Intermeccanica Indra | The Italian Corvette

2 October 2025 Redazione News, Supercars Lounge

Words Andrea Albertazzi / Photos Bonhams

Feel a bit confused right? Don’t pretend otherwise. You probably never even heard ‘bout the Indra, but chances are you haven’t heard of Intermeccanica either. You’re likely in good company, but let me spark your curiosity by reminding you how some of the most celebrated models of the 70s followed the very same philosophy behind this very car, a car I personally fell in love with the first time I saw it, on the faded pages of an old German magazine. Italian style joining American mechanics, but let’s take it step by step. Founded in Turin in 1959 by husband and wife Frank and Paula Reisner, Intermeccanica started out as a small company mainly producing kits for carburetors and exhaust systems, eventually moving on to build a few race cars. But as often happens in the best automotive fairy tales, they wanted more.

That meant leaving a mark by bringing their vision to life, first with the Apollo GT and later, after crossing paths with Bob Lutz, then a General Motors executive who wanted to create a sporty Opel capable of giving Ferrari and Maserati a run for their money. In 1969, the CD prototype arrived. Despite great public interest, Opel’s management shelved the project. At that point, Lutz involved the Reisners, entrusting them with turning his dream Opel into reality. Frank Reisner agreed to take on the job, but insisted on using a dedicated chassis instead of the heavy and outdated one from the Diplomat on which the CD was based.

Enter Franco Scaglione, the designer behind the immortal Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale. The Indra began to take shape, drawing from the stylistic language of the early 70s: sharp edges – plenty of them – with the proportions of a sporty coupe (also available as a cabriolet) and the intriguing choice of pairing a generous American powerplant with, alternatively, a modest Opel-derived 130-horsepower engine. The beating heart of the Indra was a 5.4-liter V8 with 270 horsepower, the very same used for the Corvette. As a bonus, it was available with either manual or automatic transmission. Performance was perfectly in line with the rivals that Lutz had originally envisioned and toward which – let me say – Reisner infused both inspiration and tribute: the Maserati Ghibli and Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona. But the Indra came at a far lower price than those two thoroughbred Italians, despite nearly identical performance.

In 1971, Opel’s dealer network backed the Indra, offering it with both engine options. By 1973, at the New York Automobile Show, the Indra made its official U.S. debut, causing a stir thanks to its rich standard equipment, which included power steering, ventilated disc brakes, air conditioning and power windows. Yet what struck people the most was its styling: simple yet refined. Muscular, expressing its dual identity as both an Italian grand tourer and an American muscle car. Two pairs of exhaust pipes beneath a muscular rear echoed a sleek nose with pop-up headlights. In short, every box was ticked for a dream car, except one: mass production, which unfortunately never happened.

By 1975, General Motors drastically changed its policy on supplying engines and parts to outside manufacturers, throwing Intermeccanica’s production into crisis. The fact that Bob Lutz had by then left GM for BMW didn’t help as his support had been vital to sustaining Intermeccanica’s dream, which by then had become a difficult and lonely road. The oil crisis delivered the final blow. By that time, only 127 Indras had been produced: just 40 coupes, 60 cabrios and 27 2+2s. Today, regardless of the fact that it has never reached significant market value, the Indra remains a clear example of how, 50 years ago, the meeting of visionaries quickly gave birth to a beautiful car that combined the best of two worlds in the interpretation of a sports car. A real pity its fate was not more generous.