It was in 1862 that Adam Opel began to use the blacksmith shop of his father, precisely in Russelsheim, Germany, to manufacture ... sewing machines business that prospered quickly. But that hard winter, the founder of the brand of lightning could hardly imagine that one day Adam Opel AG would become a major European car manufacturers. Opel Congratulations!
After seeing Adam Opel your sewing machine business growing rapidly, he decided to enter another market, in the case of the bicycle. Launched in 1886 the first unit called Velocipede. What Midas touch, success with bicycles Opel was immediate and the next step was the introduction of motorcycles in its product catalog.
New instant success that gave it market leadership. Inevitably, Adam Opel had to turn to the automobile and in 1899, with a restructuring of the plant, begins automobile production. He returned to be a successful step that allows today to keep the Opel headquarters in Rüsselsheim and be the second largest German manufacturer with uptime.
The history of car manufacturer Opel and starts, as noted in 1899, but the first model of the brand of lightning came, with great fanfare in 1902. Lutzman was called and had a 10/12 hp engine and the fuse was a popularity unimaginable at that time. So that four years later, had already left the production line over a thousand units!
Completed only eight years, Opel had already distinguished themselves to overcome their rivals at the time claiming the title of the largest German manufacturer of automobiles. In the genesis of this success was the simplicity and ease of use (besides the reputation of affordable car) visible in models like the Doktorwagen (1909) or Puppchen (1914).
The 20 years of the last century were very important to the story of Adam Opel. It was then that the models were released and Laubfrosch Rakete, the first in 1924 (with a 12 hp engine) and it was engraved in letters of gold the history of the brand since launched the first automated assembly line at Opel.
The dynamics of brand Russelsheim and its success led its leaders to risk some adventures to further raise the awareness of Opel.
In 1928, Fritz von Opel took the Opel Rak propelled by rockets and took him to the world speed record on land. All in all, reached impressive and highly unlikely for the time, 238 km / h. The success encouraged the media responsible for Opel to go further, and a year later, was flying the Opel Sander Rak 1, the first aircraft to carry a manned rocket flight. It was the record, even if the flight is short.
Like today, the economy collapsed in 1929 initiates a difficult period for the automotive industry and particularly for Opel. Shut down, the twenties with an unprecedented crisis that led millions of people into unemployment and tattered economy. Alone, Opel had no chance to survive and therefore fell into the arms of General Motors, the giant who came to save the brand created by Adam Opel.
With this strong and determined partner, the brand of wind and lightning quick recovery in 1935 shows a turnover of more than 100 000 units / year, appearing in the range of the famous Opel Blitz truck, built at the factory in Brandenburg.
It is also the year that Opel adopts one of the first important technical innovations, in designing a model, the Olympia, with fully self-supporting body made of steel. A year later it's time to get to the range that would be a model for many decades, the Kadett. Model whose successor is now the Astra. In the year in which the mythic Kadett, Opel becomes the largest European manufacturer with more than 120 000 units / year.
After a hiatus caused by World War II, Opel is reborn once again, coming up with innovative models like the Rekord, the Olympia Rekord, the Rekord P1 and Kapitan. They are models that occupy the memory of car lovers and symbols of Germany's economic recovery.
The centenary is celebrated in Opel's 1962 arrest and is the opening of Bochum, where does the Kadett B, the second generation of the legendary model. After the Adventure Rak, Opel had a presence in sports and timid in its range there was no model with these features. What has been fixed with the release, first, the Opel GT and Manta later.
Other milestones in the history of Opel are the 10,000,000 th unit to be produced (1971), the same year that Georg von Opel beat the speed record for a vehicle with electric propulsion, reaching 188 km / h. Irony of ironies, almost 40 years later, bet on the Opel Ampera electric powertrain and extent of autonomy ...
With more than 20 percent market share, Opel dominates the market in 1972 and is preparing to compete through several innovations in terms of models and technological advances in the areas of security, consumer and environmental protection. In the first case born the fifth generation of Kadett, which is to adopt front wheel drive, with Opel at this time placed the emphasis on aerodynamics. The Calibra coupe has distinguished itself in particular with a Cd of 0.26, a figure unprecedented for the time, accompanied by the Omega (Cd 0.28) and by the Kadett (Cd 0.39) that Opel still claims to be of vehicles most aerodynamic compact ever.
The problem of pollution and environmental protection is the workhorse of Opel from 80 years, becoming the catalyst as a major weapon against this scourge. The mark of Russelsheim do your part when starting from 1989, all models made by Opel leave the assembly line with the catalyst.
From here, the history of Opel becomes less and less conspicuous landmarks to define it. To get the story the launch of the Corsa, the first European car to be sold with a 3-cylinder engine and a simple body, but with wheel arch extensions in the image of rally cars. In the story are also the Frontera, the precursor of the current SUV and has long been the segment leader and the construction of the plant in Eisenach (1992), in the former East Germany at the time the most advanced factory in the world.
Followed the Zafira (1999) that opened the horizons of the compact MPV segment and dictating new ways of being versatile and most recently, the Insignia, flagship model of the "new" Opel and came to mark the brand repositioning in the market . New language style that took a stake and which is already evident in the Astra and Zafira Tourer.
All in all, the British counterpart Opel and Vauxhall, marketed in 2010 more than 1.1 million units in over 40 countries. A long way since 1862 when Adam Opel decided to use the blacksmith shop of his father to manufacture sewing machines ... Opel Congratulations!
