Produced in 1976, this Opel Manta was built with rallying in mind in Italy in the early 1980’s. Born as a Manta GT/E with a 1.9-litre, four-cylinder engine, the car is fitted with Solex carburetors and a ZF gearbox. Its body was modified for rally use and the interior was completely stripped, fitted with a roll cage, large fuel-cell, and Sparco seats with four-point harnesses. While it spent the majority of its life in Italy, the Opel’s most notable event was its participation in the 1985 Paris-Dakar Rally. Driven by Adriano Fissore and Mauro Pretto, the car was given race number 162.

Like many entrants in that fabled and grueling event, the Fissore, Pretto, and their Opel failed to finished due to an accident sustained in the 1st special stage of the race from Ouargla to El Golea in Algeria. The car was collected by ship and returned to Europe, but later disassembled and its identity was used on another Opel Manta driven by Fissore at the Rally Limone in 1985.

Sometime later, the car was reunited with its original registration (CN 585934) worn by the car when it was competing in the Paris-Dakar rally. Purchased by the consignor in 2018, the car sports the same livery today that it wore during the Paris-Dakar rally. It is accompanied by a certificate issued by the ASI in 2015. Ideal for vintage rally events, this fascinating Opel would surely be a thrill to drive at speed.