Inside the Bitter SC

From 1979 to 1989, 461 Bitter SC coupes were made.  This is one of them.

This is another dream car from my childhood.  In the mid-1980s, I had a Consumer Reports-type magazine and it listed every new car available in America (with accompanying photos).  On the left column of a left page, there was a black and white photo of a Bitter SC.  What was that thing?!

Erich Bitter took a German Opel Senator and added Italian designed and produced body work.  The interior was also inspired by Italia.

This 1985 model MSRP'ed for $52,000.  A Porsche 911 cost $32,000 then and a Ferrari 308 was $54,000.

I never got to see a Bitter in real life, until yesterday.

Jack Hunt is a car guy who happens to run a classic car dealership and mechanical and body repair shop.  The San Rafael business has been around for three generations, since 1927 (it used to be a Chrysler dealership).  Jack's inventory can best be described as eclectic, and right up my alley.  At what other lot can you find a 1985 Bitter SC, a rally-prepped 1983 Toyota Corolla, and a 1953 Facel Comete?

Jack welcomed me and let me spend an hour looking over every inch of the Bitter.  He couldn't have been more patient with my dumb questions.  Here is a real answer to one of my questions: That's the door lock.

This California coupe belongs to a Bay Area collector who is culling the herd, so to speak.  Here is the tidy engine bay.  That's the 3.9 liter unit.

This is a very straightforward layout.  As I sit in the cockpit, my only complaint is the lack of headroom.  It's a big car and the roofline did not look low from the outside.

The steel doors are heavy.  The seats look soft, but are actually quite firm.  That thing in the middle of the door-- it's the door lock.

This is a shot from the back seat.  Same story with the headroom situation here.  As for legroom, short in-town trips are do-able.  I doubt many people have ever sat in the back seat of this 26 year old car.

The car has been gently used and was probably garaged its whole life.  It's certainly not in concours condition, but it may be the perfect daily driver for the right person.

Those white specks are from my camera (and are not on the seat).  I was taking pictures of a nuclear power plant during a mini-sandstorm.  Long story.

Door jamb stickers.

Those rims are ridiculously awesome.  The other nice touch?  The keys have the Opel insignia on them.

Here are a couple more exterior shots:

Thanks again, Jack!