The Kadett has a singular history. When Opel decided to re-enter the small car market it was thought best to build a new factory which would be capable of producing at least 1,000 cars per day (one a minute in two 8-hour shifts). After various studies the choice fell on Bechum, an area in the Ruhr where the exhaustion of the coal mines had created unemployment and had left large expanses of vacant land. Construction of the new factory began in September 1960 and 25 months later it was ready for production. The Kadett, like the preceding model bearing the same name, was produced from scratch and engineers from Chevrolet were involved in its design.
The Kadett has also been remodeled several times though the mechanical parts have been left basically unchanged. It has occupied an important position in General Motors’ industrial strategy, as it has provided the basis for the creation of a universal car. It was felt that the market was turning towards small cars and General Motors have built the Kadett, under different names and with different engines, in Brazil, Japan, Argentina and in the United States. The common feature of all these modles, in their various configurations and under their assorted titles, is a wheelbase of 7 ft 10 ins (2.39 m).
The Kadett