GM stopped importing the "real", German, Opel at the end of 1975. GM, in its infinite wisdom, decided that the American public didn't want sporty German coupes. Especially ones that cost more than the average Japanese "economy" car. (Apparently no one at GM was taking notice of the ever increasing sales of the BMW 2002.)
GM replaced the "real" Opel, with this, the Buick Opel by Isuzu. That's quite possibly the worst name ever given to a car. There wasn't even a model name, it was just Buick Opel by Isuzu. The reason this was done was pretty simple; cost. There were hundreds, if not thousands of Buick dealers in the US at the time. They all had big, lighted "Buick / Opel" signs out front. The cost of changing all those signs would have been a lot for the dealers to absorb.
The Buick Opel by Isuzu was an Isuzu Gemini. It was built on GM's T-car platform, the same platform as the Chevy Chevette. It didn't come close to being as fun to drive or as well built as the Opel Manta it replaced. GM dropped the line in 1980.
The car didn't disappear, though. In 1981 Isuzu reintroduced it through their own dealers it as the Isuzu I-Mark. (A name that might not have been quite as stupid Buick Opel by Isuzu, but it was close.) Isuzu's early marketing emphasis was on diesel versions. The 51hp four-cylinder was technically advanced for its time, but, as Hemmings recently wrote, "the I-Mark rode and drove like a ten-year-old car...a very slow ten-year-old car". The I-Mark never sold well in the US.Few Buick Opel by Isuzus still exist. This one appears to be in very nice condition. An exciting car, it is not. An interesting piece of history, it is. For that reason alone, it's nice to see one in this condition.
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