Opel
From Classic Car Life
Adam Opel GmbH is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1863. It has been
a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors (GM) since 1929. The company was an AG (German
plc) up to 2005.
Opel is headquartered in Rüsselsheim, Hesse, Germany.
History
The company was founded in Rüsselsheim, Hesse, Germany on 21 January 1863 by Adam Opel. At
the beginning, Opel just produced sewing machines in a cowshed in Rüsselsheim. Above all,
his success was based on his perfectly customized sewing machines. Because of the quick
growth of his business, in 1888 the production was relocated from the cowshed to a more
spacious building in Rüsselsheim. Encouraged by success, Adam Opel launched a new product in
1886: He began to sell high-wheel bicycles, also known as penny-farthings. Besides, Opel's
two sons participated in high-wheel bicycle races and thus promoted this means of
transportation. Therefore, the production of high-wheel bicycles soon exceeded the
production of sewing machines. At the time of Opel's death in 1895, he was the leader in
both markets.
The first cars were produced in 1899 after Opel's 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. These cars were not very successful and so the
partnership was dissolved after two years, following which Opel's sons signed a licensing
agreement with the French Automobiles Darracq S.A. to manufacture vehicles under the brand
name "Opel-Darracq". These cars were made up of Opel bodies mounted on a Darracq chassis,
powered by a 2-cylinder engine.
1901 Adam Opel separates from Lutzmann and signed a new contract with a Frenchman, Alexandre
Darracq. 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.
In 1909, Opel introduced a compact two-seater which was especially liked by doctors and
became known as the "Doktorwagen” (Doctor’s Car).
In 1911, the company's factory was virtually destroyed by fire and a new one was built with
more up-to-date machinery.
By 1914, Opel had become the largest German manufacturer of motor vehicles. In the same
year, production of sewing machines ended.
In the early 1920's, 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." The Laubfrosch was
finished exclusively in green lacquer. The car sold for an expensive 4,500 marks, (expensive
considering the less expensive manufacturing process) but by the 1930's this type of vehicle
would cost a mere 1,990 marks - due in part to the assembly line, but also due to the
skyrocketing demand for cars. Adam Opel led the way for motorized transportation to become
not just a means for the rich, but a reliable way for people of all classes to travel.
In March 1929 General Motors, 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, a second factory was built at Brandenburg for the production
of "Blitz" (~"Lightning") light trucks.
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 had a 1.1 liter four cylinder engine with 23 hp and a top speed of 85 km/h. Opel
also produced the first mass-production vehicle with a self-supporting all steel body. They
called it the "Olympia". With it's small weight and aerodynamics came an improvement in both
performance and fuel consumption. Opel receives a patent which is considered one of the most
important innovations in automotive history.
1939, presents the extremely successful, "Kapitän." With a 2.5 liter six cylinder engine,
all-steel body, front independent suspension, hydraulic shock absorbers, hot water heating
w/electric blower and central speedometer. 25,374 Kapitäns left the factory before W.W.II,
by order of the government, brought automotive manufacturing to a temporary stop.
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