Opel Admiral B Coupé Frua

Vehicle Overview

The Opel Admiral B Coupé Frua, unveiled at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show and the 1969 I.A.A. in Frankfurt, remains a noteworthy example of automotive design that never reached series production. This concept, presented by Pietro Frua, was initially showcased as the “Opel Diplomat Coupé Special,” but it is more accurately described as the Opel Admiral B Coupé, as it was built upon the Opel Admiral B 2800 H chassis. Finished in a striking celeste paintjob with a beige leather interior, the Opel Admiral B Coupé was intended to serve as a proposal for a future production model. Frua’s design was meant to be a luxurious four-seater coupé, built on a shortened version of the Opel Diplomat chassis and featuring an injection engine. The design was an attempt to create a blend of German engineering with Italian styling, akin to Frua’s work on the Monteverdi 375S Coupé. Distinctive Italian styling elements were incorporated into the design, including a new front grille with horizontal headlamps, which set it apart from the more American-inspired original Opel Diplomat. Despite these updates, the vehicle did not stand out markedly among the other specialty bodies displayed in Geneva. The design was considered rather plain and lacked the imagination some critics had hoped for. The interior featured a combination of suede and Skai in light beige, which was not entirely cohesive, and an unusual modification to the dashboard—raised by about 12 cm—created a visibility issue that detracted from its functionality. The Admiral B Coupé Frua was also exhibited at the 56th Salon de l’Automobile in Paris, alongside models such as the BMW 2002 GT4 Coupé and the BMW 2800 GTS Coupé. It made another appearance at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show alongside the Maserati Quattroporte “Aga Khan” and the Citroën SM Coupé. Despite its promising design, the project never progressed beyond these showings, and the concept remains a fascinating footnote in automotive history.