1984 Opel Manta 400

The story of the Opel Manta 400 is a familiar one to anyone who was a follower of the crazy days of 'Group B' rallying and their sibling road cars built by the major manufacturers in whatever 'homologation' quantity was required. Developed from its Ascona predecessor, the Manta was always popular with the crowds - lots of power, not much weight and a propensity to attack stages sideways. However by the time it was ready to rally, the game had moved on, the Audi Quattro showing the rest of the field that four-wheel drive was going to be a requirement in the WRC. Nevertheless, that didn't stop the Manta from achieving cult hero status on British and European stages, with its raspy sound, lively handling and iconic liveries, the Andrews Heat for Hire with Russell Brookes and Mike Broad being a particular favourite and winning over a lot of fans.

The 'homologation' Manta road car was named '400' because that was the number of examples of the old Ascona that were required by the regulations at the time, however, when the Manta was ready to compete, only 200 road cars were required and, having built a total of 245 examples of the Manta 400, production ceased. Even 40 years ago, therefore, it was a very rare car. The notable mechanical upgrade was a Cosworth head for the 2.4-litre engine (originally meant to be 2-litre, but that wasn’t powerful enough), although it was the looks that really made the Manta stand out as a road car. The white-on-white colour scheme with '400' decals of most cars, the bulked-up arches for wider tracks, the incredible Irmscher interior, and the battery of fog lights, all look just as good now as they did in the 1980s.

The car we present here is a rare example and is one of only twelve understood to have been finished in Astral Silver with the Opel Blitz Logo interior trim. It's one of only 59 road-going cars fitted with the with the Irmscher wide wheel-arch extensions and the later four-slot grille and three-piece spoiler, its original owner had the foresight to have it converted from new to right-hand drive by the supplying dealers. The car was fully restored in 2005-2006 by its second owner, using only OEM parts where components needed replacing and remains in exceptional condition, a testament to the show standard restoration.

A huge history file accompanies the car, including photographic records of its restoration and further details will follow.