Manta, Manta – this time with a plug instead of a spoiler

Hardly any other car in Germany has made such a mark as the Opel Manta. Ever since the TV series “Manta, Manta”, the ‘foxtail’ design, snappy one-liners and that ice-cream parlour vibe have become an integral part of automotive heritage. By Sigrid Riewe-Scholz

So it came as all the more of a surprise when Opel suddenly unveiled an electric version of the legendary classic – futuristic, digital and rather eye-catching. When even drivers of large SUVs or luxury cars pause to cast admiring glances at a unique “neo-classic”, there’s a good chance that the Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD has just driven past.

The Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD showed what a classic might look like today: neon yellow paintwork, a black bonnet, a pixel visor and a fully digital cockpit instead of analogue round instruments. In short: the Manta has grown up – at least visually.

The experts were also impressed. At the Festival Automobile International in Paris, the concept car even won the Grand Prix for its successful reinterpretation of a classic. And yes, for a moment you could actually believe that the Manta was set to make a grand comeback.

Unfortunately, reality soon set in: Opel has since decided that the electric Manta will remain a concept car and will not go into production. It’s a shame, really – because no doubt many fans would have loved to see a Manta whizzing silently past the ice-cream parlour.

So the electric MOD remains just a vision, but at least it’s a pretty cool one. And perhaps that’s exactly what’s typical of the Manta: a bit of cult status, a bit of madness, and always plenty of material for good stories.