The Opel Kadett is a small family car produced by the German automaker Opel between 1937 and 1940, then from 1962 to 1992. Production facilities of the pre-war Kadett were transported to Russia after WW II, and thus this early Kadett formed the basis for the Moskvitch 400/420. Delta in South Africa used the Opel Kadett name until 1999.
Opel Kadett Mk 1
Production:     1937–1940



Opel Kadett A
Kadett Mk 2
Opel Kadett A
Production:     1962–1965
Engine:     1.0 l 40 hp I4
1.0 l 48 hp I4

The first Opel Kadett after the war appeared in October 1962; 649,512 cars were built until July 1965. It was later called the Kadett A. In addition to the sedan there was an L (luxury model), a coupé, and a station wagon (called Caravan). The new Opel OHV engine was available as 1.0 with 40 hp (30 kW) and as 1.0 S with 48 hp (36 kW).

Opel Kadett B
Kadett Mk 3
Opel Kadett B
Production:     1966–1973

The Opel Kadett B was sold from 1966 to 1973, with two- and four-door sedans (the latter in notchback and, from 1967, also in fastback form), a three-door station wagon, and two coupés (regular and fastback, or Coupé F). One stand-out model from this generation was the Opel Kadett Rallye, with a 1.9 L engine. Also the two-seat Opel GT was heavily based on Kadett B components, its body made by a French contractor.

The Kadett was sold in the United States through Buick dealers from 1967 till 1972. US Kadetts were later granted the front end and trim of the new Opel Olympia, introduced in 1966 as an upscale-version of the Kadett. Kadett A and B were technically simple cars whose task was to compete with the market leader, VW's Beetle. This lack of sophistication caused the US car magazine Car and Driver to publish an annihilating test of the Kadett in 1968 featuring photos of the car in a car junkyard. Reportedly, GM withdrew any ads from that magazine for several months as a consequence.


Opel Kadett C
Kadett Mk 4
Opel Kadett C
Production:     1973–1979
Engine:     1.4

The Kadett C appeared in 1973, and was Opel's version of GM's 'T-Car', also built in Japan by Isuzu and sold as the Isuzu Gemini in Asian markets and Australia and many other names. In South Korea, Daewoo Motors built a version known as the Daewoo Maepsy. The Kadett C formed the basis of the British Vauxhall Chevette, which had a restyled front end, and used a 1256cc OHV (over head valve) Vauxhall engine rather than the 1196cc OHV Opel engine. It was notable for the inclusion of a hatchback version named City-Kadett, based on the UK Vauxhall Chevette hatchback, which was a first for Opel. Although Kadett C production ended in 1979, the Chevette was produced until 1983. Interestingly, the Vauxhall Chevette was imported to Germany starting in 1979 to satisfy the needs of the rear wheel drive traditionalists and was quite a success for a year or two.

The Kadett C today is a cult car in Germany, especially in fastback Coupe form. The most sought after versions of the Kadett C Coupe are the Rallye and GT/E models. These models were built first with the Bosch fuel injected 1897 cc CIH (cam in head) Opel engine and followed by the updated 1998 cc CIH engine. Right hand drive (UK) versions of these sports models are now rarely seen.

A highly interesting and very rare version was the Aero-Kadett, an open-top Kadett with targa roll bar, detachable roof insert and a separate convertible top aft of the roll bar (like the contemporary Lancia Beta Spider (Lancia Zagato in the US). This car was built in very limited numbers by Karosserie Baur in Stuttgart.

The Kadett C reached America as the Buick–Opel. In reality, however, this was an Isuzu Gemini; an updated version of this car was marketed in the USA as the Isuzu I-Mark in the early Eighties.

In Brazil, the Kadett C was released six months before its European release as Chevrolet Chevette, and it was available with three gasoline engines, a 1.4 L, a 1.6 L and a 1.0 L (available only for 1992 and 1993 model year) and the 1.4 L and 1.6 L were also available on ethanol. The Chevette was available in several different bodies: Hatchback (1979-1987), Station Wagon (called Chevrolet Marajó, 1980-1989), Pickup (Chevy 500, 1984-1995) and Sedan (1973-1993). The Chevette sold over 1.6 million units in Brazil, being replaced by the Chevrolet Corsa.

Opel Kadett D
Kadett Mk 5
Opel Kadett D
Production:     1979–1984

The fourth generation car, introduced in 1979 and known as the Kadett D. The British version of the Kadett D was known as the Vauxhall Astra Mk.1, and was launched in April, 1980. All models were designed as three or five door hatchbacks and estates or station wagons. There were also two and four-door sedans, which used the same bodyshells as the hatchbacks, but these were soon dropped. That means that this car came in 2-3-4 or 5 door versions.

Technologically, the Kadett D was a major departure, as it was Opel and Vauxhall's first front wheel drive car. It also introduced the Family II engine design with an single overhead camshaft, aluminium alloy cylinder head, hydraulic valve lifters, with capacities of 1300 and 1600 cc, and had a unique transaxle design which allowed the clutch to be replaced without removing the transmission unit. Later, an 1800 cc version was introduced for the Kadett/Astra GTE model. This range of engines was also used for later models of the Corsa/Nova, and the mid-sized Cavalier/Ascona. The Kadett D was also equipped with a 1600 cc diesel engine that was possible to drive as cheap as 3.4 L/100 km.

Opel Kadett E
Kadett Mk 6
Opel Kadett E Caravan
Production:     1984–1991

The Kadett E was introduced in 1984, and was voted Car of the Year in 1985, largely due to its advanced aerodynamic body styling. The 1984 model was also developed into a more conventional "three box" design with a boot (trunk), badged as the Vauxhall Belmont in the UK and the Opel Monza in South Africa. A convertible version was also available, for the first time in 1987, built by Bertone of Torino/Italy. For the 1984 model, capacities were raised to 1400, 1800 and a new 2000 cc engine, again used on the GSi and Vauxhall Astra GTE. In 1988, a 16-valve twin-cam version was developed for a high performance GSi/GTE model, yielding 156 hp (115 kW) in manufactured form.

The Kadett E has been seen as a grey import in the UK, however it is not as popular as the Vauxhall Astra.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, South African Kadett GSis were nicknamed the Superboss, equipped with a more powerful 2 L engine developing 125 kW, and were successful in touring car competitions in that country.

The Kadett E was introduced in Brazil as the Chevrolet Kadett, but the three-door station wagon was called the Chevrolet Ipanema.

It formed the basis of the Daewoo Le Mans (later known as the Daewoo Cielo, Racer and Nexia) in South Korea, and also as Heaven in Chile (Nexia being the HB version), which was sold in the United States and New Zealand(!) as the Pontiac LeMans, and in Canada (initially) as the Passport Optima. LeMans sales ended in 1993]. The Nexia is still being produced at UzDaewoo plant in Asaka, Uzbekistan. The Cielo was last being produced at a semi-independent (from GM) plant in Craiova, Romania (the license expired in fall 2005).

Opel Kadett F

In 1992, GM Europe decided to standardize model names across its two brands, and Opel adopted sister company Vauxhall's name for the Kadett, Astra, for the replacement car which débuted that year, for Europe. Only in South Africa did the Kadett name continue on the first Opel Astra hatchback, until 1999, when all models took the Astra name.

German Opel Kadett A Website