It also came in every conceivable body style from three-door hatchback to small pickup, with an equally large selection of engines to choose from. The rally car wasnt just competitive, it was a championship winning car in 1982 when Walter Rhrl famously beat the Quattros at the dawn of the Group B era. Gas mileage on Astra is decent and the car generally does what it has to do. Wonder who inspired whom. Though it's roughly the size of a minivan, with five adults aboard, the Titanic-touring submersible that went missing Sunday may seem small and cramped. But the very similar hood and the sloping rooflines can make a classic car fan do a double-take, wondering which of the two is American. B-segment / subcompact hatchback. How about 56 Packard Clipper and the Soviet GAZ Chaika? Bright flashes of precious opal are enhanced when seen within dark brown sandstone or with a backing of black basalt. Blue opal beads from Peru sometimes contain tiny translucent zones with play-of-color. An older gentleman standing next to me remarked, we did the best we could with a generic body, I hope the performance is enough to sell them. The first generation Opel GT (1968[1]1973) debuted as a styling exercise in 1965 at the Paris and Frankfurt motor shows. The Chevrolet Vega is a subcompact automobile that was manufactured and marketed by GM's Chevrolet subdivision from 1970 to 1977. Translucent, opaque, semi-transparent, and, rarely, transparent. The Saab 9-3 and 9-5 were also based on the same platform, so you could actually buy an Opel Vectra in the U.S. from multiple different brands. This is what you will see in the stone in the accompanying image. According to the WLTP, the Opel Mokka Electric has a range of 200 miles when driven in normal mode. The first-generation Ford Thunderbird was introduced in 1954 and came with the classic looks of a 50s American automobile, big-sized and ornate. This one plays out in a similar fashion to the two previous SUVs. However, most buyers chose an optional 1.9L camshaft in head engine, which produced 102hp (SAE) at 5200 to 5400rpm. Common Opal has color, pattern and beauty that can be anything but common. With their buggy eyes and prominent side air intakes, these two mid-engine drop-tops are frequently mistaken for one another, especially at a quick glance. On close examination you can clearly see quartz grains with the spaces between them filled with a matrix of clear cement that produces a play-of-color in incident light. Ive always thought these were underrated cars, especially the GS version, which I believe is genuinely sporty in both appearance and performance. Here's the GIA lab report for the stone on the left. Precious Opal: Several examples of precious opal. Making around 300 horsepower in a lightweight body, the car was fast, but ultimately couldnt really challenge the Quattros or the Lancia 037 for wins. It was the first Buick available with a stick since the 1989 Skyhawk. The concept features historic design cues associated with Opel's past products; the twin tailpipes with the GT wordmark in the middle are reminiscent of those on the original 1965 GT prototype. https://www.berlinetta-auctions.co.uk/weekly/img/online_car/featured/upload/1504336497758-1972-Lotus-Europa-Twin-Cam-Special-JPS_3.jpg In Mexico, opal cut within its rhyolite host rock is often called "cantera". The Opel logo is a two-headed eagle with the wings spread out. Most specimens of common opal are also "common" in appearance and do not attract any commercial attention. I guess that copying remains a form of flattery- even in the realm of industrial (auto) design-. The Toyota looks more like a Jeep CJ while the Nissan Patrol looks a bit like an early Land Rover, yet they both still end up looking a lot like each other. On the right is black opal from Lightning Ridge, Australia. The Opel GT was equipped with a base 1.1L OHV inline-four engine, which produced 67hp (SAE) at 6,000rpm. Urban legend says we all have seven doppelgangers each, which means people looking like us are roaming around this Earth or have done so. What Does The Opel Logo Stand For. Now in its sixth generation, the Regal is still heavily based on the Insignia, but with slightly revised styling to make it more Buick-like. Years ago, I owned a Honda s2000it used to drive me crazy how many ppl thought it was a MiataI never saw the similarity, but a lot of ppl obviously did. Compact and incredibly easy to maneuver, this model is hard to beat even today. The Holden Astra was axed in Australia and New Zealand in 2009 owing to exchange rates making the car uncompetitive, and was replaced by the Holden Cruze. The missing submersible was run by a video game controller. Is that Therefore opal is a "mineraloid" rather than a "mineral.". That is pretty cool, meeting Jim Wangers! Will growing production in Ethiopia challenge Australia for the world's leadership position? The sections of this webpage below will present that logic and help you see the common sense behind the names. Solid opal can be a combination of precious opal and common opal. Essential functions still have physical buttons, however, and traffic sign recognition also comes as standard. In these rocks the precious opal often occurs as replacements of mineral grains or as infillings of isolated tiny vesicles. Available in an electric version called Corsa-e. Also marketed as the Vauxhall Corsa in the UK. 2010-2023 CarBuzz Inc. All Rights Reserved, Stunning New Opel Mokka Is What The Buick Encore Could Have Been. Numerous discoveries in the early 1900s gave the country firm leadership of the world's opal production that was not challenged for over a century. Some of the early 1968 models also came with a slightly higher compression "H" code cylinder head. + features & secrets, International Harvester Scout And The Ford Bronco Gen-I, The Ford Thunderbird and The Auto Union 1000 SP, The Ford Super Deluxe And Volvo PV444/PV544, No two cars can look this alike unless there was some sort of inspiration, the 1965-born AMC Marlin and the 1966-born Dodge Charger had similar enough looks, 10 Cool Facts Everyone Forgot About AMC And Their Muscle Cars, the legacy of the most affordable car from Porsche has only grown, Here's The Lowdown On The Next Performance Vette: The 2023 C8 Corvette Z06, there is a distinct similarity between the 1975 AMC Pacer and the later-introduced 1977 Porsche 928, 15 Cars That Made Ford The Giant It Is Today, The Conquest was a rebadged Mitsubishi Starion, These Japanese Cars Are Better Left Completely Stock. Both carried V8s and were sporty in the ride as well as looks. Im sure its a fine, delightful little convertible, but why? The stone on the right is a pinfire opal from the Constellation Mine in Spencer, Idaho. Now PA is talking about re-entering the U.S. market, and they sound pretty serious about it. On 1 May 2014, Opel announced to export the Astra GTC and Astra VXR with Holden badges to Australia and New Zealand. Volvos take is a bit more practical, naturally, although the similar grille treatment still looks magnificent. The 2016 Opel GT concept debuted on 27 January 2016. The Opel GT Concept draws on GM's past small sports cars, but its power train puts it firmly in the present. Opalized wood is a type of petrified wood that is composed of opal rather than chalcedony or another mineral material. The opal on the left is a pinfire opal cut from material mined at Coober Pedy, Australia. It is often assumed to be quartz or a variety of chalcedony - but a surprising amount of common opal exists. Peru produces some of the world's most beautiful opal. The black obsidian back provides a contrasting background that makes the play-of-color in the precious layer more obvious. By all accounts this is still Opels only real sports car, it is by nature fairly simple and didnt have any technological advancements that set it apart, but its looks certainly did the job. Eventually, look at wheelbases, which are 2700 mm / 106 in. Despite having a 0.08-inch longer wheelbase, the new Opel Mokka is 4.9 inches shorter than the last-generation model thanks to its shorter front and rear overhangs but still offers 12.3 cubic feet of cargo space, which is a similar capacity to the old model and the Buick Encore. The regular road going Ascona was a decidedly average car, even for the malaise era. An in-depth look at the new Opel GT concept, CAR+ March 2016 The swooping fenders of the Corvette pair nicely with the vented hood that came with the 427 big-block and LT1 350. Coober Pedy is famous for producing white base-color opals, and production has continued uninterrupted since 1916. Technically, the Bitter CD preceded it, having come out in 1973. As the long-term owner of a 1998 Grand Prix GTP coupe (and an admirer of the GTO), I would say that the GTOs parentage is not so bad. Astra is a model name that has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors on their small family car ranges since 1979. Agree, and Im sure that Porsche will be flattered having the 928 compared to the Pacer. LOL! Need we say more? If we say it looked like a CJ with a stretched fiberglass top it would be accurate but it wouldnt do it justice. It measures 13 x 8 millimeters and weighs 2.3 carats. Enjoy! The cabochon on the left has the familiar color pattern of mookaite. Sitting on 18-inch alloy wheels, the B . Reason enough for the Chrysler Conquest/Mitsubishi Starion to look like the Mazda RX-7, pat down to the body fenders. Mars researchers have also identified layers of opal exposed in the outcrops of crater walls. This one is probably the most direct copy of any Opel in the U.S., with badging being literally the only difference. Because the contra-luz effect only occurs when light travels through the stone, a contra-luz opal must be transparent or semi-transparent. Mexico is famous for being the world's most important source of fire opal. Crystal opal is a challenge for a designer because they must produce a setting that allows light to enter and exit the stone in a variety of directions to take full advantage of its colorful display - but dangle earrings are a favorite. The Optima is a FWD family hauler and the Stinger is a RWD sport sedan. Its high-end grunt made it a popular tow car and, by extension, a popular family car. GM was not afraid to copy from the best. In the weeks and months leading up to the 2021 Bronco reveal, Ford repeatedly (and wrongly) referred to the first-generation Bronco, which debuted as a 1966 model, as the first-ever SUV. We normally would ignore family resemblance when talking about doppelgngers, although these two sedans penned by former Audi designer Peter Schreyer look so much alike while being very different under the skin. Play-of-Color in Opal: White light enters an opal and interacts with the tiny silica spheres that make up its internal structure. To shake things up for 1972, Jeep dropped the Jeepster name and the Commando got a full-width front grille and new sheetmetal from the cowl forward. Now, why would Porsche decide to cheat off a much smaller American automobile brand? In this satellite image, the surface in the pinkish cream-colored area to the right of the impact crater is covered with hydrated silica rock debris that we would call "opal." In 1971, due to emissions regulations, Opel reduced the compression ratio of the 1.9L engine used in the US and output fell to 83hp (SAE). Most common opal has an unremarkable appearance and is almost invariably overlooked in the field. Opal also occurs in shades of pink. Forza Horizon 5 Rally Adventure DLC - how real is it? However, you cant dismiss the similarities with the wraparound quarter windows. Opel GT Concept looks like a Hot Wheels come to life (pictures) Andamooka is one of the early mining districts of South Australia. Its admirable that Opel could fit that much style into such a small package without looking too cartoonish. The logo existed, whether it was one of the best car logos or not, and it already looked like lightning. Considering both the cars were offerings from GM, it's natural for the parent company to float a similar car especially since this was on different continents. Front suspension consists of upper A-arms and a lower transverse leaf spring aside from the Opel's styling, the unusual use of a transverse leaf-spring in the suspension was another remarkable commonality with Chevrolet's Corvette. When the 1973 liftback Celica debuted it was hard to deny that it was inspired by the Mustang. Available in two-door hatchback, notchback, wagon, and sedan delivery body styles, all models were powered by an inline four-cylinder engine with a lightweight, aluminum alloy cylinder block. This differs from boulder opal, in which the opal is confined mainly to seams and fractures. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Feb 2, 2022. Using a 100 kW DC fast-charging system, the battery can be charged up to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. The Ford F-150 Limited Has This Weird Interior Plaque Many people have never seen blue opal and are surprised to learn that such a material exists. Some people believe that "opalescence" and "play-of-color" are the same, which is not true. Cabochon and photo by Stony Mountain Studio. Opal production in Mexico also began in the late 1800s. Their profiles and C-pillars are quite similar, so dont feel bad about getting confused when you see one on the street. [citation needed]. The Opel Corsa is a supermini car engineered and produced by the German manufacturer Opel since 1982. [13], "Opel GT Concept: The German Mini-Corvette Returns", "Opel GT designed by Stylist Erhard Schnell", "General Motors: Investors: Sales and Production Reports: Historical Production", "Rear-Wheel-Drive Opel GT Sports Car Concept Revealed", "GM has a new Opel GT concept in store for Geneva", "Opel GT Concept Might Gain Production Version, Use Mokka's AWD System", "Opel GT Concept Has Little Production Intent", VisualOpel - Illustrations, diagrams, and parts, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Opel_GT&oldid=1157084101, This page was last edited on 26 May 2023, at 05:19. What's more, the Mokka has morphed in shape from the underwhelming (but best-selling) car it replaces, shedding 124mm in length but gaining 10mm in width. Image by NASA. They sometimes are sold under trade names that include "Opalite" or "Opal Essence" or "Aurora Opals". [1]. To protect the fragile opal from abrasion and impact, some artisans glue a transparent cap of quartz, spinel or other transparent material onto the opal. Considering they were both from the same decade, the similarity is not surprising. The accompanying photo shows strands of rondelle-shaped beads in all three colors. I loved my 2004 GTO, but it without a doubt did look like the product of a 97 cavalier and a 98 Grand Prix coupe that met one torrid night on a dark Detroit back alley. Entry-level versions come with a seven-inch touchscreen. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/1973_Mercury_Cougar_XR7_%2825674215461%29.jpg/2560px-1973_Mercury_Cougar_XR7_%2825674215461%29.jpg. Eric Brandt is an author specializing in Oversteer content, new car reviews, and finding the best car, truck, and SUV deals each month. Who Owns Which Car Brands? - Consumer Reports Standard transmission was a manual four-speed. Conchoidal fracture. D-segment / mid-size sedan. For its first two generations, the nameplate was applied to right-hand drive versions of the Opel Kadett for use in the UK. Sadly, it shows how the Buick Encore could potentially have evolved, as GM's partnership with Opel had great potential. If I recall wasnt that a rebadged Renault? The most collectible GTs are probably the first few hundred cars hand-assembled in 1968 and the 19681970 models with the 1.1L engine, which totaled 3,573 cars. Who gave it such a common name? Gallery: 2021 Opel Mokka. There WAS something special about Opel. That is not to say the GT deserves any less attention and praise. Solid opal is also known as "Type 1 Opal." "Solid opal" is a name used for a rough or cut stone that consists entirely of opal material without any host rock or other significant inclusions contained within the stone. Cmonnnnn. Stunning New Opel Mokka Is What The Buick Encore Could Have Been However, some synthetic opals are so convincing that trained gemologists must send suspect specimens to a laboratory for positive identification. Common Opal: Several examples of common opal that demonstrate the range of high-end color. It is given the name "common" because it is found in many locations throughout the world. The Conquest was a rebadged Mitsubishi Starion. If thats the case, there must be plenty of automotive designers doing an awful lot of blushing, because we managed to outline a long list of cars that share more than a passing resemblance to totally different models. Small amounts of pink opal are found in Oregon. low-volume European design and an available American pushrod V-8. Mazdas effort of the era, the second-generation RX-7, was inspired by the Porsche 944, as evidenced by its subtle box-flared fenders. Let us know which vehicles you think bear more than a passing resemblance. It has also been sold by Holden in Australasia as Holden Vectra, and by Chevrolet in Latin America as the Chevrolet Vectra. The result is a gem that displays full face-up color with a beauty that exceeds or rivals most solid opals. "Crystal opal" is a name used for transparent to semi-translucent opal that flashes play-of-color surprises from within the stone as it interacts with light. [10] A production version was being conjectured to follow in 2018, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the original Opel GT's unveiling in 1968,[11] and Opel didn't rule out the possibility. Its original use was for common opal without play-of-color. Spooky, right? Not that he has too much free time. These Are Some Of The Most Iconic Cars Ever Made By Opel In Australia, boulder opal is often called "Type 2 Opal". The engine is mounted far back in the chassis to improve weight distribution. It was sold to us as an "Aurora Opal". But this material is still opal. His dream is to drive around the world; even if it takes more than eighty days. Apparently it was the authors first thought as well. The tumbled opals pictured are examples of this material. The cabochon on the right has the less-familiar brecciated appearance. The picture on the left shows the face-up appearance of the stone. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Not quite, but pretty darn close. Its not so much that these cars look alike, but that the HHR was clearly designed with the same exact retro theme in mind. The Marlin itself was based on the 1963 Rambler Tarpon concept car, so we know where its inspiration came from. The current model is actually a re-branded version of the Opel Insignia, known as the Vauxhall Insignia in the UK. You can see the report here. 2020 Buick Regal Prices, Reviews, & Pictures | U.S. News They can be as beautiful as natural opals and can sometimes fool an experienced gemologist if they are well made. Less subtle were the flares on the wide-body version of the Mitsubishi Starion, which we also got in the United States as the Chrysler Conquest. if you look at the back and its either a grey or black color, its more than likely a doublet and would be worth around $1500. 10 Sets Of Car Twins That Look Too Alike To Be A Coincidence - HotCars But when it comes to cars, it isnt all that spooky for one nameplate to sometimes resemble another, although it is a bit of a cheat, at least on one car makers part. Ever seen two people who looked a lot alike but were not even remotely related to each other? Opel Cars, News and Reviews | Motor1.com 1 A New Blitz Era: New Opel Logo Has Electric Future in the Crosshairs, Evokes a 1930s Icon 2 Opel Brings Student-Designed 'Rocks e-Xtreme' to Life as a One-Off Electric Buggy 3 2024 Opel. Most people who know opal will understand exactly what you are talking about if you use the term "Honduras Black Opal." CNN . They still look great. But now that General Motors no longer owns Opel and Vauxhall after selling the brands to the PSA Group, the Buick brand is starting to suffer. It's also worth comparing engines of the cars. 8 Kadett B. GoMotors. Together, these properties enable it to be a gemstone, albeit a fragile one. Harlequin Opal: A beautiful harlequin opal from the Constellation Mine in Spencer Idaho. To the untrained eye, theyre not far off. On the left is white opal from Coober Pedy, Australia. Gasoline and diesel variants will also be available, but Opel hasn't released any technical details of the combustion-powered next-generation Mokka yet. It simply looked like a scaled down Corvette of the same era, at a fraction of the cost and had more than acceptable performance for the 70s, getting to 60 in 11 seconds and topping out at around 115 mph. Looking for specs/pictures/info on some Manta 4-speed 20 pairs of doppelgnger cars - Hagerty Media Basically, it was the CTS before Cadillac got it right. Your aunt who drives one probably has no idea its a German car built in South Korea sold under an American marque. Mexico also produces beautiful precious opal. Barina is an Australian aboriginal word meaning "summit". The Opel Vectra is a large family car that was engineered and produced by the German automaker Opel. The 1973 Sylvia was also designed with an eye to safety. The blue opal found in Indonesia is usually associated with opalized wood. It was actually a pretty nice little car! Coober Pedy, South Australia is the most famous locality for producing white opal. A unique cutting style, known as cantera, yields cabochons that display pockets of fire opal in their rhyolite matrix. Also marketed as the Vauxhall Insignia in the UK. They immediately expect the "play-of-color" found in precious opal. Another K car variant. It was the one that wasnt the Ion. The cutting was skillfully planned to position the thin seam of precious opal as the face of the stone, while preserving a small amount of host rock to serve as a natural backing. In these opals, a thin line of bright light is reflected from a parallel network of needle-shaped inclusions within the gem. If the play-of-color is of high quality and large enough to cut, the material can be used to produce valuable gemstones. In recent years, more is being produced in Ethiopia. How about the 1st Gen. Corvair and the Sunbeam/Hillman Imp? The term is also used for opal that has a dark blue or dark green bodycolor. Lightning Ridge is a town in New South Wales, Australia that has become world-famous for its deposits of black opal. Each of the six generations have been badge-engineered versions of various General Motors vehicles, namely Suzuki Cultus, Opel Corsa, and Daewoo Kalos. For more information, please see our No, Dodge 600 was the long wheelbase K-car. Raymond Loewy sure noticed: he called the Russian car a Drakcap., When I was a kid, I thought the 57 Chevy copied the 56 Studebaker. [12], However, the production Opel GT concept was cancelled not only due to a shrinking market for sports cars, but also the brand's acquisition by Groupe PSA. for Opel Astra and Chevrolet Cruze respectively. Archived post. Australia has been the world's leading source of opal for over 150 years. All rights reserved. However, we cant deny that it also looks like an oversize Cavalier. Opal Picture Guide - Opalmine Now owned by Stellantis, Opel cars are sold across Europe, Latin America,. Examples of items on this list include Buick Regal and Opel Corsa. Chevrolet Vega - Wikipedia The International Scout, which debuted five years prior, filled the same niche and looked fairly similar. I actually had one for a bit. What are they known for? Boulder Opal: The cabochon shown in the four views above was cut from a rock that contained a very thin seam of precious opal. If you look very closely at the inverted stone, you will see a tiny line of color that is the edge of a thin slice of precious opal. Making 240 horsepower, it was right on the edge of what was possible for a front drive car to handle in terms of power. Clockwise from top left: pinfire opal, white opal, matrix opal, boulder opal, harlequin opal, black opal. Taylor Swift's car of choice for 2023 is as low-key as it gets - Drive The Encore was one of the first premium subcompact crossovers in the U.S. and an early entrant into a segment thats currently exploding in popularity. The Buick Regal is a mid-size car introduced by General Motors for the 1973 model year. I just never understood the flap about the GTO; I thought it was a good, clean-looking design, without unnecessary stuff cluttering the body (such as on the Subaru WRX). How about Toyota Prius and third gen Honda Insight? So finding a way to get the biggest engine they had at their disposal to fit into the car, went a long way to cure that. General Motors' Saturn division in the USA also offered a Belgian-built version of the Astra as a captive import from late 2007 until Saturn was discontinued following GM's 2010 bankruptcy. Scan this QR code to download the app now. It is amorphous, without a crystalline structure, and without a definite chemical composition (it contains a variable amount of water, as shown by the "n" in its chemical composition). The model run of the Opel GT was from 1968 to 1973. Canada is 2, and Mexico is 3. Where is the Porsche 924 and the first generation RX7??? Gem-quality opal from Ethiopia began entering the market in significant amounts starting in 1994.
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