[Gary]

I was one of several to receive the note below from the Buick Club of America (BCA).

The BCA Board is extending an invitation for Opel groups to become a division of the BCA. I expressed an interest and requested more information.

This could open the door for Opel owners participation in local, regional, and national meets.

Any comments, ideas, or concerns? Discuss away!

Good Morning All: My name is Patrick W. Brooks and I am the President of the Buick Club of America. Shortly after becoming President I noticed that we had no members who owned Opel automobiles. As you know, Opels were sold by Buick dealers and Buick dealers honored and subscribed to the warranty and other services provided Opel owners. I have long thought of them as an extension of Buick itself. After discussion with the BCA Board we are extending an invitation to all Opel groups to discuss becoming a Division of the BCA. We have many Divisions and they are joined to us by membership although they remain separate in terms of their own management, dues, finances and most have their own publication. They do have the benefit of participating in our BCA National and all the planning that is done for this and other events. Each Division has their own class for judging their individual cars and the Division sets their own judging standards, does it's own judging and decides what awards to give and to which cars. Basically, their operation is altered very little by joining with us and yet we all have the benefit of an expanded National and other BCA Regional and local activities. I am hopeful that this brief discussion will interest each of you and we can discuss this further. I obtained this list of Opel Clubs from the list maintained by Hemmings Motor News and suspect all or many of you may be somehow related to or part of a single Opel group. Maybe some of you are separate organizations. In any event, I am trying to reach everyone who represents an Opel group. If this email should be forwarded on to someone who is now in charge of your group please do so. Thank you for listening and considering this option. I hope to hear from all of you or someone representing all Opel owners. Patrick W. Brooks, President, Buick Club of America.

 

[tekenaar]

ANY additional opportunity to show our Opels would be a PLUS. I remember reading from someone who shall remain nameless that he "doubted there were more than 35 Opel owners!" or some such thing. Perhaps it'll even help put our Opel's "non-entity" status out to pasture.

 

[calvin]

I can see an Ascona done up as a little mob boss Riviera......nah

well well well looks like they don't want to go the Olds and now are all of a sudden looking for friends. Buick dealership support..yeah right... that's a good one. Like the high school you hated and haven't heard from in 29 years deciding you are a worthy alumnus once they found out you had money.

MY first inclination is to tell them to go stuff themselves on the other hand it might be useful. We might end up with a bit more clout and not have to endure the insults like pontiac being chosen as the best import car club like at carlisle this year.

This is sort of like when the pope decided that episcopal's were eligible catholics and were now welcome at mass a couple of years ago. Funny all of a sudden I became a respectable marriage prospect to unwed daughters of the Irish Irish community in SF when weeks before I was a godless protestant who they wouldn't even drink with.

This really is one for the politico's at OMC, as not one of the chosen people from the coast the OMC hasn't done much in the midwest where as the local buick clubs ar quite strong and active.

Still I think the OMC is the club for Opel's and if I could find someone to take my money online I might join rather than some Riviera organization. Matter a fact the OMC should try to have some sort of rep at the route 66 show which might be host to 15-20 opels to take our money and hand us blitz's (hint hint omc types) otherwise we end up saddled up next to the wildcats.


c

 

[tekenaar]

Calvin, Gary,
Good point! Perhaps we should extend an invitation to BCA to become an OMC division!

 

[saxybiker]

We have been invited and attended a couple of the local Buick club invitationals. We were welcomed quite nicely and we thanked them for allowing their "bastard" children to attend.

Vickie

 

[opelwasp]

sorry but I own an OPEL not a Buick. if Buick sold, say Toyotas at the same dealership would they accept them too? im really getting tired of all this inclusiveness in this world, tolerence does get old. i like being an individual. not just another car. next the GM car club will try to "include" the buick club and all others. then theyll include Toyota cause they build them too. so then we'll be one big family, and everybody will be the same just like everbody else. i for one will revolt from "Auto-Socialism". i am weird and different, and i like it that way.

 

[saxybiker]

Yes, Chris, I agree....BUT Toyotas were not sold by Buick. Opels were!

Vickie

 

[opelwasp]

also if we start attending other club events then we will have to adhear to their stadards to restorations and the like. there is much more available for BOP cars that is very close to original. i would hate to go to some car show held by these types and have a perfect restored opel there and it not win anything because it didnt met their criteria of stock or original. go to a Mustang show sometime, it will make you throw up. you have a bunch of judges aguing if the carpet edge in the trunk is rolled the right way or not. and if they cant agree they just dock you for it. arg!

 

[opeljohn]

My first 73 GT was sitting in the window of the Buick dealer in Springfield IL when I bought it. I am surprized they took this long to contact us. Any exposure of the Marque that may get others fixing up Opels is a good thing. If enough people want parts someone will make them. From the sound of the letter we would make the rules for judging our Opels. If it gets more of us together also a good thing.
John

 

[Bosco2]

ugh......Buicks

 

[baronbors]

HEY Gary- Otto, Keith- Whats your opinions? Any exposure is good even if it is with a bunch of Buicks. My God- my ex-wife drives a Buick

 

[neuropel]

I think it's a crock personally. Are they going to include Isuzus too?
First, do you really think more exposure is going to result in any more Opels getting restored or any more parts being available? People are continually opening their eyes to Opels...just LOOK at the membership on this site! I don't see it helping us, and as a matter of fact I like the fact that Opels are viewed as exotics rather than Buicks. How many on this list get the question of "Hey what is that?" and respond, "It's a Buick!". This image could change if we fall under their umbrella. It's much more cool (in my opinion) to be parked next to the Studebakers at an Orphan show than to be next to a bunch of big square 4 door sedans (I know there were some cool Buicks so squelch the flames). Think of the heritage and image of Opel versus that of Buick? Perhaps others can educate me, but I see more heritage in common with our BMW and VW brothers than our American adopted parents (big clunky AC compressors and TH180 trannies aside).
What is the health of the Buick club like? Do they need membership dollars?
Todd K.

 

[Old Hippie]

I have no probs with the Buick folks, as stated before, Opels are German Buicks (so to speak). I do beleive Opels should have some leeway as far as replacement parts. I bought many JC Whitney carpets for Fords and Chevs in my time, without worrying about OEM. At this stage in life, any "suitable sub" for my Opel is OEM. Course, I look at the "looks" and not under the rugs (and I'm a cheap bass-turd also ). BUT! Opels are unique and should be viewed as such.
Just my 2c's

 

[kwilford]

Yes, Chris, I agree....BUT Toyotas were not sold by Buick. Opels were!
Vickie

Well, NUMMI (I think I have that right; New United Motor Manufacturing Inc.) was a joint venture between GM and Toyota in California, and built Chevy Nova's and Toyota Corolla's in the mid or late '80's. Both models were the same, except for the badges. So Chevy sold Corolla's for a few years. Maybe Chevy clubs will invite them as well!

What do I think? I think that Buick (well, GM) effectively abandoned the Opel marque in North America in about 1972, and aside from selling a few token GT's, and some left over Manta's and 1900's (Ascona's) from then until 1975, they would just have soon not. The dealers were downright apathetic, especially with regards to service and parts. I think there is a good reason that BMW/New Mini and Mercedes/Smart are separating their sales efforts, even to the point of having separate buildings. The cars are too different to attract cross-over clients. GM should have done the same thing with Opels in 1970. But that was then, and this is now.

First, the "poor man's Corvette" reference just digs me where I don't like to be dug. This is a typical current sentiment of North American classic car owners towards Opels. Why the heck would a Buick club even want us at their show? Buicks and Opels had nothing in common in 1972, and they have even less today. They don't share parts, & the Buick dealers won't even THINK about ordering parts for Opels. The Buick classic parts network is also totally devoid of any Opel connection.

Frankly, I doubt they really want us, and I can't think of a reason we would want them.

 

[BQS4]

I haven't decided whether this is a good or bad thing, but, I do want to point out, that in reference to the C&D tv spot (some of us still have the .mpg file) that Buick wasn't exactly thrilled to be getting Opels. They were pretty much forced, by GM, to sell them, as the other GM divisions didn't want Opel. I do remember, when you could still walk up to a Buick Dealer and buy an Opel(yes, I'm that old ) that when you came back for service, the Buick owners would give you the impression that you "really" didn't belong there. I'm not starting any 'flames', just remembering the past. Not to say that i ever put down Buicks, the GS series, the GN, the GNX, the full sized "Sportwagon" (Buick's version of the Olds Vista Cruiser) are all favorites of mine.

 

[Marc]

I don't own a Buick. I own an Opel.

But in the spirit of "can't we all just get along?" I think that this has potential in helping our Opeling in the future.

I actually see an opportunity that rather than just going to Carlisle in the import show, we may have a second opportunity to join the Buicks when they get shown at Carlisle (or any other show were we couldn't get into before)

Thanks to all the level headed Opelers who helped me change my views.

Marc

 

[jlthunder]

I'm on the fence with this. Back in 1980, when I got my first Manta, I went to the local Buick/Opel dealer for parts(which still had an Opel sign on the Building), they pretty much told me to "pound sand" when it was for Opel Parts. I was pretty upset since I needed a "grill" for my Manta. For the next 6 years, the only body or "dealer parts" I could get was from a Junk yard. On the other hand, when I am at car shows, most buick people are very nice. I haven't run into the "purists" which will scoff at you when you use a different grade of bolt on the engine, but I go to fun shows, not competitions.

I say we give it a try and gracefully bow out if we find it doesn't mesh with our general openess. just my 2c's worth.

 

[Bosco2]

I am also old enough to have owned an Opel (73 Manta) when Buick sold and serviced them. I still remember going to the dealership and being treated as a second-class citizen and getting less than their full effort on any request. It was a long time ago and I still avoid Buick showrooms and would even if they offered any viable products, which they don't. Thats how bad it was.....for those who never experienced it or have somehow forgotten.

 

[tekenaar]

HMMMMMMM!! All I can say is WOW . . . quite a few responses in a short period of time. Guess most of us oldies still harbor a grudge for the "second-class-citizenship handling" we received from most Buick dealers at the time.

 

[N61WP]

How goofy of a decision was it for GM to pick Buick as the dealer network to use for Opel? I'd like to know what the rational for that was. Talk about incompatible! Chevrolet would have made a much better choice.

Anyone remember what year it was when GM did this?

jc