[Sven]

Hi... is there a site where I can read all about this guy? he aparently designed the GT, Manta, Kadett, and even later Rekords.. was head of design at GM.. I searched, and searched but only found very little about him, I'm especialy interested in all the other cars that he's done.
Is he even still alive?
Thanks!

 

[RallyBob]

Hi... is there a site where I can read all about this guy? he aparently designed the GT, Manta, Kadett, and even later Rekords.. was head of design at GM.. I searched, and searched but only found very little about him, I'm especialy interested in all the other cars that he's done.
Is he even still alive?
Thanks!

He's alive and living in southern California last I knew. He has even been know to come out the the OMC (Opel Motorsports Club) picnics on occasion. I was lucky enough to meet him back in 1995 at one of the Opel picnics in California, and he even gave me his business card with home phone #....but I never had the nerve to call him up! Nice guy though, and a wealth of information....

Bob

 

[GTJIM (R.I.P.)]

... he even gave me his business card with home phone #....but I never had the nerve to call him up! Nice guy though, and a wealth of information.... Bob

"Hello, I am Rally Bob - I improve some of the cars you designed!"

Bob, Iam sure he would be delighted to get a call or two from you!

 

[Motor Mouth]

Hi... is there a site where I can read all about this guy? he aparently designed the GT, Manta, Kadett, and even later Rekords.. was head of design at GM.. I searched, and searched but only found very little about him, I'm especialy interested in all the other cars that he's done.
Is he even still alive?

I hate to throw a spanner in the works but can I put two more names in the equation......Claire MacKichan and Erhard Schnell.

As far as I was always aware Chuck Jordan was the Director of Styling but MacKichan sowed the seeds in designing the Monza GT of 1962 and Schnell created the first drafts of, Project 1484 and that became the Opel GT.

Ultimately Jordan provided lead the team but Schnell is possibly the man we should thank.

 

[Gary]

Here is a photo of Murad Nasr taken at the 2000 OMC Picnic. Murad is a retired design engineer from Opel who is now living in CA. He designed the Manta Rallye and was part of the GT design team. It was pretty neat to hear him talk of the design process and how the GT was going to have chrome trim in the wheel wells, but he said it would take too much away from the clean look and they dropped it. (Thank you Murad!)

 

[Motor Mouth]

Slightly off-topic, but those 'Impact' bumpers are aweful, they really spoil the lines of the 'A' series......have any of you seen the photos of the GT's that had them incorperated in attempt to see the GT in production post '73?

 

[Sven]

Slightly off-topic, but those 'Impact' bumpers are aweful, they really spoil the lines of the 'A' series......have any of you seen the photos of the GT's that had them incorperated in attempt to see the GT in production post '73?

I have to agree... that green thing he's leaning on is one hella ugly manta imo.

Soo.. did they design the 70' Camaro too? I'm trying to find another car (preferebly american) that might have some simillarities to the manta due to its common designers.

 

[soybean (R.I.P.)]

Again off topic. I agree with Motor Mouth about the "Impact" bumpers on the 74s and early 75s, But. I "accidentally" rear ended a lady in Raleigh N.C back in 75, not paying enough attention, and came away with just a slightly crumpled hood. The insurance company totaled her car, bent the frame on it, so they said. Repaired mine for $200. So they worked. Saved the front end of my Rallye. Drove it until 89 and she's in the shed now waiting for new floorboards. Jarrell

 

[Motor Mouth]

Soo.. did they design the 70' Camaro too? I'm trying to find another car (preferebly american) that might have some simillarities to the manta due to its common designers.

Might sound daft but have you thought of the Corvette. MacKinchan was heavily involved in the design of the Vette that lead to the Macko-Shark shape which ran until about 1980ish....hence the great number of styling similarities between the Vette and the GT.

This also comes across if you have access to a copy of Project 1484 as in the background of the design house there is a silhouette of a car that looks vey much like the Mako Vette. These pictures are taken as the GT was coming close to production, late 67-early 68, and as the GT was shown as a concept in 65 the question to ask is which came first the Mako concept or the GT Experimental (also refered to as the Opel Rekord GT).....chicken and egg

 

[Rionart]

74-75 US spec bumpers

I was thinking of removing the big bumpers from "Green Eh", my '74 and my Gold '75 which will be my daily driver this summer....then I watched an idiot murder his 1990 Honda Accord last thursday by driving into the side of my trailer (Honda totalled...trailer has a couple of chips in the paint...gotta love 1/4" checkerplate steel for fenders)...so now I'm going to keep the ugly iron in place to give the Mant's a fighting chance in day to day city commuting.
I do however like Bob's solution of reinforcing a chrome bumper and mounting it on the shock mounts to give the best of both worlds...