The Bitter SC was simply the second manufacturing automobile from German automaker Erich Bitter Automobil GmbH, higher identified merely as “Bitter.” The SC was based mostly on the Opel Senator, with our bodies made in Italy then assembled by Bitter in Germany.
Simply 461 examples of the Bitter SC could be constructed through the 1979 to 1989 manufacturing run, at the moment they’re thought of extremely collectible as an uncommon 80s-era GT automobile, and so they’re usually mistaken for the Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 and 400 sequence.
Quick Details – The Bitter SC
- The design for the Bitter SC is alleged to have first been sketched within the late Sixties, simply because the automotive wedge revolution was starting to take off. It was later refined by Opel stylists Henry Haga and George Gallion, earlier than lastly being ready for manufacturing by Giovanni Michelotti.
- The Bitter SC shares the underpinnings of the Opel Senator, a four-door sedan that was additionally offered in abroad markets because the Holden Commodore, Chevrolet Senator, or Daewoo Imperial.
- Three major variations of the Bitter SC had been constructed, the Coupe, Convertible, and Sedan. The overwhelming majority had been the two-door coupe, simply 22 convertibles and 5 sedans had been made.
- The styling has been in contrast with the Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 and the later 400 sequence, there’s a particular similarity and the Bitter is usually mistaken for the Ferrari at exhibits.
Erich Bitter
Erich Bitter spent a lot of his childhood within the bicycle store that was owned and operated by his mother and father. The biking world consumed a lot of his younger life – by the point of early maturity he was among the finest skilled cyclists in Germany and he competed within the Tour de France.
This can be a newer picture of Erich Bitter, he began out as knowledgeable bike owner earlier than turning into knowledgeable racing driver, then he established his personal car firm.
Throughout his time as a bike owner Bitter developed a powerful relationship with German automaker NSU, as additionally they produced bicycles on the time. By his mid-20s when he left the world {of professional} biking he started racing automobiles for NSU, shortly turning into a rising star within the German motorsports scene.
Over the course of his 11 12 months racing profession he competed in NSUs, Porsches, Ferraris, Mercedes 300SLs, Opels, and Abarths.
Bitter retired from skilled racing in 1969, he had launched his personal firm within the early Sixties referred to as Rallye-Bitter that offered tuning kits, automobile equipment, and protecting Nomex racing fits.
In 1969 he started importing Abarth automobiles into Germany, adopted by the automobiles from Italian-American firm Intermeccanica. High quality management points with Intermeccanica spurred Bitter on to develop his personal automobiles and promote them below his personal title.
Bitter Cars
The primary manufacturing automobile from Bitter was the Bitter CD, a modern, elegant two-door sporting grand tourer powered by a 327 cubic inch Chevrolet V8. The automobile was profitable nonetheless the 1973 Oil Disaster prompted gross sales to stoop and by the tip of the 1973 to 1979 manufacturing run simply 395 of them had been made.
The inside of the Bitter SC is opulently upholstered in gold leather-based, it will have been the peak of luxurious in 1982.
In 1979 the brand new Bitter SC was launched, it will stay in manufacturing till 1989 and it will outsell its forebear although solely barely, with 461 offered. The SC could be adopted by the CDII, the Vero, Vero Sport, and the Insignia.
The corporate continues to be in enterprise at the moment creating luxurious variations of quite a few Opel manufacturing automobiles.
The Bitter SC
The Bitter SC was launched in 1979 as a direct alternative for the Bitter CD, the primary automobiles on provide had been the hardtop coupes, with the convertibles arriving in 1981 together with an non-obligatory four-wheel drive model of the coupe.
The SC shares a lot of its operating gear with the Opel Senator, a four-door sedan that was offered in Australia because the Holden Commodore and within the UK because the Vauxhall Senator.
The 2-door variations of the Bitter SC have been in comparison with the Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 and the similarity is obvious to see, although in fact they share no elements in widespread. When ordering your new SC within the Nineteen Eighties you had the choice of both the fuel-injected Opel 3.0 liter inline 6-cylinder engine with 177 bhp, or a stroked 3.9 liter model with 207 bhp.
The styling of the automobile is considerably much like the Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2 sequence, and so they’re usually mistaken for the Ferrari mannequin at exhibits.
The automobile was briefly offered within the USA after an settlement was reached with Normal Motors to promote the automobile by way of Buick dealerships. The hope was that it will claw again among the gross sales GM was dropping to the more and more well-liked German automobiles from the likes of BMW and Mercedes.
Solely a small variety of Buick sellers signed on for the brand new automobile and gross sales weren’t significantly robust, possible as a result of restricted model consciousness of Bitter in the US.
The surviving examples of the Bitter SC are actually wanted by collectors who love them for his or her eccentric nature and the truth that it’s straightforward to supply cheap spare elements for them from the Opel elements catalogue.
The 1982 Bitter SC Proven Right here
The automobile you see here’s a Bitter SC coupe from 1982. It’s fitted with a handbook gearbox and the three.0 liter inline-six cylinder engine producing 177 bhp.
It’s completed in a metallic brown with a gold leather-based inside, and the itemizing notes that the paint is exhibiting some indicators of corrosion and effervescent, which means it’ll possible want skilled rust restore and respray comparatively quickly.
In the event you’d prefer to learn extra about this SC or register to bid you possibly can go to the itemizing right here on The Market by Bonhams. The value information is a reasonably cheap $5,000 – $10,000 USD and it’s being offered out of Los Angeles, California.
Pictures courtesy of The Market by Bonhams
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