Opel GT in Hemmings

[gtmaxx]

If Anyone gets Hemmings Autosales theres an article on the (Sleeper) Gt going up in value Finally, i personally think it should be worth more but now the market should be picking up for Opels, Maxx Christopher

[newman27]

Interesting because the latest copy of their Sports and Exotic Car magazine has a cover story titled "Sleepers 2009, 10 Cars You Shouldn't Forget". I turned immediately to that article hoping that I might see an Opel on the list (given that Hemmings has given us some attention) but alas no.

I know this has been discussed many times, but the Opel GT for example really isn't valued like some might expect if you bought one back in the '70s. Period reviews talk about long wait lists to get one and people paying sticker or higher to get one. That kind of initial demand with a relatively limited total production of ~100K units (give or take) combined with rust and the crusher taking a significant percentage of those and you would think you have all the makings of a valuable collector car 35+ years later . It doesn't matter much to me, because I'm never selling but it would be nice to have a little more respect in the marketplace.

Matt

[timemachine]

I'm with Duane (MantAscona) and some others who are happy to hang around with our gang of Opelers and toil along in relative obscurity compared to Austin Healey or other brands that have gotten unaffordable. Who wants to pay $400 for an alternator? With Opels remaining available and inexpensive, people with any level of income or expertise can get involved and have fun with the cars and it's a relatively low-risk hobby in that sense.

That said, it could be that GTs will see a rise in value. I've seen a couple sell on e-bay in recent months for $10,000-plus. But there a lot of cheap projects available for the labor of love too.

Don't know if the same will be true for other models, I kind of doubt it though I saw a nice Ascona go for $4-5,000. But this thumbnail is kind of the other side of the coin. The article valued Mantas between $1,500 and $8,000 which is pretty high if you ask me though if you find something really rare like a Broadspeed or just a really nice example that saves you three years of work and $$$$, who knows? But overall, I'd like to see them stay inexpensive and attracting new members to the site.

Jim

[newman27]

Originally Posted by timemachine I'm with Duane (MantAscona) and some others who are happy to hang around with our gang of Opelers and toil along in relative obscurity compared to Austin Healey or other brands that have gotten unaffordable. Who wants to pay $400 for an alternator? With Opels remaining available and inexpensive, people with any level of income or expertise can get involved and have fun with the cars and it's a relatively low-risk hobby in that sense...

Good point and that is the positive part of not getting much attention... Of course, I know OGTS wouldn't charge us $400 for an alternator if even we did become rich and famous!

Matt

[Johnvan]

I restore Austin Healey's and they cost a fortune to restore to a high level and owners often spend more than their value for a quality example due to their high cost of parts and intricate body design.They are beautiful and a piece of art but so is an Opel which is far less complicated and less costly to restore.Simplicity of design and function is what I love about Opels. Mind you I wouldn't mind a Healey but I would probably have to sell it to pay the mortgage!

[timemachine]

Originally Posted by newman27 Good point and that is the positive part of not getting much attention... Of course, I know OGTS wouldn't charge us $400 for an alternator if even we did become rich and famous! Matt

Yes, Gil and Dennis would never do us wrong.

But if you look at the "sleeper" list in the new issue, you'll see every car except the Alpine is drawing way less money than the original sticker. Some of the Opels are contemporary to those cars and many are drawing above original sticker so we'll see where it all lands.

Jim