Opel

The company was founded in Rüsselsheim, Hesse, Germany, on 21 January 1862, by Adam Opel. In the beginning, Opel produced sewing machines. In 1888, production was relocated from a cowshed to a more spacious building in Rüsselsheim. Opel[9] launched a new product in 1886: he began to sell high-wheel bicycles, also known as penny-farthings. Opel's two sons participated in high-wheel bicycle races, thus promoting this means of transportation. The production of high-wheel bicycles soon exceeded the production of sewing machines.[10] At the time of Opel's death in 1895, he was the leader in both markets.

The first cars were designed in 1898 after Opel's widow Sophie and their two eldest sons entered into a partnership with Friedrich Lutzmann, a locksmith at the court in Dessau in Saxony-Anhalt, who had been working on automobile designs for some time.[11][12] The first Opel production Patent Motor Car was built in Rüsselsheim early 1899, although these cars were not very successful (A total of 65 motor cars were delivered: [15] 11 in 1899, 24 copies in 1900 and 30 in 1901) and the partnership was dissolved after two years, following which Opel signed a licensing agreement in 1901 with the French Automobiles Darracq France to manufacture vehicles under the brand name Opel Darracq. These cars consisted of Opel bodies mounted on Darracq chassis, powered by two-cylinder engines.

The company first showed cars of its own design at the 1902 Hamburg Motor Show, and started manufacturing them in 1906, with Opel Darracq production being discontinued in 1907.[13][14]

In 1909, the Opel 4/8 PS model, known as the Doktorwagen ("Doctor's Car") was produced. Its reliability and robustness were appreciated by physicians, who drove long distances to see their patients back when hard-surfaced roads were still rare. The Doktorwagen sold for only 3,950 marks, about half as much as the luxury models of its day.

In 1911, the company's factory was virtually destroyed by fire and a new one was built with more up-to-date machinery.

Opel Admiral convertible (1937–1939)

Opel Kapitän (1938-1940)

In the early 1920s, Opel became the first German car manufacturer to incorporate a mass-production assembly line in the building of their automobiles. In 1924, they used their assembly line to produce a new open two-seater called the Laubfrosch (Tree frog). The Laubfrosch was finished exclusively in green lacquer. The car sold for an expensive 3,900 marks (expensive considering the less expensive manufacturing process), but by the 1930s, this type of vehicle would cost a mere 1,930 marks – due in part to the assembly line, but also due to the skyrocketing demand for cars. Adam Opel led the way for motorised transportation to become not just a means for the rich, but also a reliable way for people of all classes to travel.

Opel had a 37.5% market share in Germany and was also the country's largest automobile exporter in 1928. The "Regent" – Opel's first eight-cylinder car – was offered. The RAK 1 and RAK 2 rocket-propelled cars made sensational record-breaking runs.

In March 1929, General Motors (GM), impressed by Opel's modern production facilities, bought 80% of the company, increasing this to 100% in 1931. The Opel family gained $33.3 million from the transaction. Subsequently, during 1935, a second factory was built at Brandenburg for the production of "Blitz" light trucks. In 1929 Opel licensed design of the radical Neander motorcycle, and produced it as the Opel Motoclub in 1929 and 1930, using Küchen, J.A.P., and Motosacoche engines. Fritz von Opel famously attached solid-fuel rockets to his Motoclub in a publicity stunt, riding the rocket-boosted motorcycle at the Avus racetrack.[15]

In 1935, Opel became the first German car manufacturer to produce over 100,000 vehicles a year. This was based on the popular Opel P4 model. The selling price was a mere 1,650 marks and the car had a 23 PS (17 kW) 1.1 L four-cylinder engine and a top speed of 85 km/h (53 mph).

Opel also produced the first mass-production vehicle in Germany with a self-supporting ("unibody") all-steel body, closely following the 1934 Citroën Traction Avant. This was one of the most important innovations in automotive history.[16] They called the car, launched in 1935, the Olympia. With its small weight and aerodynamics came an improvement in both performance and fuel consumption. Opel received a patent on this technology.

The 1930s was a decade of growth, and by 1937, with 130,267 cars produced, Opel's Rüsselsheim plant was Europe's top car plant in terms of output, while ranking seventh worldwide.[17]

1938 saw the presentation of the highly successful Kapitän. With a 2.5 L six-cylinder engine, all-steel body, front independent suspension, hydraulic shock absorbers, hot-water heating (with electric blower), and central speedometer. 25,374 Kapitäns left the factory before the intensification of World War II brought automotive manufacturing to a temporary stop in the Autumn of 1940, by order of the government.

Assembly of the Opel Blitz at Opelwerk Brandenburg (1936)

Military version of Opel Blitz in Italy (1944)

Opel automobile production ended in October 1940, after the company's American leadership had rejected an "invitation" to switch to munitions manufacture a few months earlier.[18] In 1942 Opel switched to wartime production, making aircraft parts and tanks. They kept manufacturing trucks at the Brandenburg plant, where the 3.6-liter Opel Blitz truck had been built since 1938. These 3 short tons (2.7 t) trucks were also built under license by Daimler-Benz in Mannheim.[18]

One of the administration buildings in Rüsselsheim.

Opel product of the 1940s:
"Frigidaire" refrigerator

Opel Rekord P1 (1957–1960)

Recognition Award Platter from German Auto Industry to Gaston de Wolff

After the end of the war, with the Brandenburg plant dismantled and transported to the Soviet Union, and 47% of the buildings in Rüsselsheim destroyed,[19] former Opel employees began to rebuild the Rüsselsheim plant. The first postwar Opel Blitz truck was completed on 15 July 1946 in the presence of United States Army General Geoffrey Keyes and other local leaders and press reporters.[19] Opel's Rüsselsheim plant also made Frigidaire refrigerators in the early post-war years.[20]

During the 1970s and 1980s, the Vauxhall and Opel ranges were rationalised into one consistent range across Europe.

By the 1970s, Opel had emerged as the stronger of GM's two European brands; Vauxhall was the third-best selling brand in Great Britain after the ppBritish Motor Corporation]] (later British Leyland) but made only a modest impact elsewhere. The two companies were direct competitors outside of each other's respective home markets, but mirroring US automaker Ford's decision to merge its English and German subsidiaries in the late 1960s, GM followed the same precedent. Opel and Vauxhall had loosely collaborated before, but serious efforts to merge the two companies' operations and product families into one did not start until the 1970s - which had Vauxhall's complete product line replaced by vehicles built on Opel-based platforms - the only exception to the rule being the Bedford CF panel van, the only solely Vauxhall design which was marketed as an Opel on the Continent. By the turn of the 1980s, the two brands were in effect, one and the same.

Opel's first turbocharged car was the Opel Rekord 2.3 TD, first shown at Geneva in March 1984.[21]

In the 1990s, Opel was considered to be GM's cash cow, with profit margins similar to that of Toyota. Opel's profit helped to offset GM's losses in North America and to fund GM's expansion into Asia.[22] 1999 was the last time when Opel was profitable for the full year for almost 20 years.[23]

Following the 2008 global financial crisis, on 10 September 2009, GM agreed to sell a 55% stake in Opel to the Magna group with the approval of the German government. The deal was later called off.[24]

With ongoing restructuring plans, Opel announced the closure of its Antwerp plant in Belgium by the end of 2010.[25]

In 2010, Opel announced that it would invest around €11 billion in the next five years.[26] €1 billion of that was designated solely for the development of innovative and fuel-saving engines and transmissions.[27]

On 29 February 2012, Opel announced the creation of a major alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroen resulting in GM taking a 7% share of PSA, becoming PSA's second-largest shareholder after the Peugeot family. The alliance was intended to enable $2 billion per year of cost savings through platform sharing, common purchasing, and other economies of scale.[28] In December 2013, GM sold its 7% interest in PSA for £250 million, after plans of cost savings were not as successful.[29] Opel was said to be among Europe's most aggressive discounters in mass-market.[30] GM reported a 2016 loss of US$257 million from its European operations.[29] It is reported that GM has lost about US$20 billion in Europe since 1999.[31]

Opel's plant in Bochum closed in December 2014, after 52 years of activity, due to overcapacity.[32]

Opel withdrew from China, where it had a network of 22 dealers, in early 2015[33] after General Motors decided to withdraw its Chevrolet brand from Europe starting in 2016.[34]

In March 2017, Groupe PSA agreed to buy Opel, its British sister brand Vauxhall and their European auto lending business from General Motors for US$2.2 billion.[35][36] In return, General Motors will pay PSA US$3.2 billion for future European pension obligations and keep managing US$9.8 billion worth of plans for existing retirees. Furthermore, GM is responsible for paying about US$400 million annually for 15 years to fund the existing Great Britain and Germany pension plans.[35]

In June 2017, Michael Lohscheller, Opel's chief financial officer replaced Karl-Thomas Neumann as CEO.[37]

In the 2018 financial year, Opel achieved an operating income of 859 € million. It was the first positive income since 1999.[38][39]

As of 2014 Opel Group GmbH Is the contracted original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of Opel/Vauxhall. Adam Opel AG is the main supplier (tier 1) for the OEM; all subsidiaries are tier 2 suppliers.

Production site	Image	Production since	Products	Comments	Employees
Rüsselsheim am Main, Germany		1898	Insignia (saloon/sedan, hatchback, Sports Tourer (estate/wagon), Country Tourer (crossover estate/wagon)) Zafira Tourer C[45] GM F40 transmission	International Technical Development Center (ITDC) Headquarters of Opel Automobile GmbH Dudenhofen Test Center	12.990
Kaiserslautern, Germany		1966	Components Engines		2.150
Kikinda, Serbia(*Ex-Yugoslavia)		1977 -1992	Car parts Opel Kadett, Opel Omega, Opel Senator(also known as Opel Kikinda), Opel Vectra	IDA-Opel(Industry for car parts Opel)	?
Opel Eisenach GmbH Eisenach, Germany		1990	Corsa E (three-door) Adam[46][47] Opel Grandland X[48]		1.420
Figueruelas, near Zaragoza, Spain		1982	Corsa E (three-, four-, and five-door) Meriva B Mokka[49] Corsa F		5.120
Gliwice, Poland		1998	Opel Astra J (saloon/sedan, GTC three-door hatchback) Opel Astra K (5-door) Buick/Opel/Vauxhall Cascada[50]		2.920
Opel Manufacturing Poland[51] Tychy, Poland		1996	Diesel engines		480
Opel Szentgotthárd Szentgotthárd, Hungary		1990	Engines Transmissions		810
Vauxhall Ellesmere Port Ellesmere Port, Great Britain		1962	Astra K Sports Tourer (estate/wagon)		1.630
IBC Vehicles Ltd Luton, Great Britain		1907	Vivaro B	headquarters of Vauxhall	1.140
GM Auto LLC Saint Petersburg, Russia		2008	Astra J (five-door, saloon/sedan)		880

Plant controlled as first-tier subsidiary of General Motors Europe Limited, second-tier subsidiary of GM CME Holdings CV and third-tier subsidiary of General Motors Corporation (GMC):[40]

Production site	Image	Production since	Products	Comments	Employees
Opel Wien GmbH[40] Aspern, Austria		1982	Family 0 engines Transmissions	Opel Wien in Austria also well known as its first name General Motors Austria[52]	1.480

1862: Adam Opel's initials

The first Opel logo contained the letters "A" and "O" – the initials of the company's founder, Adam Opel. The A was in bronze, the O kept in red.

In 1866, Opel expanded and started to produce bicycles. Around 1890, the logo was completely redesigned. The new logo also contained the words "Victoria Blitz" (referring to Lady Victory; they were certain of the triumph of their bicycles). The word "Blitz" (English: lightning) first appeared back then, but without a depiction.

1910: the blue eye

Another redesign was commissioned in 1909. The new logo was much more spirited and contained only the company name Opel. It was placed on the motorcycles that they had started to produce in 1902, and on the first cars which were produced in 1909.

In 1910, the logo was the shape of an eye, and it was surrounded by laurels, with the text "Opel" in the centre.

From the mid-1930s to the 1960s, passenger cars carried a ring which was crossed by some kind of a flying thing pointing to the left, which in some form could be interpreted as a zeppelin, the same flying object being used also as a forward-pointing hood ornament. In some versions, it looked like an arrow; in others, like an aeroplane or a bird.

Besides the hood ornament flying through the ring, Opel also used a coat of arms in various forms, which mostly had a combination of white and yellow colours in it, a shade of yellow which is typical for Opel until today. One was oval, half white and half yellow. The Opel writing was black and in the middle of the oval symbol.

The origin of the lightning in the 2012 Opel logo lies in the truck Opel Blitz (German Blitz = English "lightning"), which had been a commercial success, widely used also within the Wehrmacht, Nazi Germany's military. Originally, the logo for this truck consisted of two stripes arranged loosely like a lightning symbol with the words "Opel" and "Blitz" in them, in later, 1950s models simplified to the horizontal form of lightning which appears in the current Opel logo. The jag in the lightning always follows the original from the "Opel Blitz" text stripes, in the form of a horizontally stretched letter "Z".

By the end of the 1960s, the two forms merged, and the horizontal lightning replaced the flying thing in the ring, giving way to the basic design which is used since then with variations. Through all its variations, this logo is simple and unique, and both easily recognisable and reproducible with just two strokes of a pen.

In the 1964 version, the lightning with a ring was used in a yellow rectangle, with the Opel writing below. The whole logo was again delimited by a black rectangle. The basic form and proportions of the Blitz logo have remained unchanged since the 1970 version, which made the lightning tails shorter so that the logo could fit proportionately within a yellow square, meaning it could be displayed next to the 'blue square' General Motors logo. In the mid-1970s, the Vauxhall "Griffin" logo was, in turn, resized and displayed within a corresponding red square, so that all three logos could be displayed together, thus signifying the unified GM Europe.

• Evolution of hood ornament flying through ring
• 
  Hood ornament of the Opel Olympia (1935–37)
• 
  1937: Hood ornament flying through the ring
• 
  Hood ornament of a 1937 Opel car, typical for many other Opels at the time
• 
  Logo on spare wheel cover of a 1938 Kapitän
• 
  Logo on the rear of a 1951 Kapitän
• 
  1959 Opel Kapitän

• The lightning of the Opel Blitz replacing the hood ornament
• 
  early 1950s Opel Blitz with words in horizontal lightning
• 
  1961 Opel Blitz with stylised horizontal lightning
• 
  Basic form of current logo on a 1968 Opel Blitz
• 
  Lightning in ring on a 1969 Opel Kapitän
• 
  The 1970-1987 version, the "Opel" script was dropped in 1981.
• 
  Opel logo (2002–07)
• 
  2009-2017: Opel logo with integrated lettering
• 
  2017-2021: Opel logo
• 
  Since 2020: Opel logo

The SC Opel Rüsselsheim is a football club with over 450 members. RV 1888 Opel Rüsselsheim is a cycling club.

Opel's corporate tagline as of June 2017 is The Future Is Everyone's (German: Die Zukunft gehört allen). Fresh Thinking - Better Cars (1997-2002) Discover Opel (2006-2010) Wir Leben Autos (We Love Cars) (2010-2017) The Future is Everyone's (2017)

Opel currently has partnerships with association football clubs such as Bundesliga clubs Borussia Dortmund and 1. FSV Mainz 05. Opel cooperates with French oil&gas company Total on plans for a battery cell factory.[53] From 1994 until 2006, Opel has been partnership with Milan and previously with Fiorentina from 1983 until 1986 in Italy, from 1995 until 2002 with Paris Saint-Germain in France and from 1989 until 2002 with Bayern Munchen in Germany.

Opel cars appeared under their own name in the US from 1958 to 1975, when they were sold through Buick dealers as captive imports. The best-selling Opel models in the US were the 1964 to 1972 Opel Kadett, the 1971 to 1975 Opel Manta, and the 1968 to 1973 Opel GT.[58][59] (The name "Opel" was also applied from 1976 to 1980 to vehicles manufactured by Isuzu (similar to the "Isuzu I-mark"), but mechanically those were entirely different cars).

Historically, Opel vehicles have also been sold at various times in the North American market as either heavily modified, or "badge-engineered" models under the Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Saturn, and Cadillac brands - for instance the J-body platform, which was largely developed by Opel - was the basis of North American models such as the Chevrolet Cavalier and Cadillac Cimarron. Below is a list of current or recent Opel models which are sold under GM's North American brands.

The last two generations of the Buick Regal have been rebadged versions of the Opel Insignia.[60] The main differences are the modified radiator grill and the altered colour of the passenger compartment illumination (blue instead of red). The Regal GS is comparable to the Insignia OPC. It was first assembled alongside the Insignia at the Opel plant in Rüsselsheim. In the first quarter of 2011, It began to be built on the flexible assembly line at the GM plant in Oshawa, Canada.[61]

• 
  Opel Insignia 1st gen
• 
  Buick Regal 5th gen
• 
  Opel Insignia 2nd gen
• 
  Buick Regal 6th gen

The Buick Cascada is a rebadged Opel Cascada, built in Poland and sold in the United States unchanged from the Opel in all but badging.[62][63]

• 
  Opel Cascada
• 
  Buick Cascada

Unlike the vehicles listed above, the Buick LaCrosse is not a rebadged version of an Opel model. However, it is based on a long-wheelbase version of the Opel-developed Epsilon II-platform, so shares many key components with the Opel Insignia and thereby the Buick Regal.

• 
  2014 Buick LaCrosse

The Astra H was sold in the US as the Saturn Astra for model years 2008 and 2009.

• 
  Opel Astra five-door
• 
  Saturn Astra XE five-door

The Saturn L-Series was a modified version of the Opel Vectra B. Though the Saturn had different exterior styling and had plastic door panels, it shared the same body shape as the Opel. Both cars rode on the GM2900 platform. The Saturn also had a different interior, yet shared some interior parts, such as the inside of the doors.

• 
  Opel Vectra B Sedan
• 
  Saturn L-Series Sedan

The second generation of the Saturn VUE, introduced in 2007 for the 2008 model year, was a rebadged version of the German-designed Opel Antara, manufactured in Mexico. After the demise of the Saturn brand, the VUE was discontinued, but the car continued to be produced and sold as Chevrolet Captiva Sport in Mexican and South American markets. The Chevrolet Captiva Sport was introduced for the US commercial and fleet markets in late 2011 for the 2012 model.

• 
  Opel Antara
• 
  Saturn VUE
• 
  Chevrolet Captiva Sport

The Opel Omega B was sold in the US as the Cadillac Catera.

• 
  Opel Omega
• 
  Cadillac Catera

Opel exports a variety of models to Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa.

The 2015 Opel range in South Africa comprises the Opel Adam, Opel Astra, Opel Corsa, Opel Meriva, Opel Mokka, and Opel Vivaro. No diesel versions are offered.

From 1986 to 2003, Opel models were produced by Delta Motor Corporation, a company created through a management buyout following of GM's divestment from apartheid South Africa. Delta assembled the Opel Kadett, with the sedan version called the Opel Monza. This was replaced by the Opel Astra, although the Kadett name was retained for the hatchback and considered a separate model. A version of the Rekord Series E remained in production after the model had been replaced by the Omega in Europe, as was a Commodore model unique to South Africa, combining the bodyshell of the Rekord with the front end of the revised Senator. The Opel Corsa was introduced in 1996, with kits of the Brazilian-designed sedan and pick-up (known in South African English as a bakkie) being locally assembled.

Although GM's passenger vehicle line-up in South Africa consisted of Opel-based models by the late 1970s, these were sold under the Chevrolet brand name, with only the Kadett being marketed as an Opel when it was released in 1980. In 1982, the Chevrolet brand name was dropped, with the Ascona, Rekord, Commodore, and Senator being rebadged as Opels.

Many Opel models or models based on Opel architectures have been sold in Australia and New Zealand under the Holden marque, such as the Holden Barina (1994-2005), which were rebadged versions of the Opel Corsa, the Holden Astra. a version of the Opel Astra, and the Captiva 5, a version of the Opel Antara. In New Zealand, the Opel Kadett and Ascona were sold as niche models by General Motors New Zealand in the 1980s, while the Opel brand was used on the Opel Vectra until 1994.

For the first time ever, the Opel brand was introduced to Australia on 1 September 2012, including the Corsa, Astra, Astra GTC, and Insignia models.[64][65] On 2 August 2013, Opel announced it was ending exports to Australia due to poor sales, with only 1,530 vehicles sold in the first ten months.[66][67]

After the closure of Opel Australia, Holden imports newer Opel models such as the Astra GTC (ceased 1 May 2017), Astra VXR (Astra OPC), Cascada (ceased 1 May 2017), and Insignia VXR (Insignia OPC, ceased 1 May 2017), under the Holden badge.[68] The 2018 5th-gen Holden Commodore ZB is a badge-engineered Opel Insignia, replacing the Australian-made, rear-wheel drive Commodore with the German-made front-wheel/all-wheel drive Insignia platform.

Opel's presence in China recommenced in 2012 with the Antara, and added the Insignia estate in 2013.[69] Opel-derived models are also sold as Buick. On 28 March 2014, Opel announced that it would leave China in 2015.[70]

Opel was long General Motors' strongest marque in Japan, with sales peaking at 38,000 in 1996. However, the brand was withdrawn from the Japanese market in December 2006, with just 1,800 sales there in 2005. Since then, Opel has not sold any cars or SUVs in Japan. Opel is returning to the Japanese market in 2021.[71]

A wide range of Opel models are exported to Singapore.

Opel was marketed in Malaysia beginning from the 1970s, and early models exported were Kadett, Gemini, and Manta. Opel had moderate sales from the 1980s until the early 2000s, when Malaysian car buyers favoured Japanese and Korean brand cars such as Toyota, Honda, Hyundai (Inokom) and Kia (Naza), which offered more competitive prices. Sales of Opel cars in Malaysia were dropped then, as Opel's prices were slightly higher than the same-segment Japanese, Korean, and local Proton and Perodua cars, and they were hard to maintain, had bad aftersales services, and spare parts were not readily available.

Opel was withdrawn from Malaysian market in 2003, and the last models sold were the Zafira, Astra, and Vectra, and the rebadged Isuzu MU as the Frontera, later replaced by Chevrolet.

Opel India Pvt Ltd (OIPL) was founded in 1996 and gave the average Indian car buyers their first choice of (somewhat) affordable German engineering with the Astra sedan. Opel was withdrawn from the Indian market in 2006, replaced by Chevrolet.

Since 1938, the country has been producing Opels in a General Motors-owned plant since 1938. The plant was nationalized in 1957. In 1995, General Motors invested a new manufacturing plant in Indonesia, producing the Opel Astra (as Opel Optima), Opel Vectra, and Chevrolet Blazer (as Opel Blazer).[72] The latter was proved a sales success in the country.[73] In 2002, the Opel brand was replaced by the global Chevrolet brand.[74]

The Astra F and Vectra B were ever manufactured in Taiwan by CAC company. Before that, Kadett E / Omega A was ever imported to the Taiwanese market. Some models, Astra G/H, Corsa B/C, Omega B and Zafira A/B were also ever imported to Taiwan by Yulong GM, a joint venture between Yulong and General Motors.[75][76][77]

Several Opel models were sold across Latin America for decades with Chevrolet badges, including the Corsa, Kadett, Astra, Vectra, Omega, Meriva, and Zafira. In the early 2010s, the Chevrolet line-up changed to adopt North American models such as the Spark, Sonic, and Cruze, or local South American models like the Cobalt, Celta, Onix, and Agile.

Opel has exported a wide range of products to Chile since 2011.[78]

In the 1980s, Opel became the sole GM brand name in Ireland, with the Vauxhall brand having been dropped.[79] Vauxhall's Managing Director has also been Opel Ireland's Chief Executive since 2015.[80]

There were two Opel-franchised assembly plants in Ireland in the 1960s. One in Ringsend, Dublin, was operated by Reg Armstrong Motors, which also assembled NSU cars and motorcycles. The second assembly plant was based in Cork and operated by O'Shea's, which also assembled Škoda cars and Zetor tractors. The models assembled were the Kadett and the Rekord. From 1966, the Admiral was imported as a fully built unit and became a popular seller.

Several models have been shortlisted , including the:

• 1980: Opel Kadett D
• 1981: Opel Ascona C
• 1989: Opel Vectra A
• 1991: Opel Calibra
• 1992: Opel Astra F
• 1995: Opel Omega B
• 1999: Opel Astra G
• 2000: Opel Zafira A
• 2007: Opel Corsa D
• 2010: Opel Astra J
• 2011: Opel Meriva B