OPEL Kadett Cabriolet Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

The Kadett E was one of the most successful cars ever built by GM's European arm, and Opel offered it in all shapes and sizes.

With a complete lineup that included a three- and a five-door hatchback, a sedan, and a station wagon, Opel decided to unveil an open-top version for its compact contender. Bertone designed the car and built it in Torino. All of a sudden, the Golf Cabriolet and Ford Escort had a tough competitor on their home-ground.

The Kadett Cabriolet was based on the three-door version and featured a similar front fascia with curved headlights inside and angular outside with corner-mounted turn signals. Its narrow grille was different, though, with a black mash in a reversed-trapezoidal surrounding instead of plastic horizontal slats. Opel had to build the car with a safety arch above between the front and rear passengers due to safety regulations. The canvas-roof couldn't be retracted entirely behind the seats and took some space from the trunk volume.

Inside, the Kadett Cabriolet featured a pair of bucket seats at the front and two seats in the rear with minimal legroom due to the short wheelbase. Despite the rounded exterior shapes of the hood and side panels, Opel installed a wedge-shaped dashboard with a square-looking instrument cluster.

Under the hood, the carmaker offered the Cabriolet exclusively with two gasoline engines: a 1.6-liter and a 2.0-liter. Both units were paired with a five-speed manual gearbox.