1979 Bitter CD

Lot details
Registration No: KGY479V
Chassis No: 5250386

- Erich Bitter's personal car and finished to his specification

- 1 of only circa 395 made

The three-door CD Coupe started life as a 1969 Opel concept car based on the Diplomat Saloon, its largest model of the time. Positively received at the Frankfurt Salon, it was progressed to prototype stage by Frua before the programme was dropped. However, with encouragement from Opel, it was then adopted by former racing driver Erich Bitter and, following further development, appeared at the 1973 Frankfurt Salon with all mechanical elements courtesy of Opel and bodies produced by Bauer around a shortened Diplomat floorpan. Power was supplied by a 227bhp 5.4-litre (327ci) Chevrolet V8. Again, the car was very well received and some 176 orders are believed to have been taken, encouraging a production target of 200 units per year to be envisaged. The fuel crisis then intervened though, and only c.395 examples are thought to have been sold, of which the sale car is chassis number 386.

It is a special example of a rare breed, for not only was it one of the last of the line, but was singled out for Erich Bitter's personal use. He had it finished in his favourite colours - Porsche 'Indisch-Rot' (Indian Red) for the bodywork, Brown for the buffalo hide upholstery (a 7,000DM option) and Tan-coloured carpets. He also specified wheels from the later SC model, which were 15x8inch rather than the standard 14x7inch. Only very occasionally used on a 'five day red number plate', the CD remained part of Bitter's museum until it was sold to Kurt Ritter, one of the company's investors, for 100,000DM in 1990. He too only used the car sparingly and it passed to Armin Wurm in 1994. Never restored, '242 PK' now registers an unwarranted 68,615 kilometres (c.42,600 miles) and is considered by the vendor to have 'excellent' bodywork, paintwork, interior trim, engine and three-speed automatic transmission. The MOT is valid into March 2018.

PLEASE NOTE: The registration number previously advertised for this vehicle is not included in the sale and will be retained by the vendor.