ram and used a rear hatch straight from the Caravan, and a midsize cab and chassis F-650 competitor also based on the 94-2001 Rams just to name a few)
A good buddy of mine from São Paulo had sent me an old video of this very car, an Opala... knowing that I'm a car buff! And here you are talking about it!
Beautiful car. I’d never heard of it. Thanks for sharing this Adam. Great video!
I like it! Thanks again for sharing!
The Opel Rekord C Coupé, which the Opala resembles, is one of the most beautiful car designs, ever!
There is a1991 Opala Diplomata SE advertised for sale in Beantown. This looks very high spec with black leather interior, fancy wheels, and tinted tail lights. The exterior looks Opel-ish with some of those South American bits. Interior looks right out of a German Opel.
2:18 Just three headless guys chillin' at the car show.
I had a 500SEC, what a car.
Wow, what a beauty the Opala coupe was, the roofline and windows look like a blatant steal of the very attractive '66 and '67 Chevy II/Nova 2-door hardtops! It's just a crying shame these weren't available in the US as they undoubtedly could have been a good seller and very desireable! Now I gotta look-up and see what an Opala Caravan 2-door wagon looks like! 😊
I am an American but I have travelled to Brazil more than a few times and on my last trip I went to a car show where I saw some very interesting Brazilian creations, including the Opala. I found it interesting that Chrysler brought the Dart to Brazil but not the Slant-Six - all the Brazilian models came with V-8s.
Nice looking car!!!!👍
Another great video. I've heard of the Brazilian car, the Chevy Opala, but for some reason, this was never offered here in the USA.
Would love to see one of these in the states.
Great video. I've never heard of this car before but it is gorgeous.
The opening 3/4 rear photo has a great resemblance to my eyes, to the '65-'67 Impala fastback.
I'd like to see an Opala parked next to a car I'm familiar with, to be able to get an idea of just how large or small, the Opala really is.
I remember when the Miata came out, and I saw pictures of it and got an idea of what to expect. Well when I first saw one in person, I couldn't believe how small it was. I was expecting a bigger car, based on my impressions of the pictures and drawings.
It's very close to the Ford Maverick in size
Very interesting car. The Opel Rekord C that the body is based off of was introduced in August 1966 way before the w126. There was also an upper trim variant called the Commodore A. Furthermore the biggest and most luxurious car Opel sold at the time was the Diplomat (a chevy V8 Limousine). The names of the brazilians trim levels sounded familiar to me :) Anyways these late 70s square headlights weirdly remind me of the european Ford Granada Mk2. I love the look. I think there are earlier Opala models, which have the same body (side profile) but fronts and rears more in line with 60s styling. Thanks for the video :)
Yep, the names come from Opel. The Comodoro was introduced as a luxury coupe (meaning it had a vinyl top and air conditioning) in 1976, and the Diplomata as a sedan in 1979. From the 1980 lineup, those became trims for either the sedan or coupe variants, you could get them with either the 4 or 6 cylinder engines.
the one with the cladding had similar lights to later Records...but for some reason reminded me more of the Ford Sierra xD
@@mr.grumpygrumpy2035 in case of Opel, The commodore was the exact same as the record, but only had 6cyl and the diplomat was in fact an entirely different model which replaced the old kapitan in its entirety as the top of the range V8 sedan
In my family we had 2 Caravans, the SW of the Opala, many famil trips on those.
The part of the car from the front doors and forward looks very similar to the G-Body Malibu. The angle of the sedan from 6:55-7:21 has a combination of second and third gen Nova, Peugeot 505, and the Mercedes you were talking about.
I'm a big fan of the design of the W126. Very modern for its time. Beautiful luxurious contemporary design with the perfect touches of sportiness and performance. Smooth, sleek shape with the perfect touches of aerodynamics.
The Mercedes SEC is indeed a lovely car. I have a green 1983 model (380 SEC). The Opala to me is a stylistic miss. It is an amalgam of incoherent styling elements that are atypical of many South American cars. These often relied on a parts bin approach and it shows.
Very nice looking car, never heard of it, thanks for the video!
Never heard of it. Great story. Thanks Adam.
Here's an idea-A story on the 4.1 inline 6 with the later model cylinder head that had the integrated intake manifold and how it was prone to cracking. And the weird fact that it ran decent cracked.
Being familiar with the German cars from the 80s (because I grew up in Germany in the 70s and 80s :) you can find a lot of let's call it "german design pieces" on that car, besides the obvious similarities to Opel cars from that era. Along the side trims an the overall shape similar to the C126, the front from the older models looks pretty much like a Ford Granada second gen. facelift, while the front from the later Opalas is quite similar to the Opel Ascona C3 or the Opel Kadett E. The rear lights, at least from a certain angle, have a touch from a BMW E28. The interior is 1:1 80s Opel, especially the dashboard. The dials are pretty much the same than in almost every Opel from that era. Even the two spoke steering wheel can be found in some Kadett models, depending on the trim level (in a slightly different shape). But I have to admit, even being a kind of a copy & paste car, it is quite handsome.
the ascona was sold in brazil as monza and the kadett was named the same.
@@pitaorj that means you've been screwed...since if you check what the Opel Monza was...now THAT was the real competitor for the C126
@@TheChill001 yep, there is that. The Opel Monza never came to Brazil. IMHO brazilian 80s cars suck so much balls I can not even account, pardon my french but the brazilian car market still sucks.
I love that they didn't have those insane 5 mph bumpers we had!
Hi Adam, it was fun to see this Opala, it loks lie the English Fords from the same era.😃
I likey! Always cool to see cars from other parts of the world. Brazil has built lots of interesting cars over the years...
Beautiful cars! Wish we had them in the States. 👍
After 1988 it became even more luxurious and good looking, in my opinion
Awesome looking car,
What a beautiful car and nice to see a Brazilian car. You should review the Ford Granada Coupe (the UK/Euro one, another 70’s stunning car. Love the channel, learn so much stuff, thank you Adam
Looks identical, but totally different. Yeah that makes lot of sense!
I seen an opala with the ss trim pkg, it was good looking,but it was all show and no go. I surprised you didn't mention the rebodied 60s era suburban that was sold in Brazil. Now you mentioned the Brazilian Opala ,do a story on the Argentina Ford Falcon, people will be surprised
That Comodoro looks pretty sweet.
nice. I love 96 caprice or roadmaster. 96 got it all right. 350 fi vortex. I want either wagon. someday someday.
Great vid ......... 👍👍