Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
November 21, 2025
Rare 1973 Opel GT Orange Showcased at DFW Car & Toy Museum
TLDR
- The DFW Car & Toy Museum's rare 1973 Opel GT offers enthusiasts a unique advantage with its cult status and final-year production model that stands out in any collection.
- The 1973 Opel GT features a 1.9-liter engine producing 102 horsepower with front mid-engine placement and transverse leaf-spring suspension for balanced handling and performance.
- The DFW Car & Toy Museum preserves automotive history by showcasing rare vehicles like the Opel GT, making cultural heritage accessible to all with free admission.
- The 1973 Opel GT captivates with quirky features like manually-operated pop-up headlights that rotate in unison and hidden trunk space accessed from inside the cabin.
Impact - Why it Matters
This exhibition matters because it preserves and showcases an important piece of automotive history that represents a unique collaboration between European and American automotive design philosophies. The Opel GT's significance extends beyond its 'Baby Corvette' nickname—it represents an era when manufacturers experimented with bold styling and innovative engineering solutions. For automotive enthusiasts and historians, seeing this well-preserved example provides insight into 1970s automotive design trends and engineering choices that influenced later sports car development. The museum's free admission policy makes this piece of automotive heritage accessible to everyone, helping educate new generations about automotive history while preserving rare vehicles that might otherwise be lost to time.
Summary
The DFW Car & Toy Museum in Fort Worth has unveiled a remarkable 1973 Opel GT in vibrant orange as part of The Ron Sturgeon Collection, offering visitors an up-close look at this rare Euro-American hybrid that combines sleek styling with surprising performance. This particular model represents the final year of first-generation production and features the coveted 1.9-liter camshaft-in-head engine delivering 102 horsepower, making it a standout example of automotive history. The car's unique front mid-engine placement and transverse leaf-spring front suspension contribute to its spirited handling characteristics that have captivated enthusiasts for decades.
Originally introduced as a concept car at the 1965 Paris and Frankfurt Motor Shows, the Opel GT entered production in 1968 and quickly earned the nickname "Baby Corvette" for its striking resemblance to Chevrolet's legendary sports car. Built through collaboration between German automaker Opel and French coachbuilder Brissonneau & Lotz, the GT combined sharp, futuristic design with practical Opel Kadett B mechanicals and rear-wheel-drive layout. The car's most memorable features include manually-operated pop-up headlights that rotate in unison and hidden trunk space accessible only from inside the cabin, creating what museum owner Ron Sturgeon describes as "part oddball, part icon" automotive character.
With production ending in 1973 and no direct successor until 2007, the original Opel GT remains a cult favorite among collectors and automotive historians. The DFW Car & Toy Museum, formerly known as DFW Elite Toy Museum, provides the perfect setting for displaying this automotive time capsule in its new 150,000-square-foot North Fort Worth facility at 2550 McMillan Parkway. Visitors can explore this and other automotive treasures Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, with free parking and admission making it accessible to all enthusiasts. The museum's website at dfwcarandtoymuseum.com serves as the primary resource for planning visits and learning more about their extensive collection of classic and exotic automobiles.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by 24-7 Press Release. Read the original source here, Rare 1973 Opel GT Orange Showcased at DFW Car & Toy Museum
