Bitter 3.0 on EBay

[gtopel72]

Does anyone know anything about the Bitter for sale on Ebay? Very cool car.

[benncojr]

Here is the link

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Other...QQcmdZViewItem

[BQS4]

I think someone needs to re-school this guy as he states it's a Maserati/Ferrari hybrid, NOT!!!!! Oh well

[gtopel72]

Originally Posted by BQS4 I think someone needs to re-school this guy as he states it's a Maserati/Ferrari hybrid, NOT!!!!! Oh well

C'mon now, true it's not a Maserati/Ferrari anything but the dude is just trying to sell the car. Anybody buying that car thinking it's a Maserati/Ferrari whatever on Evilbay, probably deserves what they get.

[tekenaar]

Checked it out in the Bitter registry. Good buy up to about $19-20K, IMO. Has Opel 3.0 CIH FI engine with GM TH350 tranny and GM (Frigidaire) A/C.

[duaneb]

Friend of mine directed me to this car so I did a little research. 81 to 83 Bitters were built on a shortened Opel Diplomat chassis and the bodies were assembeled by a company called Turin that also built bodies for Maserati and Ferrari. Thats probably where He got the Idea Its some kind of a hybred

[tekenaar]

Originally Posted by duaneb Friend of mine directed me to this car so I did a little research. 81 to 83 Bitters were built on a shortened Opel Diplomat chassis and the bodies were assembled by a company called Turin that also built bodies for Maserati and Ferrari. Thats probably where He got the Idea Its some kind of a hybred

Actually all Bitter SCs were build on a full size Senator/Monza chassis and were delivered to Erich Bitter with full running gear from those cars, 3.0CIH FI engines, Getrag or Auto trans, fully independent suspension with 4 wheel disk brakes, etc. His earlier Bitter CD contract with German builder Baur in Stuttgart ran out in 1980, so he had to look for another builder for the following SC models, a completely new car.

Bitter could not find a German company to produce the bodyshells and interiors for the SC, and turned to Italy. He formed a company called "Bitter Italia" to organise and finance the manufacture of SC bodies and interiors ready for their mating to the Opel mechanical components at Bitter's works at Schwelm.

The fabrication of the body panels and their subsequent assembly into body shells was subcontracted to Turin based OCRA. A few months after the first SC's had been produced some cars started to show the first signs of rust. OCRA had used recycled steel to make the body panels.The first class reputation Bitter had built up with the CD was under serious threat. OCRA built 79 shells before losing the contract in early 1982 in favour of Maggiore. They were also Turin based, but were long established and had an excellent reputation. At that time they were producing shells for Maserati and Bristol. Another Turin company, SALT, produced the beautiful nappa leather interiors.

From 1981 to 1983 Bitter's assembly staff mated the Opel engine, transmission, suspension, axles, brakes, wheels, etc with the Turin supplied bodies and interiors. Bitter was initially able to build only one car a week, but output doubled later in 1982. Erich Bitter was looking to expand. The prototype SC Cabriolet was already on the scene and he had plans for a 4-door version, as well as a new compact convertible called the Bitter Rallye which was to be based on Opel's Manta. The one acre site in Schwelm was unable to cope with the projected expansion, and Bitter started to look for production elsewhere. In early 1983 he found Steyr Daimler Puch at Graz in Austria who managed to build 3 to 4 cars a week until late 1985 when money became tight and production eased right down.