Opel Kadetts from the 1960s in decent condition are a rare find in the U.S., the vast majority of them used up and tossed away long ago. A nice one seen at a car show these days will attract an appreciative crowd.
These basic little cars were fairly popular in their day, with perky styling that looked like a scaled-down Chevy II and good drivability, but they never achieved much collector car status.
The Pick of the Day, a 1968 Opel Kadett station wagon, is a rarity not only to have survived but because it has been immaculately restored by an obvious Opel enthusiast. As they say, whatever car that ever was will have some network of fans and a club dedicated to it.
In bright red with a black interior, this Kadett looks as if it just rolled out of the Buick-Opel dealership where it most likely was originally purchased. Someone apparently loved this quirky car and did everything to make it like new again. Definitely a lucky little Kadett.
“Multiple best-in-show and first-place award winner,” touts the Oakland, California, dealer advertising the Opel on ClassicCars.com. “You won’t find a better one. Nut-and-bolt restoration to the best standard.”
The very-brief ad description is lacking in detail, so we don’t know much about the restoration, the car’s history or where it received its multitude of awards. The paint and chrome look flawless in the photos with the ad, as does the interior.
Simple and lightweight, Opel Kadetts were best appreciated by those who enjoyed such things as VW Beetles, which by then were a mainstay on American roads. Kadetts were a bit more refined, though they ran with the same crowd.
Power was derived from a high-revving 1.1-liter inline-4 that churned either 55 or 60 horsepower, depending on its setup, linked with a 4-speed manual transmission. This Kadett seems to have the more-powerful engine, according to the ad.
The asking price is $23,500, which seems kind of steep, but try to find another Kadett in this kind of condition. Probably be a long search.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
I owned a 1969 Kadett and a 1971 Opel GT. Now those (GT) are rare also and hard to find.
i had a 1969 opel kadett wagon in silver. my friends had never even heard of one. i loved it
I owned a ’69 in red it was a great little car. Nobody else I knew had one or had heard of them. It was awesome.
I knew the original restorer of this car, Bud Joyner (RIP) . This car won Best in Show for the OANA gathering at the Carlisle Import show, as well as numerous other shows. He was a tremendous restorer as well as a great friend. The Opel community misses him a lot.
This was my grandfathers car. I grew up around him restoring this vehicle as well as going to car shows in it. He has since unfortunately passed away. I miss this car. I hope whoever owns it now is taking great care of it!
Hi. Can someone please give an indication of what a 1968 Opel Kadett Coupe is worth
The Kadett is worth between $2,500 and $6,150 depending on condition, according to the NADA value guide.
I drove an Open Kadett that looked exactly like this back in the early 1990s.
My new spouse and I bought a new one of these in 1968, but it was the green one; and we were expecting- Laurie was four months with our 3rd.
We couldn’t afford a Volvo.
I was hired in June of ’66 to work for PT&T, at $98/week.
We enjoyed our Kadett. But three kids and our dog Panda Bear it was too small.
We next bought a VW camper bus with a pop-top.