Opel · 1970–1988

Opel Manta

The Opel Manta is a car which was built by German manufacturer Opel in two generations from 1970 to 1988. The Manta was a mildly sporting coupé based on the Ascona family car, competing with cars such as the Ford Capri. The Manta remained rear-wheel drive for both generations and also saw certain competition success. Its name comes from the manta ray. The first generation only has a two-door body style, whilst the second generation added a three-door hatchback alongside the two-door variant.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Opel GT · Successor: Opel Calibra

All Opel Manta data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years → + Compare

Manta A (1970–1975)

The Manta A was released in September 1970, two months ahead of the then new Opel Ascona on which it was based. A competitor to the Ford Capri, it was a two-door "three-box" coupé, and featured distinctive round tail lights, quite similar to those on the Opel GT and which in fact were used on the GT in 1973, its final model year. It took its name, and a few minor styling cues, from the Manta Ray concept car (1961), which also famously influenced the 1968 Chevrolet Corvette C3 (both Chevrolet and Opel had General Motors as their parent company). 498,553 Manta As were built from 1970 until 1975. In the UK market, the first Manta was sold only as an Opel: there was no Vauxhall-branded Manta (or Ascona) until after the launch, in 1975, of the Manta B1 and Ascona B as the Mark 1 Cavalier coupe and sports hatch (Manta) and saloon (Ascona). The Vauxhall and Opel models were subsequently sold side by side. (In the UK the Ford Capri niche was contested, with only limited success, by Vauxhall's Firenza, based on the ageing Vauxhall Viva until 1975.) The Manta was normally equipped with a 1.6 or a 1.9-litre CIH engine, although in continental Europe, a small, 1.2-litre, motor was also offered. In the United States, only the largest, 1.9-litre, engine was offered. The Manta came with either a four-speed manual or a three-speed TH-180 automatic. The Manta went on to win a large number of rallies in Europe and the United States. The European market had a number of different versions. Most were basic trim packages, the most popular being the "Berlinetta", which was similar to the Luxus but included rubber trim on the bumpers (standard on all 1973 US Opel Mantas), vinyl roof, and other miscellaneous features. The one exception was the 1975 Opel, which offered the GT/E and a number of s

Manta B (1975–1988)

The second car to use the Manta name was launched in August 1975. This two-door "three-box" car was mechanically based directly on the then newly redesigned Opel Ascona, but the overall design was influenced by the 1975 Chevrolet Monza. The Manta had more "sporty" styling, including a droop-snoot nose not seen on the Ascona, which was similar to the UK equivalent of the Ascona, the Cavalier Mk1. The Vauxhall equivalent of the Manta was the Cavalier Mk1 Sports Hatch and Cavalier Mk1 Coupe. Up until 1981, Vauxhall models were sold in continental Europe alongside Opel in 11 countries, resulting in the Vauxhall Cavalier Mk1 Sports Hatch and Coupe, as well as the saloon equivalent of the Ascona B, competing against each other. Available engines included the small 1.2-litre OHV engine, the 1.6-litre CIH and the 1.9-litre CIH. Also in 1976, the GT/E engine from the Manta A series was adapted into the Manta B programme spawning the GT/E Manta B series. In 1979 the GT/E had the engine replaced with the new 2.0-litre CIH and Bosch L-Jetronic injection system. Power output was now 110 PS (81 kW). The 1.9-litre engine gave way to the 2.0 litre S engine which was aspirated by a Varajet II carburettor. This engine was the most used engine by Opel at the time, and was to be found in several Opel Rekord cars as well. Opel also offered a dealer-installed tuning kit for the fuel-injected engine, promising at least 125 PS (92 kW) thanks to a modified camshaft, valve lifters, and exhaust system. The B series Manta had 165R13 tyres on 5" wide or 185/70R13 tyres on 5.5" or 6" wide 13" wheels. In 1977, a three-door hatchback version appeared to complement the existing two-door booted car. This shape was also not unique, being available on the Vauxhall Cavalier Sports Hatch variant. Facelift (

Convertible versions

Vauxhall, from 1978 until 1979, offered the Cavalier Coupe in convertible format called the Centaur. Only 118 of these were made and fewer than thirty are believed to survive as of 2007. About a quarter of these conversions were built using a Manta, rather than Vauxhall basis. The cars were developed by Magraw Engineering and sold through Vauxhall dealerships on behalf of Crayford Engineering.

Sources and further reading

== External links == Vauxhall Cavalier and Chevette Club - The Club for Cavalier, Chevette, Opel Manta's, Opel Ascona's and Opel Kadett's. www.mantaclub.org Opel Manta Owners Club UK Archived 18 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Opel Manta

Manufacturer

Opel

Production

1970–1988

Assembly

Germany: Rüsselsheim

Successor

Opel Calibra

Class

Sports car

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q918043CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_MantaCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1372670765 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Opel_belgian.JPGCC0 · Photo: AlfvanBeem · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

More from Opel