Tiger in wolf’s clothing?
You might not say it based on the design, but it has been 28 years since the Opel Tigra went into production. Today we find a neat-looking copy of the second year of construction in our used car range. We will explain them briefly, because an original Opel Tigra is now a relative rarity.
The first Opel Tigra came on the market in 1994 and was a coupé based on the Opel Corsa B. The Germans only equipped the model with sixteen valves, where you could choose from two different ones. One with 1.6 liter and one with 1.4 liter engine capacity. This red copy has the 1.4 under the hood, good for 90 hp. In this case, the block is mated to a four-speed automatic. Although the control lever has a real sports button, the Tigra is not exactly fast. According to the specifications, a 0-100 sprint takes 14 seconds.
We are therefore not looking for a crack nose for this time capsule. After all, over the years enough Tigras have fallen prey to young guys who kicked them off – one of the reasons why you hardly ever come across a car like this again. This Tigra, which is otherwise still quite original, apparently only just escaped the tuning dance. One of the seven owners that the Opel had so far could not hold back and mounted a large exhaust pipe underneath. And although it is not original, you could say that it is ‘period correct’. After all, the pipe would not have looked out of place under any Honda or an Opel Calibra of a comparable year, although in this case we would replace it with an original one.
Such pipes were common in the 90s – and certainly among Tigras.
Because apart from the exhaust (and the shark fin antenna), the Tigra is completely original – and that is quite unique. The car is still on its factory-mounted five-spoke alloy wheels and the spoiler on the back has always been there. The red paint also seems to be in very good condition, which is truly special for red tones from that time. When you go to view the car, check the hidden edges of the coach, because Tigras – as well as Calibras – wanted to rust. The Opeltje has run 131,703 kilometers and will probably have seen some brine.
Asking price
The mileage is not so much a reason to worry about the technology. In addition, the advertiser says that the timing belt and water pump have recently been replaced and the car will receive a new MOT. That moves the car company that offers it to ask €2,950 for the car. For that pretty solid price, we would like to see the car on a bridge to check whether the bottom is in just as good a condition as the top. The interior – with air conditioning! – at least still looks neat, including the real one nineties upholstery that wouldn’t look out of place on city bus seats. That also speaks for the asking price, which is probably not too high for a Tigra enthusiast. After all, you will not find a copy that looks just as neat and original again.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl