Opel Manta B 1.9S Berlinetta (1977) Driving report: This is how nostalgic Opel's cult coupé drives

Opel hasn't built any other car as long as the Manta B: The sports coupe, featuring Ascona technology, rolled off the assembly line for almost 14 years. As production at the General Motors plant in Antwerp, Belgium, ended after more than half a million Manta Bs had been built, the front-wheel drive Vectra was just coming onto the market – with front-wheel drive and a favorable drag coefficient, it was two generations more modern than the classic coupe.

Today, 50 years after its premiere, a Manta B, like this wonderfully preserved Berlinetta 1.9 S from Opel Classic, delivers a nostalgic driving experience. The cabin is cramped because the body is only 1.67 meters wide, and the seating position is arm-stretched because the steering wheel is not adjustable.

The engine starts at the turn of the key, with a slight vibration that lets you know that fuel is being burned up front. Your right hand naturally falls on the round gear knob of the four-speed transmission. First gear engages cleanly and unmistakably.

Because the 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine kicks in early, the Manta pushes itself powerfully out of the starting blocks, lifting the rear end slightly like all rear-wheel-drive, rigid-axle Opels. Equipped with a Zenith register carburetor, the short-stroke engine produces 90 hp at 4,800 rpm. That's a low rated speed for a gasoline engine—and indeed, the four-cylinder engine is more torquey than rev-happy.

It would go from standstill to 100 km/h in 12 seconds – but that's not what we're aiming for today. The Manta doesn't have to prove its rather mild 165 km/h top speed today either. It's enough to know that a Vectra A with the same power can reach 183 km/h – aerodynamics have come a long way in 14 years.

The chassis is a perfect match for the engine: precise steering, firm feedback, and a rather comfortable ride. This fits the Manta's purpose, which, with its rear seat and large trunk, is suitable for the whole family. Because it's five centimeters lower and 12 centimeters longer than the Ascona, the Manta appears more stretched.

The cockpit, with its plush Berlinetta interior and simple plastic dashboard, exudes a rich 1970s flavor. The few instruments are clearly arranged and perfectly legible. "The layout of the steering wheel, pedals, and all important switches and levers is correct and determined by functionality down to the last detail," auto motor und sport soberly noted in issue 18/1975.

August 1975: Opel presents the Manta B sports coupe and the Ascona B mid-size sedan. Both use the same technology.

August 1976: 1.9 N replaces 1.6 S, Manta symbol on the fender is removed.

August 1977: Manta E and GT/E with 2.0 instead of 1.9 litres displacement and 110 instead of 105 hp.

May 1978: 2.0 N with larger bore and lower compression replaces 1.9 S.

September 1978: Manta CC with large tailgate and folding rear seat.

August 1979: Plastic bumpers replace the chrome bumpers.

1981: The Manta 400 premiered at the Geneva Motor Show. The base model for motorsports featured a 2.4-liter engine with 144 hp, disc brakes on all wheels, and a limited-slip differential. By 1984, 245 units were built – available with either a narrow body or a widebody version.

1982: Model update with a larger front spoiler and four instead of two cooling vents between the headlights. From September, a five-speed transmission was available for the GT/E series and for other Mantas at an additional cost.

February 1983: Rear spoiler for all Manta B.

August 1983: The GT/J, Berlinetta, and 2.0-S engines are discontinued. The Manta is available as a GT and GT/E.

1984: In keeping with the Kadett GSi, the Manta GT/E is now called GSi.

April 1985: GSi Exclusiv with Irmscher package appears: double round headlights, aluminum wheels, three-spoke steering wheel, cover between the taillights, license plate in the rear apron.

August 1987: GT discontinued, GSi available with unregulated catalytic converter and 107 instead of 110 hp.

June 1988: After 557,940 Manta Bs, production at the Antwerp plant ends.