Closing date June issue -> April 21
Opel Kadett C (1979). A beautiful car for Klaas
A story about a beautiful classic, a 100% car, this Opel Kadett C. Beautifully designed with a low seat beltline and ample glass, ample seating space, and a trunk that deserves to be seen. It combines fuel economy and space with excellent handling; reliable and built for many miles. Just as Opel intended in the late seventies.
The history
Knowing the history is important. For Klaas, that's the foundation for telling the story and sharing it with us. The history isn't limited to a single owner, but it is remarkably complete. Everything is known and documented. We're happy to entrust his own words to paper, or to the digital highway.
A dive into the past
Klaas: "The Opel Kadett C is from September 1979. It's one of the last examples of the C series, shortly before the introduction of the Kadett D in the fall of 1979. For the first nine years, it was owned by the Bonte family in Gouda. After being traded in, it found a warm spot in the Opel dealer's showroom in Gouda, where it remained from 1988 to 1999. After the bankruptcy, many of the cars were acquired by the Opel dealer Wouda in Dokkum.
The Opel was made roadworthy again and sold to a resident of De Westereen. He was an extremely serious man who only used the car in good weather. Rain was forbidden; in that case, the car remained under a blanket in the garage. For the past six years, the car has only seen the sun at my classic car shows and events.
Technically, everything fits. The Opel Kadett C was built from 1973 to 1979 and was the last Kadett with rear-wheel drive. Its successor, the Kadett D, switched to front-wheel drive. This example thus marks the end of an era. A classic, mechanically honest Opel with a front engine and rear-wheel drive.
Charming classic
It's a charming classic that spontaneously brings a smile to people's faces. It's in its original condition, exactly as it left the Bochum factory; well, almost, because Klaas fell for the sportier SR wheels. The Kadett C was available as a two- and four-door sedan, a coupe, and a three-door station wagon (Caravan). General Motors positioned the model as a global car: it rolled off the production lines in several countries and formed the basis for various international variants within the GM group.
A wonderful Opel Kadett C
For Klaas, it's a perfectly healthy classic, mechanically flawless, and extremely authentic. A paragon of classic driving pleasure. The chrome and paint still shine, even after almost half a century. The car belongs to Opel enthusiasts and the enthusiast community, and is naturally priceless to its owner.
With this classic German sedan, criticism is actually superfluous; admiration is more appropriate. Kudos to Klaas, then. A healthy dose of enthusiasm is just what's needed to keep this kind of Opel heritage going.
(Below are some more pictures.)
My father bought a yellow two-door Kadett C 1200 sedan in the early 1980s, which he drove many kilometers with.
At some point, something broke in the gearbox, so first and third gears were no longer used; however, the engine was so powerful that pulling away in second gear was no problem at all!
The C-Kadett war in meiner Ansicht nachre wahre VOLKSWAGEN. A stimulating car. Comfortable, easy to navigate with good health and enjoyment. The technology was a success. The Einstellen der Ventile ein Genuss.
My father was a soldier. When we moved from Germany to Roosendaal in 1974, he traded his Ascona A for a green Kadett C-1, license plate 39-FA-44. He then bought a blue Kadett C-2 with "TH" in the license plate. He drove an OPEL for over 50 years and even had a photo of it in the newspaper—nice of OPEL. I've also mainly driven OPELs and currently own a 2021 Grandland, a 2007 Astra TwinTop, and a 1979 Kadett C City.
I've owned three C Kadetts as a hobby, and I've always enjoyed them immensely. The first was a bronze-colored C1 automatic, which was completely destroyed after a collision. The second was a fast 1900 coupe with fuel injection and a five-speed gearbox. It drove way too fast and drank gasoline.
After a year, I bought a beautiful orange 1200 automatic. I enjoyed it for over 12 years. Then I sold it because it was getting too old. I still miss it.
You're forgetting the three-door City.
The City was an emergency measure due to the unexpected popularity of the VW Golf, which made the placid Opel nervous.
The C Kadett was designed on the floorpan of the B Kadett, with the Beetle in mind as a competitor.
The rapidly popular Golf was a harsh wake-up call to which they had no answer.
The City was therefore an emergency measure (which in retrospect turned out to be a good thing) to be able to offer something similar, after all, the Kadett with rear-wheel drive was technically outdated at the time.
The next generation Kadett, the D, was therefore designed somewhat hastily and not Opel's best model.
They made up for that with the E. (experience gained and more time to develop)