The Opel Manta 400 occupies a singular place in Group B history: a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive saloon-derived car that punched well above its weight against the four-wheel-drive machinery beginning to dominate the FIA World Rally Championship in 1984. IXO Models has chosen one of the most evocative British entries from that era — the No. 37 of Irish champion Bertie Fisher and co-driver Austin Frazer at the RAC Lombard Rally — to add to its dedicated 1:43 rally range.
A Homologation Special Born from 400 Road Cars
Opel engineered the Manta 400 specifically to meet FIA Group B homologation rules, which required a minimum production run of 400 road cars — a requirement satisfied in 1982 and immortalised in the model's name. The bodyshell retained the steel structure of the Manta B, measuring 4,390 mm in overall length, but was extensively lightened with Kevlar and fibreglass panels. Power came from a Cosworth-developed 2.4-litre twin-cam inline-four producing approximately 270–300 bhp in full competition specification, mated to a Getrag five-speed gearbox. A mid-mounted fuel cell and bespoke roll-cage completed the transformation from production coupé to rally weapon.
Bertie Fisher and the 1984 RAC Lombard Rally
Bertie Fisher (1953–2001) was one of Ireland's finest rally drivers, a five-time Irish Tarmac Rally Champion who regularly brought his Manta 400 to WRC rounds during 1983–1984. At the November 1984 RAC Lombard Rally — held across British forests and counting toward the FIA World Rally Championship — Fisher competed under the Team GM Dealer Sport banner, the factory-supported Opel and Vauxhall dealer-network programme that represented the marque's official presence in British and Irish motorsport. Car number 37, co-driven by Austin Frazer, carried the programme's distinctive corporate livery through some of the most demanding stage conditions of the British rally calendar.
IXO Models and the 1:43 Scale Die-Cast
This 1:43 scale model is the work of IXO Models, a manufacturer with a long-standing focus on 1:43 racing and rally subjects. The model is produced in die-cast metal and sits within IXO's dedicated RAC Rally series. The Team GM Dealer Sport colour scheme is reproduced with the car number 37 and the period-accurate livery graphics that distinguish Fisher's entry from the works Audi Quattro and Lancia 037 machinery of the same event. At 1:43, every major body panel of the Manta 400's distinctive fastback silhouette is faithfully represented.
Placing It in the Collection
The No. 37 Fisher Manta 400 belongs naturally alongside other Group B 1:43 rally entries from the 1983–1985 WRC cycle. It pairs well with Audi Quattro A2 and Lancia Rally 037 representations from the same 1984 RAC event, offering a direct competitive context on the shelf. For collectors focused on the British and Irish rally scene, it complements entries from the Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS era and later Group A material associated with Fisher's career. Opel marque collectors will recognise it as a faithful record of the GM Dealer Sport programme's corporate identity at its most active period.
Häufig gestellte Fragen
Who was Bertie Fisher?
Bertie Fisher (1953–2001) was an Irish rally driver and five-time Irish Tarmac Rally Champion. He campaigned the Opel Manta 400 on multiple WRC rounds, including the RAC Rally, in 1983 and 1984.
What was Team GM Dealer Sport?
Team GM Dealer Sport was the factory-supported Opel and Vauxhall dealer-network rally programme that fielded Manta 400s in British and Irish events during the early 1980s.
What is the Opel Manta 400 and why was it called that?
The Manta 400 was a Group B homologation special built on the Manta B bodyshell. Opel produced the minimum 400 road cars required by FIA regulations in 1982, which gave the model its name.
Who makes this model and in what material?
The model is made by IXO Models in die-cast metal at 1:43 scale, as part of IXO's dedicated RAC Rally series.
