
Story by Johan Dillen • Photography by Dirk De Jager
Unless you’re driving a Porsche, beating a Porsche is the common yardstick in motor racing. In 1971, that’s exactly what the Opel GT did on its first Targa Florio outing thanks to Autotecnica Conrero, a name long associated with Alfa Romeo at the time.
“I have to say, originally Conrero was not convinced there was a race car hidden underneath the GT,” remembers Romano Artioli, now of Bugatti EB 110 fame and at the time a leading Opel dealer in Italy. “Opel was a typical family brand.”
That had to change. “We needed to improve that image in order to consolidate the brand,” Artioli continues. “Helmut Mander winning the hillclimbs at Mendola and Bondone and the European championship in the 1.9-liter Kadett was already a big step forward.
“But with the GT coming, we really needed to establish it in racing as well. I was convinced it would stand a chance against Porsche in its category under the new Group 4 rules. This would have been the boost we needed for the brand. Trouble was, Conrero wasn’t convinced.”