Chevy Revived Some Sweet Classics That Even Diehard Muscle Car Fans Don’t Know

Nameplates like Ford Mustang and Dodge Charger often command a lot of attention in classic muscle car circles, but they’re a few among many. From obscure AMCs and stately Oldsmobiles to powerful Pontiacs and slippery Mercurys, the niche is a cornucopia of variety.

However, even badges that have fallen by the wayside are comparatively well-known when you count some of the forbidden fruit sold overseas. A lot of the time, we enthusiasts in the United States (thankfully) don’t even realize what we’re missing out on.

GM Brazil

If you’re curious about what the rest of the world has to offer, GM’s latest revivals are bound to tickle your interest. As part of an ongoing restomod effort, Chevrolet Brazil just served up a pair of sweet ‘70s classics that most North American classic car fans might not have ever heard of.

A pair of eye-catching coupes

Those being a yellow 1976 Opala SS and a green 1979 Opala SS, picked, naturally, as an homage to the national flag. 

The little couple is an important Chevrolet for the Brazilian market, based on the German Opel Commodore but reimagined with more muscle-like styling and performance. GM launched the Opala in 1968 and kept it in production through 1992.

Accordingly, the Chevrolet Vintage team made these restomods as tasteful as they come. Rather than doing away with the original identity of the model, they introduced tasteful enhancements to make them more modern in manners.

Along with swapping in a set of Bilstein shocks, this also meant refining the steering, upgrading the disc brakes and fitting the rebuilt 4.1-liter inline-sixes with some FuelTech electronic fuel injection. Manual enthusiasts will be happy to know they each received five-speed Tremec gearboxes, too.

GM Brazil

What’s more, Chevrolet Vintage treated both Opalas to some interior upgrades. Three-point seatbelts bring added security up front, while a LED dash, a Bluetooth radio, A/C and power steering all make them more fit for daily driver material.

Rounded out by some 15-inch alloy wheels, fresh leather upholstery and Lotse sports steering wheels, they’re made only better by touches like NOS trim and door handles, as well as some period-correct tinted glass. Classic yet refreshed, they amount to some evocative vehicles. 

GM Brazil

Chevrolet Brazil’s vintage revival

Unsurprisingly, they each fetched a hefty sum when they crossed the block during a recent auction at the Carde Museum in Campos do Jordão.

The green car drew more than 25 bids, while its yellow counterpart bettered it with at least 30. With each Opala closing at around $102,000, they cleared approximately $204,000 combined, as reported by Carscoops.

And here’s the thing: if you think those are cool, wait until you get a load of the 2004 S10 Rally. Chevrolet Brazil spent months locating it, as it’s a pickup that was never offered to the public.

GM Brazil

Rather, it was a competition-bred model developed specifically for the demands of grueling off-road races such as the Rally dos Sertões. 

In keeping with its Opala counterparts, it too received a hero’s treatment. Fully restored through the Vintage program, the team preserved key race enhancements in the form of its roll cage, chassis reinforcements and tuned 2.8-liter turbodiesel. 

However, they also made some tweaks, like dialing back the engine’s torque curve to make it more manageable outside of high-strung competition environments. Perhaps it’s because of this added drivability that it also did well at auction, netting roughly $92,000.

GM Brazil

More to come

Before these three vehicles, GM Brazil’s Chevrolet Vintage division whipped up an Omega. With a total of 10 such projects planned altogether, there’s still more of these exotic Brazilian specials destined for the restomod treatment yet.

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