I Saw a DeLorean

[kphoger]

I once spotted an Opel in the US - or, at least, something with Opel badging.  I have no idea what it really was, since as far as I know, Opels have not been certified for the US market.

I've seen a few Opel Corsas (think of an uglier Aveo), a Volkswagen Gol (kind of a stubby version of a Jetta), and two Nissan Micras (smaller, but not as ugly as the 1st-gen Versa). This was near the Brownsville, Texas area...so they all had Mexican plates, naturally.

The Saturn L200, Saturn Astra, and the Cadillac Catera were Opels (GM owns them). The present-day Buick  Encore is an Opel, so we've come full circle.

I've rented an Opel Corsa in México, but it was branded as a Chevrolet.  I wasn't aware they've been sold there with an Opel badge.

[agentsteel53]

Cadillac Catera

"the Caddy that zigs."  great marketing, as I remember the tagline 15 years later... but apparently it was a shit car.

[signalman]

Cadillac Catera

"the Caddy that zigs."  great marketing, as I remember the tagline 15 years later... but apparently it was a shit car.

I too remember those commercials.  Yes, they are a bag of poop.  I work for a mechanic and he refers to them as Opellacs, and he cringes when one pulls in for service.

[agentsteel53]

he cringes when one pulls in for service.

I would note with some amusement that the dang thing still runs.

[signalman]

There's at least 4 known still in existence in NJ.

[formulanone]

The Catera, while an oddball, was one of the only sporty, rear-wheel drive options in Cadillac's portfolio at that time.

[RoadWarrior56]

Some car trivia that I found out within the last several months..........the Comet, which was a popular Mercury for the better part of 20 years was supposed to have been sold as a compact Edsel.  If you look at a 1960 Edsel (the last year of the make) and then look at a 1960 and a 1961 Comet, the resemblence is unmistakable, plus there had been an Edsel Comet concept car, of which photos can be found on the web.   

When Edsel folded, they marketed Comet as as no particular make, with its keys even looking like Edsel keys.  The Coment did not officially become a Mercury until the 1962 model year, which ironically was the first car I ever drove (my dad taught me to drive one on our neighborhood streets).