6.3.2006
Opel GT exhibition at Adam Opel House

While the new Opel GT is making its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show, Opel offers a look into the history of its legendary predecessor. The Opel GT exhibition at the Adam Opel House in Rüsselsheim honors the classic car, which gets emotions running high even today.

When Opel presented the GT Experimental concept car at the 1965 Frankfurt Motor Show, no one could have known that they were witnessing the birth of a cult sports car. Praise from the media and public was overwhelming. The official announcement was made the following year – the GT was going to go into production. The rest is history.

Opel is displaying several historic versions of this classic car from March 3 - 29. For the exhibition, the atrium in Adam Opel House has been transformed into a stage covered with bright colors reminiscent of the 1970s. The Experimental GT is on show, as is the GT Aero concept car, an open-top version with a targa roof that never went into production. Another unique model is the GT with diesel engine. In 1972, it set two world records and an array of international records at the Dudenhofen Test Center. Another one-of-a-kind is the Elektro GT, which Georg von Opel drove to several records in 1971. Visitors can learn more about the history of the GT from the display panels and screens at the exhibition. The advertising of the time is also remembered. The GT itself and its advertising slogan "Nur Fliegen ist schöner" ("Only flying is more exciting") have been classics ever since.

The inspiration for the new Opel GT’s design, the sleek Vauxhall VX Lightning concept car, is also on show. The VX Lightning was unveiled at Vauxhall’s 100th anniversary in 2003 and was jointly developed by the Advanced Design Studio in Birmingham, U.K., and the Design Center in Rüsselsheim. This joint project also explains the similarity with the new Opel GT.

The exhibition in Adam Opel House runs from March 3 - 29, and is open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. From April 6- 9, the exhibition will be shown at ‘Techno Classica’, the world’s largest classic car show, in Essen, before moving to the "Opel in Berlin" brand center for three months on April 14.