Nostalgia is a powerful marketing force, and when a brand is in trouble, looking backwards can often lead to success going forward. Look at what BMW did with MINI, what Ford did with Mustang, VW with Beetle and Fiat with the ever so cute 500.

The Opel Monza name is a prominent moniker in SA car culture, and although we know it as a sedan from the late ‘80s and early ‘90s the name adorned a sporty coupe in Europe. Both variants were successful, and futuristic, and Opel is the latest brand to go back to the past to brighten up the future.

Although they’ve only released this one image of the Opel Monza concept, curiously with a happy CEO perched next to it, the concept looks striking, and Opel admits it showcases the brand’s future design language. I’m totally okay with that.

Opel Monza – German Rivalry?

At this stage, nobody outside of Opel knows what the Monza looks like in profile, but speculation is that the car will be a rival for cars like Audi’s A5 coupe, and BMW’s upcoming 4 series Coupe. That’s a bold ambition indeed, but Opel has successfully played in such segments before; the Bertone Coupe from the 90s immediately comes to mind, and has become a bit of a cult classic.

The Opel Monza coupe was the first car with a digital speedometer display, and in keeping with this small but significant world first, Opel is promising the next Monza will feature “a quantum leap” in infotainment and connectivity functionality, as well as a ground breaking drivetrain solution. Sounds promising, but these are big claims. That’s all we know for now, but at the very least, its exciting to know that Opel is thinking big.

Opel Monza – Debut

The Opel Monza will debut in the metal at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in September.