Opel Calibra

The Opel Calibra also known as the Chevrolet Calibra in South America, the Holden Calibra in Australia and New Zealand, and the Vauxhall Calibra in the United Kingdom is a sports car produced by German automaker Opel between 1989 and 1997. The Calibra was introduced to counter the Japanese sports coupes of the late-1980s and early-1990s, and is based around the running gear of the first-generation Opel Vectra, which had been launched in 1988. Calibra production was based in two Opel factories, Rüsselsheim in Germany and Uusikaupunki in Finland, where production was consolidated in November 1995.

Design

The Opel Calibra was styled by the US head of General Motors design Europe, Wayne Cherry. It is a front-wheel drive coupé, but because it is based on the Vectra chassis, its ride and handling are not significantly better than that of the large family car from which it grew. On its launch in 1989, the Calibra was the most aerodynamic production car in the world.[citation needed] This was glorified in an advert on British television during 1990.