
The Olympia A died in 1970, but its face lived on — the same front-end design kept showing up on export Opel Kadetts built for the US and South Africa years afterward.
Lead trim: Olympia A 1100 SR (1078 cc, 60 PS) · up to 89 hp
Opel Olympia A1967–1970
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Opel Olympia A yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe Olympia A died in 1970, but its face lived on — the same front-end design kept showing up on export Opel Kadetts built for the US and South Africa years afterward.
In August 1967 Opel revived the Olympia name with the new Olympia A. The name had last been used, until 1959, for a reduced-specification version of the Opel Rekord, but was now applied to a luxury derivative of the Opel Kadett B, distinguishable by a redesigned front end and the word "Olympia" on the body sides behind the front wheels, and often equipped with a black vinyl roof. It was available as a 2- or 4-door fastback saloon sharing the "Limousine" body of the Kadett LS, and a coupé using the body of the Kadett coupé F. The Olympia was fitted with the "1100 SR" twin-carburettor 60 PS engine and could also be ordered with any one of the three high-compression cam-in-head engines also fitted in the Kadett, providing 75 PS, 90 PS or, in export markets where the 1.5-litre version was available, 65 PS; Opel also provided SAE figures of 67 hp for the 1.1 and 76, 84 and 102 hp for the 1.5, 1.7 and 1.9-litre versions. Giving the Olympia its own name may have distanced it from the Kadett in the showrooms and enabled a premium price, but it did not convincingly fill the gap between small and big family cars; it was withdrawn in August 1970 after 80,637 had been produced, clearing the way for the Opel Ascona (introduced November 1970). Its front design was used on US-bound Kadetts from the 1968 model year and on South African Kadetts from 1971.
Collectors Spotted in the Opel Olympia Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Opel Olympia yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympia A 1.5 CIH export (1492 cc, 65 PS) | 1967–1970 | 1.5 L Inline-4 | 64 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
| Olympia A 1.7 CIH (1698 cc, 75 PS) | 1967–1970 | 1.7 L Inline-4 | 74 hp | 94 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| Olympia A 1.9 CIH (1897 cc, 90 PS) | 1967–1970 | 1.9 L Inline-4 | 89 hp | 107 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| Olympia A 1100 SR (1078 cc, 60 PS) | 1967–1970 | 1.1 L Inline-4 | 59 hp | 61 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs

The Olympia A died in 1970, but its face lived on — the same front-end design kept showing up on export Opel Kadetts built for the US and South Africa years afterward.

This Olympia actually took a step backward from its predecessor: Opel swapped a floor-mounted four-speed gearbox for a simpler column-shifted three-speed.

When production resumed after the war, the OL38 looked untouched outside — but Opel had quietly ditched the fragile Dubonnet front suspension for a simpler, tougher control-arm design.

Named for the 1936 Olympics a year before they happened, the Olympia introduced Opel's revolutionary unibody construction to a 2,500 Reichsmark family car.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.

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A Trabant 601 won its class at the 1970 Monte Carlo Rally, with a second 601 right behind it in second.

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The GS/E coupe earned the nickname "German Charger" for its long hood, short deck stance borrowed from Detroit muscle cars.

This DeVille/Fleetwood was the first production car anywhere to mount its V8 sideways, Cadillac's front-drive gamble on the new C-body.

