“Just write your name on it,” he was advised when he was naming his first car. So it came about that the Coupé Diplomat became world-famous as “Bitter” with a capital B on the bow. The sports car with powerful Opel V8 technology was the realization of his lifelong dream. As a cyclist, he achieved considerable success at a young age, which Erich Bitter shares with the five sons of Sophie and Adam Opel. However, the Westphalian did not choose the parental bike shop chain as a career perspective, he turned to the automobile.
In 1960 he set up an NSU agency, later he traded in Abarth models and brands from Sweden. He founded the accessories trade “Rallye Bitter”. He supplied Porsche with non-splintering wooden steering wheels, marketed innovative fireproof racing overalls, sold tuning parts and accessories for sports drivers. From 1959 to 1968 Erich Bitter ran motor sports, mainly on circuits. His two appearances with the “Black Widow”, a Group 5 touring car based on Rekord C, in which he outperformed the established Porsche and BMW competition, are still legendary today.
Erich Bitter with his insignia (right) and with his icon, the CD.
In 1969 Erich Bitter acted as importer of the Italian Intermeccanica sports cars. Their lax manufacturing mentality got on the nerves of the quality fanatic – in Bitter the desire to build their own cars matured. In the early 1970s, negotiations with Opel manager Bob Lutz marked the beginning of his most notable period in his life, that of an automobile manufacturer.
50 years ago, at the 1973 International Motor Show, Bitter proudly presented his realized vision: the CD. Other exclusive small-series models followed, such as the Kadett Aero, SC and Vero – a total of around 1,000 vehicles bear his name. During his last visit to Rüsselsheim, Erich Bitter arrived with a refined Insignia B.
Erich Bitter died in Schwelm on July 10, 2023, four weeks before his 90th birthday.
In 1968, Erich Bitter thrilled audiences with the furious “Black Widow”.
July 2023
Photos: Opel