Hard to believe, but in the early ’70s, two-door coupes were a thing in the Philippines, with buyers spoilt for choice of different models waiting to be driven off showroom floors. A selection of the cars on offer were the Datsun 180B from Universal Motors, Ford offered you the Escort Mk 1, Delta Motors would try to sell you the Toyota Corolla KE27, the Dodge Colt was Chrysler Pilipinas’ offering, and from General Motors, the Opel Manta A—proudly assembled by the Yutivo Corporation at their Penafrancia assembly plant in Paco, on what is now Peninsula Garden Homes.
The Opel Manta A was conceived to rival Ford’s very popular Capri, and was designed by the legendary Chuck Jordan of the 1959 and 1960 Cadillac Eldorado fame, who took inspiration from the General Motors 1961 Manta Ray concept car. The shark-nose-like front end with its distinctive four round headlights and long hood, matches perfectly with the coupe’s sleek fastback design. Finishing off the rear, you will find a small ducktail lip spoiler integrated into the trunk lid and four round taillights reminiscent of a C3 Corvette or Opel GT of the same era.
Globally, the Opel Manta A was available with either a 1.2-liter, 1.6-liter, or a 1.9-liter four-cylinder cam-in-head (CIH) engine. Cars in the Philippine market were of the 1900S variant, therefore they had the 1.9-liter engine that produced 89hp at 5,100 rpm and 145Nm of torque at 3,600rpm, and flowed through a four-speed manual transmission which drove the rear wheels. It may not sound like much, but keep in mind this was in 1970, and a bone-stock Manta A weighed under a ton, so this lightweight front-engine, rear- wheel drive layout provided a near 50/50 weight distribution.
Contributing to its reputation and agility, the front suspension featured double wishbones, coil springs, tubular shock absorbers, and a stabilizer bar, while at the rear, a solid axle was supported by trailing arms, coil springs, tube shocks, and a panhard rod for lateral stability. Steering was handled by a manual rack and pinion, while the 950kg car was stopped by power-assisted solid discs up front and drums in the rear.
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Seeing a Manta A on Philippine Roads today is a very rare sight, more so seeing one in this condition. The 1972 model featured here today underwent an older restoration and has been extensively modified during the process, and fitted with rare parts and accessories that would be period correct for a car of this era. Starting with a relatively rust-free chassis, the entire body was stripped and stitch-welded, then a chromoly roll cage was welded in for maximum stiffness before coats of Porsche Carrara White paint were sprayed on.
In those days, a lot of attention was put into generating more power, and this Manta is no exception. Using a brand-new old stock engine block, displacement was increased to 2.0 liters using 95mm pistons, and the entire rotating assembly was blueprinted and balanced. The cylinder head was ported and polished with bigger valves that are now actuated by an original Opel GT/E camshaft. Instead of the original single Solex carburetor, fuel metering duties are now handled by two twin choke Weber 45 DCOE side-draft carburetors, while exhaust gases flow through an OEM Opel sprint exhaust manifold. While there are no official output figures available, power is estimated to be in the vicinity of 130hp to 140hp.
Instead of the standard four-speed transmission, power now flows through an ultra-rare ZF S5-18/3 close-ratio Opel 5-speed synchromesh gearbox—complete with a heavier-duty clutch and the all-important dog-leg shift pattern used in competition applications.
Upgrades to the suspension include custom Lenk coil springs, which lowered the car by 30mm, Koni adjustable shock absorbers, and polyurethane bushings. Modern touches like high-performance brake pads and stainless steel brake lines were used at all four corners to ensure safety. Finally, period (and Opel) correct 13-inch ATS wheels fitted with 205/60-13 tires to complete that ’70s look.
Inside it is kept pretty much original, as cutting up factory interior parts would seem sacrilege in a car this rare, so modifications were minimum. Aside from the aforementioned roll cage, interior upgrades include Recaro N-Joy seats, a complete set of VDO and Veglia Borletti gauges, a four-point safety harness, and a Momo “Jackie Stewart” steering wheel.
Starting up the cold 2.0-liter is an event in itself. Turning the key lights up the ignition, and starts the rapid clicking of the electric fuel pump. Eventually, the clicking subsides to signify the float bowls of the Webers are filled, so it’s time to ‘pump the gas’ a few times and twist the key. After a few turns, the engine comes to life, and the intake sound of the unfiltered Webers just grabs you. It is throaty, loud, and aggressive at low RPMs, progressing to a raw mechanical induction scream at full throttle. It is, in my opinion, one of the greatest sounds an automobile can produce.
The unassisted steering is heavy, especially with sticky DOT tires and the smaller diameter steering wheels fitted to this, while clutch engagement is smooth. The gear changes of the competition spec transmission are positive and short.
First gear is very short, just meant to get you moving, so a shift to second is quickly needed. From then on, be prepared to be constantly shifting between second and fifth gear—a basic characteristic of a close-ratio competition gearbox. This car is fast and gets up to highway speeds quickly, but one cannot help think that you feel faster than you are actually going, a sensation brought about by the glorious intake and exhaust sounds.
The ride of this lowered Manta A is stiff and can get a bit uncomfortable on all but the smoothest roads, but the handling is excellent with good balance. The rack and pinion steering is sharp but remains heavy even when driving at speed, while making a three-point turn definitely requires some effort. Stopping that car from normal highway speeds was a non-issue as the small disc and drums were up to the task, but I feel that stopping from higher speeds will entail some modifications to get the job done right.
Overall, driving the Manta A was an enjoyable experience, bringing back memories of how our parents and uncles modified their cars. Back in the days, tuning a car for power meant port and polished heads, fitting a bigger camshaft, tubular headers with free flow exhaust, and Weber carburators tuned by an expert with a box of jets by his side—no laptops or bigger turbos needed. With over half a million sold worldwide from 1970 to 1975, the Opel Manta A proved quite popular due in part to its good looks and excellent handling. Today, collectors have begun to appreciate this underrated German classic that is getting rarer through the years, and global prices have begun to reflect the increased interest in this model.
Engine: 2.0-liter four-cylinder eight-valve petrol
Transmission: ZF S5-18/3 Opel five-speed
Power: 130hp to 140hp (estimate)
Drivetrain: Front-engine, rear wheel drive
Front suspension: Double wishbone, coil springs, tube shocks and stabilizer bar
Rear suspension: Solid axle, coil sprints, trailing arms, tube shocks and panhard rod
Seating: Two
