Opel Manta: From Ascona Coupe to Rally Name

The Opel Manta was a two-generation coupe that Opel built from 1970 to 1988. It shared its foundations with the Ascona family car, took on the Ford Capri and stayed rear-wheel drive throughout its life. This guide follows the car through its engines, its rally history and the limited specials that grew up around it.

What was the Opel Manta?

The Opel Manta was a German two-door coupe built by Opel from 1970 to 1988, in two generations. It was based on the Ascona and competed with the Ford Capri. The first generation was two-door only, while the second added a three-door hatchback alongside the coupe.

The name is a nod to the manta ray, a fitting choice for a low, wide-looking coupe with a sporting outline. The car stayed rear-wheel drive through both generations, and that layout gave it a sporting character that suited both road driving and rally work.

A two-door coupe that Opel sold for more than a decade, then reshaped into one of the most recognisable rally cars of its era.

Where did the Manta A come from?

The Manta A went on sale in September 1970, two months before the Ascona it was closely related to. It was a two-door coupe aimed squarely at the Ford Capri. Opel took its name from the Manta Ray concept car of 1961, which had also influenced the 1968 Chevrolet Corvette C3.

The concept link is a neat piece of history. Chevrolet and Opel both sat under General Motors, so a single design study could shape two different cars in the same era. The Manta A carried a few styling cues from the concept, and that continuity helped give the car its identity.

Its round tail lights were a visual signature. They echoed the Opel GT's design, which used them as late as 1973, the GT's final year.

In Britain the first Manta was badged solely as an Opel until 1975. There, the Capri's rival was Vauxhall's Firenza, which achieved only limited success against the Ford car.

What engines did the Manta use?

The Manta normally used a 1.6 or 1.9-litre CIH engine, with a 1.2-litre motor offered in continental Europe. In the United States only the 1.9-litre engine was sold. Buyers could choose between a four-speed manual and a three-speed TH-180 automatic.

The GT/E used fuel injection on the European 1.9-litre unit, and its performance was impressive for the time. In the Manta B line the GT/E later received a 2.0-litre CIH with L-Jetronic injection, which produced 110 PS (81 kW) in 1979.

US emissions rules steadily reduced the 1.9's output. From 1973 the American engine produced 75 hp (56 kW), down from 90 bhp (66 kW) in Europe, while its compression ratio dropped to 7.2 to 1. By 1975 US models used Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection, and their large aluminium 5 mph bumpers met the crash rules of the period.

The 1982 facelift brought a 1.8-litre Family II engine borrowed from the Ascona C. It could manage 14 km per litre, or 7.1 L/100 km, and it ran on unleaded fuel, making the car far more economical to run than its predecessors.

What was the Manta 400?

The Manta 400 was a rally-spec car developed from 1979, using a Cosworth 16-valve head and a body reworked by Irmscher. The first 23 cars left the factory in 1981, and 245 were produced in total to meet the homologation rules set by FISA.

The engine story was complicated. The first idea, a 2.0-litre engine with the Cosworth head, did not make enough power. The team ended up with a 2.4-litre block carrying the 16-valve head, which gave a strong output and plenty of room for rally tuning.

The Phase 1 cars were luxury street versions, and the Phase 2 car went further. It produced 230 PS (169 kW) using 48 mm DCOE carburettors, a major step beyond the first cars and a clear sign of the rally ambitions behind the project.

How did the i-series cars build on the 400?

Irmscher used the Manta 400's work to create a family of i-models. The i200 was a GSi-based car that borrowed much of the 400's look, and about 700 were made. The i240 used a 400 engine block with a normal eight-valve cast-iron head, and only 300 were built.

The 400's engine work shows how Opel's engineers and their partners pushed a production block toward race output, and the result is still prized by collectors today. The i240 was first shown at the 1985 Geneva Motor Show, where it made 136 PS (100 kW; 134 hp) and was credited with 200 km/h (124 mph). Its output sat between the i200 and the full-blooded 400, which made it a useful middle step for buyers who wanted more than a standard GSi.

The i300 represented the top of the Irmscher line. Its 3.0-litre LE-Jetronic engine came from the Monza and Senator models and delivered 176 PS (129 kW). It reached 100 km/h in 8.4 seconds and topped out at 220 km/h (137 mph), which made it the most powerful Manta B offered to the public.

What were the TE2800 and Turbomanta?

The TE2800 and the Turbomanta were specials built outside the core Opel programme. The TE2800 fitted a 2.8-litre six from the Commodore, and 79 were sold through Steinmetz, while the Turbomanta was a turbocharged 1.9 limited to 33 cars. The TE2800 produced 142 PS (104 kW) from two Zenith carburettors.

It reached 0-60 mph in 7.6 seconds and had a top speed of 207 km/h (129 mph), which made it the fastest Manta A ever built. Few examples remain today, since many went into rally and motorsport use.

The Turbomanta used a Holset turbocharger and a carburettor in a large plenum chamber, producing 156 bhp (116 kW) at a compression ratio of 7.6 to 1. Five of the 33 cars were prototypes, and the project was costly, so Opel closed it after that initial run.

How did the Manta B change in 1975?

The second Manta reached the market in August 1975. Its mechanics came directly from the newly redesigned Ascona, while its styling drew on the 1975 Chevrolet Monza. The Manta B also had a droop-snoot nose that the Ascona lacked, and a three-door hatchback joined the range in 1977.

The Manta B was offered with a 1.2-litre OHV engine, a 1.6-litre CIH and a 1.9-litre CIH. The Manta A's GT/E engine found its way into the Manta B in 1976, and a 2.0-litre GT/E with fuel injection followed later.

The 1982 facelift added a plastic nose spoiler, GT/E and GSi sideskirts, a small rear wing and four air intakes on the grille. The GT/E became the GSi from 1983, though the UK kept the GT/E name for its version.

When did the Manta end, and what replaced it?

Opel stopped building the Manta B in 1988, and from 1986 onward only the GSi version remained in production outside the UK. Its successor, the Calibra, was launched in 1989 and carried the Vauxhall badge in Britain, while other markets knew it as an Opel.

In 1986 General Motors began work on a successor, even though the affordable coupe market had softened. Japanese rivals such as the Honda Prelude and Toyota Celica were gaining popularity, and Audi had done well in the sector since the Coupe Quattro arrived in 1980, and the Manta's own sales had been falling for some time.

How did the Manta fare in the United States?

The Manta A reached US showrooms for the 1971 model year, with Opels sold by GM through Buick dealers. The American line-up leaned on the 1.9-litre engine, and emissions rules cut its output by 1973. Imports ended in 1975, which closed the marque's direct US chapter.

The sales approach differed from Europe. Opel was one of only a few models sold in the United States, which kept the Manta a niche product there. US cars also carried a larger radiator as standard, and the 1974 and 1975 bumpers were built to crash rules.

Sales dropped because the car's performance had fallen behind its styling. The Isuzu-built Gemini that followed under the Opel by Isuzu badge shows how far the brand's US presence had been reshaped by the mid-1970s.

Was the Manta successful in rallying?

Yes. The Manta took rally wins across Europe and the US, and the Manta 400 was built to meet FISA homologation rules. Its rally programme began in 1979, when Opel started work on a rally-spec car using the Ascona B and the Manta B as bases.

Irmscher and Cosworth shared the work on the 400, and the cars left the factory as street cars and as tuned rally machines. The rally story shows how a sensible family coupe could be reshaped into a competitive tool when the right partners were involved.

Its rear-wheel drive layout and balanced handling made it a useful rally tool, and the record of its results shows how well the basic design held up under competition. That competition reputation outlasted many of the showroom cars that wore the badge.

Opel Manta specifications at a glance

The table below collects the core figures for both generations and the main specials. Where a figure belongs to a particular engine, trim or special model, the table names it, so the GT/E, Manta 400 and TE2800 details do not blend together.

Frequently asked questions

How many Mantas were built?

Opel built 498,553 Manta As from 1970 to 1975. The Manta 400 totalled 245 units, the i200 around 700, and the i240 300. Those rally and special figures were a small part of the wider story.

What did the Turbomanta produce?

The Turbomanta produced 156 bhp (116 kW) from a turbocharged 1.9-litre engine, and the total run was 33 cars. Five of those were prototypes, and the rest went out as production cars.

Was the Manta sold in the United States?

Yes, from late 1970, aimed at the 1971 model year. US sales were handled through Buick dealers, and Opel imports ended in 1975, after which the Opel badge vanished from American showrooms in 1979.

What was the Blue Max?

The Blue Max was a 1973 US-only special edition, a blue Luxus model with a dark blue vinyl roof, a sunroof and an automatic transmission. It was the only special edition Manta produced for the US market.