The Opel Kadett E was introduced in August 1984 as the sixth generation of the Opel Kadett , and was voted the 1985 European Car of the Year . As with its predecessor, it was sold as the Vauxhall Astra in the United Kingdom . This model was also developed into a more conventional three-box design with a boot (trunk), badged as the Vauxhall Belmont in the United Kingdom, launched at Frankfurt Motor Show in 1985. There was a station wagon called the "Caravan", available with either three or five doors. In South Africa, the Kadett notchback was sold as the Opel Monza , along with a convertible. This replaced the Opel Ascona .
41-504: The car was noted for its advanced aerodynamics and distinctive "teardrop" shape - mirroring the trend in the mid 1980s for swooping aerodynamic styling - with the front end styling taken directly from the Opel Tech 1 concept car of 1981, although some styling cues from the Kadett D were retained for continuity such as its ' Kamm tail ' and oversized C-pillar extraction vent. A convertible version
82-497: A Milan -based small external design office, Bertone Design, more focused on industrial design and architecture. Bertone Design was sold to the group AKKA Technologies in the second quarter of 2016, which already had automotive design activities through Mercedes-Benz Technologies. The AKKA Technologies group subsequently sold the Bertone brand in 2020 to Mauro and Jean-Franck Ricci, the new owners. In 2022, Mauro and Jean-Franck Ricci revived
123-668: A Kadett 2.0 Sport was introduced as the Astra was no longer offered. Originally the Chevrolet Kadett looked identical to the early German version with the grille integrated to the bumper, but in 1996, the Kadett received a facelift with a separately inserted grille, at which time the Ipanema was discontinued. In April, the GLS version was reintroduced. The Kadett was manufactured in Brazil until 1998, although
164-576: A facelift for 1989 the old style was adopted for Brazil. While the Ipanema clearly succeeded the Chevette-based Marajó station wagon, production of the Chevette (by now in sedan form only, the hatchback having been discontinued after the 1987 model year) and Kadett overlapped by several years; the newer model was placed above the old one in Chevrolet's lineup. While Chevrolet entertained the possibility of
205-453: A limited-slip differential developed by Andre Verwey, F20 short ratio transmission and special Aluett 7Jx15-inch ET35 alloy wheels, they were nicknamed the "Superboss" and held the world record for the most torque per litre (114 Nm per litre) for a naturally aspirated production car until being beaten by the Ferrari 458 (117 Nm per litre) in 2009. In Brazil, the Kadett E succeeded some versions of
246-703: A new plant was opened near the Monginevro 119 in Turin. Twenty people were on the payroll. One year later, a contract on a torpedo -styled body based on the SPA 23S chassis was signed by the company. Then, the FIAT "501 Sport Siluro Corsa" was designed. During the 1920s, Giovanni Bertone began doing bodywork on the Fast, Chiribiri, Aurea, SCAT, and Diatto chassis. Vincenzo Lancia nicknamed him "Bertunot"; he commissioned Bertone to create cars for
287-498: A pick-up version of the Kadett E, it never materialized. Originally the Kadett was available with a 1.8 or a 2.0 liter engine, shared with the Ascona -based Chevrolet Monza. The 1.8 has 95 PS (70 kW) and the 2.0 ( gasohol -powered only) 110 PS (81 kW). The original versions were SL, SL/E, and GS, with the GS sporting 14 inch alloys and body-coloured bumpers. With a Cx of 0.30,
328-552: A six-month process. The Conversivel was only available with the same 2.0-litre multi-point electronic injection engine with 121 PS (89 kW) which was installed in the GSi. In 1990, as a tie-in with the Italia '90 World Cup , the "Kadett Turim" ( Turin ) was offered. The Ipanema was also sold in three special editions: the Wave, Sol, and Flair. These were offered in 1992, 1993, and 1994. In 1994,
369-424: A suitable buyer was not found by the end of April. In May 2013, the license rights to the brand were granted by Bertone Cento to Bertone Design. They also formed a partnership with Citroën , but since the 2013 acquisition of the name, a car prototype or series was never made. In June 2016, the Bertone brand was acquired for more than € 2.6 million by AKKA Technologies, an engineering company. The rights to use
410-681: A tribute to the company's founder, the Maserati Khamsin and the Fiat X1/9 were released. Based on the Fiat 128 chassis but with a mid-rear-engine layout, the X1/9 was in production from 1972 to 1988, with 160,000 units manufactured. The company also began working for Volvo on the 264 TE . The Volvo 262C was presented at the 1977 Geneva Motor Show . From the start of the 1980s, the Fiat Ritmo Cabrio and
451-764: A workforce of 1,500 staff, and the Grugliasco factory covered an area of 267,000 square metres (2,870,000 sq ft). The partnership with Lamborghini led to the development of the Lamborghini Espada . The design was inspired by the Jaguar Pirana . After his initial success with the Espada, he went on to design the Lamborghini Jarama and the Lamborghini Urraco . In 1972, Giovanni Bertone died. In that year, as
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#1732869123057492-777: The Chevrolet Chevette and was introduced as the Chevrolet Kadett , with the station wagon version called the Chevrolet Ipanema . The latter had three doors until the 1993 model year when five doors became mandatory. The hatchback was only available with three doors, and the sedan was never offered. Brazilian production of the hatchback commenced in April 1989, with the Ipanema being added in September. The original Opel Kadett E had been introduced late in 1984, and after it had received
533-505: The Fiat 850 Spider . The commercial success of this model led Nuccio Bertone to increase the company's production capacity to 120 units per day. Between 1965 and 1972, nearly 140,000 were produced, the great majority of which were sold in the United States. With the Fiat 850, the company increased its production volumes, from 13,000 units produced in 1966 to nearly 30,000 in 1968. At the end of
574-844: The Iso Rivolta GT 340 , and the Iso Grifo were also created in the 1960s. Giorgetto Giugiaro designed a prototype cabriolet of the latter and a racing version known as the A3C. The Grifo years were also the years of the Chevrolet Testudo , driven personally by Nuccio Bertone to the Geneva Motor Show in 1963. The following year, they created the Alfa Romeo Canguro , followed in 1965 by the Alfa Romeo Giulia GT . In 1965, Bertone launched
615-631: The Lancia Aprilia Cabriolet, the Fiat 1100 Stanguellini racing car, and the Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica (BAT) concept cars. In 1956, they produced the Abarth 750 Record ; it was built on a Fiat 600 chassis and tested on the high-speed track at Monza . Abarth 750 Record sets ten world records, including doing 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi) at an average of 156.36 km/h and covering 10,125.26 km in 72 hours. In 1957,
656-781: The "limited series". Giovanni Bertone produced torpedo and saloon bodies for FIAT and Lancia and for Itala , Diatto , and SPA . Alongside sports models like the 1928 Ansaldo 6BS, Giovanni Bertone also designed cars like the Fiat 505 limousine and the Itala 51S , both in 1924. He later designed the Lancia Lambda VIII Series in 1928. In 1932, Giovanni designed the Lancia Artena , which was produced until 1936. In 1933, Nuccio Bertone officially began working in his father's company. The company moved to Corso Peschiera 225. Gruppo Bertone now had fifty members of staff. In 1934, Bertone created
697-831: The 1960s, they formed a partnership with Ferruccio Lamborghini . The first vehicle to come out of this was the Lamborghini Miura . The Miura was followed by the Marzal in 1967 and the Espada in 1968. In the same period, two other coupés appeared: the Alfa Romeo Montreal and the Fiat Dino Coupé , both out in 1967. At the Paris Motor Show of 1968, Bertone presented the Carabo concept car, based on an Alfa 33 chassis. By 1970, Bertone had
738-588: The 1986 Opel Omega – most evidently its front-end styling. The Tech 1's wheel design entered into mass production as an alloy wheel option on top-spec models of the Opel Rekord E2/Vauxhall Carlton . All controls were push buttons; only the steering wheel , gear lever and foot controls were conventional. Gruppo Bertone 45°27′47″N 9°10′21″E / 45.4631558°N 9.172412°E / 45.4631558; 9.172412 Gruppo Bertone , commonly known as Bertone ,
779-716: The Bertone brand. The first in a series of limited edition vehicles, the GB110 , was presented in December 2022, then unveiled in June 2024. Giovanni Bertone started a carriage manufacturing business in Turin, Italy , at the age of 28. Along with three workers, he built horse-drawn vehicles . In 1914, Bertone's second son, Giuseppe , nicknamed "Nuccio", was born. The outbreak of the First World War forced Giovanni Bertone to close his company. In 1920,
820-479: The Fiat 527S Ardita 2500. With the outbreak of the Second World War , Bertone reacted to the crisis by turning to manufacturing military vehicles. The company created vehicles such as the Bertone ambulance on a Lancia Artena base. The chassis Fiat 2800 cabriolet was manufactured; it was built on commission for race driver and motoring journalist Giovanni Lurani Cernuschi . Nuccio Bertone also created cars like
861-761: The Fiat X1/9 were produced and sold directly under the Bertone brand. In 1982, Marcello Gandini turned out the Citroën BX . A new commercial agreement drawn up with General Motors Europe in 1986 saw the production of the Kadett Cabrio handed over to Bertone. In 1993, the Opel Astra Cabrio and the Fiat Punto Cabrio began production. Next year, Bertone presented the Zero Emission Record (ZER); Gruppo Bertone
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#1732869123057902-423: The GS was the most aerodynamic car yet built in Brazil at this time. Along with some minor changes to the gearing and tires in June 1990, the 2.0 was introduced in a petrol version - which was downgraded to 99 PS (73 kW). It is likely that the claimed power was understated, but for tax reasons it was beneficial for Brazilian manufacturers to stay under the 100 horsepower mark at the time. In September 1991,
943-521: The German Kadett was replaced by the Opel Astra, but it continued on in Brazil. When catalytic converters became required, the engines were updated with fuel injection in 1992, and all gained a few horsepower. This was also when the 121 PS (89 kW) 2.0 GSi was added to the lineup, recognizable by a roof-mounted antenna, spoilers, alloys, and clear turn signals in front. For 1993, an automatic option
984-669: The Ipanema ended production earlier as it was replaced by the Corsa Station Wagon (introduced in 1997). Because of emssions regulations, for the last two years the Kadett was only available with the fuel injected 2-liter engine with 110 PS (81 kW). For 1998 only the Kadett 2.0 GLS remained. The Kadett E formed the basis of the Daewoo LeMans (later known as the Daewoo Cielo , Racer and Nexia ) in South Korea , Nexia being
1025-502: The Stannic Group N races. They went against BMW's 325iS (A 2.7 L Alpina homologation special from BMW). They featured more aggressive 276-degree camshafts made by Schrick with 2 different settings for timing overlap (110° and 107°), revised intake and exhaust modifications (4-in-1 branch manifold and freeflow exhaust that eliminated the possibility of air conditioning), Irmscher spring kit, modified engine management system by Promotec,
1066-413: The T Car. The vehicle was designed by Erhard Schnell and foreshadowed some of the design aspects found on production Opel/Vauxhall cars released throughout the 1980s. The design targeted a peak of aerodynamics and reached a drag coefficient of 0.235 c w thanks in part to a panoramic windshield . Some of the car's aerodynamic features made it into production form on both the 1984 Opel Kadett E and
1107-462: The brand, however, were shared with Bertone Design which does not have the authorization to use it in the automotive field. Starting from November 2018, AKKA Technologies sold the license to use the Bertone brand in the electric automotive sector to Flymove Holding Limited UK, which in May 2019 proceeded with the definitive purchase of the brand for all applications and sectors. They relaunched Bertone through
1148-647: The commissioning client; and the others for his personal use, the Aston Martin DB4 GT 'Jet' and the Maserati 5000 GT . At the same time, two new industrial partnerships were worked on with the Simca 1000 Coupé and the BMW 3200 CS limited series. The ASA 1000 GT , better known as the "Ferrarina", or "little Ferrari" (as the project originated with Enzo Ferrari ), was a commercial failure upon its release. The Iso Rivolta GT 300 ,
1189-777: The company expanded to start the production of the NSU Sport Prinz . Construction work began in Grugliasco for a new plant that became operative in 1959 with a workforce of 550. At the end of the 1950s, Bertone created the Giulietta Sprint Speciale , the Aston Martin DB2/4 , and the Maserati 3500 GT . Giorgetto Giugiaro came up with five variations of five GT models: the Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint , in coupé and cabriolet versions; two Ferrari 250 GTs , one named 'Wax' after
1230-461: The company was headed by the widow of Nuccio Bertone, Lilli Bertone. At the time of bankruptcy, it had around 100 direct employees. In 2014, most employees lost their jobs and were not absorbed by following acquisitions. Cars from the company museum went to other museums, like Automotoclub Storico Italiano and Volandia . After its bankruptcy, the Bertone name was acquired by an architect and retained by some of its former employees, who continued as
1271-409: The end of production in 1991. In 1988, a 16-valve twin-cam version was developed for a high-performance GSi/GTE model (the first application of the 20XE "Red Top" engine), yielding 156 PS (115 kW) in non-catalyzed form, six less horsepower with a catalytic converter fitted. While criticized for a lack of refinement, the GSi 16V was also lauded as the most powerful car available in its class at
Opel Kadett E - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-533: The equipment levels SL and SL/E were changed to GL and GLS, in line with other new Brazilian Chevrolet products. In April 1994, for the 1995 model year, the car was updated with a new dashboard and the power window controls were moved from between the seats to the doors. The 1995 GLS and GSi were actually discontinued in 1994, as a lowered import tariff enabled Chevrolet to begin importing Belgian-built Astras . Tariffs again jumped (from 20 to 70%) in February 1995, and thus
1353-458: The fall of 2006, and Cielo was produced until 2007. Opel Tech 1 The Opel Tech 1 Concept was a research vehicle and concept car developed by Opel , which was a subsidiary of General Motors at the time. It was exhibited at the 1981 International Motor Show Germany (IAA) in Frankfurt . The car was based on the fourth-generation Opel Kadett D and used the platform , which was called
1394-711: The hatchback version), which was sold in the United States and New Zealand as the Pontiac LeMans , and in Canada (initially) as the Passport Optima. LeMans sales ended in 1993. The Nexia was produced until 2016 at the UzDaewoo plant in Asaka, Uzbekistan . The Cielo was last being produced at Automobile Craiova , a semi-independent (from GM) plant in Craiova , Romania. Their license expired in
1435-489: The presentation of new models of electric cars designed by Carlos Arroyo Turon (former Bertone Designer) and which use the battery swap system. The AKKA Technologies group subsequently sold the Bertone brand to Ideactive, a company owned by Mauro and Jean-Franck Ricci. In 2022, the two Ricci brothers revived the Bertone brand. The first in a series of limited edition vehicles, the GB110, was launched in December 2022. In June 2024,
1476-647: The rest of Europe badged as Opel Kadetts. There was also a van version with a raised roof, called the Opel Kadett Combo in Europe, and the Bedford Astramax in the United Kingdom. In the early 1990s, South African Kadett GSi 16v's were further upgraded based on their success in production car racing and 500 special units were built as road cars for homologation purposes. This was a minimum requirement for entry into
1517-474: The time. Aside from the "16V" badging, it could be told from an eight-valve GSi by its twin rectangular exhaust pipes. The Kadett E was a grey import in the United Kingdom, but not popular compared to its badge engineered sister, the Vauxhall Astra Mk II. It was never officially sold in Britain, and by 1989, General Motors was only marketing the Vauxhall brand in the United Kingdom, although Astras assembled at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant were exported to
1558-402: Was added and in April 1993, a more practical five-door Ipanema wagon was added to the lineup. The Ipanema also became available with the ethanol-fueled 110 PS (81 kW) 2-litre engine. Between 1991 and 1994 the Cabriolet ("Kadett GSi Conversivel") was also marketed. The body-in-raw was shipped to Bertone in Italy to be turned into a convertible, then returned to Brazil to be finished -
1599-433: Was also available, for the first time in 1987, built by Bertone of Torino, Italy, bringing it to line with competitors, such as the Ford Escort and Volkswagen Golf . For the 1988 model, capacities were raised from 1.3 to 1.4 litres. In the fall of 1986 a new 1,998 cc engine replaced the 1.8 hitherto used on the GSi and Vauxhall Astra GTE in many markets, although the uncatalyzed 1.8 continued to be built for some places until
1640-582: Was also awarded the ISO 9001 quality certification . By 2009, a worsening financial situation caused Bertone to sell its Grugliasco plant, along with its manufacturing activities, to FIAT. Bertone underwent a major restructuring process. By then, the Bertone workforce had dropped to roughly 300 people, mainly engineers and designers. The financial situation continued, prompting Bertone to sell off some of its concept cars in 2011. After having ceased trading because of financial difficulties, Bertone, on 18 March 2014, confirmed that it would be declared bankrupt if
1681-511: Was an Italian industrial design company which specialized in car styling , coachbuilding and manufacturing . It was also a car manufacturing company . The company was based in Grugliasco , northern Italy . Gruppo Bertone was founded as Carrozzeria Bertone in 1912 by Giovanni Bertone . Designer Nuccio Bertone took charge of the company after World War II and the company was divided into two units: Carrozzeria for manufacturing and Stile Bertone for styling. Until its bankruptcy in 2014,