Opel facts for kids

This page is about the German automobile manufacturer. For other uses, see Opel (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
Opel Automobile GmbH

Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Automotive
Founded	21 January 1862; 163 years ago (1862-01-21)
Founder	Adam Opel
Headquarters	Rüsselsheim am Main, Hesse , Germany
Number of locations	10 manufacturing facilities
Area served	Europe (Vauxhall Motors in the UK), Africa, Middle East and Asia-Pacific
Products	Automobiles Electric vehicles Commercial vehicles
Production output	1.2 million vehicles (2016)
Revenue	$18.7 billion (2016)
Number of employees	37,000 (2017)
Parent	General Motors (1929–2017) PSA Group (2017–2021) Stellantis (2021–present)
Divisions	Opel Performance Center
Subsidiaries	Opel Eisenach Vauxhall Motors Opel Special Vehicles

Opel Automobile GmbH, usually called Opel, is a German car maker. It has been part of a big car group called Stellantis since January 2021. Before that, it was owned by the American company General Motors from 1929 to 2017. Then, it was owned by the PSA Group until it joined with Fiat Chrysler to form Stellantis.

In the United Kingdom, most Opel cars are sold under the Vauxhall Motors brand. Some Opel cars were also sold in other parts of the world with different names, like Holden in Australia, Buick in North America and China, and Chevrolet in South America.

Opel started in 1862 when Adam Opel opened a company in Rüsselsheim am Main, Germany, to make sewing machines. The company began making bicycles in 1886. Its first car was built in 1899. Opel also played a big part in early rocket history with the Opel RAK program. They set speed records and made the world's first rocket-powered flights in 1928 and 1929.

General Motors bought most of Opel in 1929 and took full control in 1931. This made Opel a part of an American company for almost 90 years. In 2017, the PSA Group bought Opel and Vauxhall from General Motors. Opel's main office is still in Rüsselsheim am Main. The company designs and builds cars, vans, and car parts. Opel and Vauxhall cars are sold in over 60 countries.

History of Opel

Advertisement for the Opel Perfecta sewing machines (1901)

Opel safety bicycle

Early Years (1862–1898)

Adam Opel started his company in Rüsselsheim, Germany, on January 21, 1862. At first, Opel made sewing machines. In 1886, Opel started selling bicycles, including the tall "penny-farthing" bikes. Adam Opel's sons even raced these bikes, which helped make them popular. By the time Adam Opel died in 1895, his company was a leader in both sewing machines and bicycles.

First Cars and Growth (1898–1920)

After Adam Opel passed away, his wife Sophie and their sons decided to make cars. Their first car was built in 1899. These early cars were not very successful. So, in 1901, Opel teamed up with a French company, Darracq, to build cars together. These cars used Opel bodies on Darracq parts.

Opel started making its own car designs in 1906. In 1909, they made the Opel 4/8 PS, also known as the Doktorwagen ("Doctor's Car"). This car was strong and reliable, which doctors liked because they had to drive long distances. It was also much cheaper than other luxury cars of its time. In 1911, a fire destroyed Opel's factory, but they rebuilt it with newer machines. Opel also built its own test track, the Opel-Rennbahn, which opened in 1920.

Mass Production and Rocket Cars (1920–1939)

Opel RAK.1 – world's first public flight of a manned rocket-powered plane on 30 September 1929

In the early 1920s, Opel was the first German car maker to use a moving assembly line to build cars. In 1924, they used this method to make the Laubfrosch (Tree frog) car. This car was painted only in green. The assembly line helped make cars more affordable for many people, not just the rich.

By 1928, Opel was the biggest car exporter in Germany. They even made their first eight-cylinder car, the "Regent." Opel also became famous for its rocket-powered vehicles. Fritz von Opel, Adam Opel's grandson, led the Opel-RAK program. They set speed records with rocket cars and even made the first public rocket-powered flight in 1929. This created huge excitement around the world. Opel also tested early liquid-fuel rockets, which were very important for the future of space travel.

In 1929, General Motors (GM) bought 80% of Opel. By 1931, GM owned Opel completely. In 1935, Opel became the first German car maker to produce over 100,000 cars in a year. This was thanks to the popular Opel P4 model, which was affordable and efficient.

Opel also made the first German car with a self-supporting all-steel body, called the Olympia, in 1935. This design made cars lighter and better on fuel. By 1937, Opel's factory was the top car plant in Europe. In 1938, they introduced the successful Kapitän. Car making stopped in 1940 because of World War II.

World War II and Rebuilding (1940–1970)

Military Opel Blitz in Italy (1944)

During World War II, Opel stopped making cars in 1940. Instead, they made parts for aircraft and tanks. They continued to build Blitz trucks at their Brandenburg plant, which were also used by the military.

After the war, much of Opel's factory in Rüsselsheim was destroyed. But former employees worked hard to rebuild it. The first postwar Opel Blitz truck was finished in July 1946. Opel also made Frigidaire refrigerators in the years right after the war.

Modern Era (1970–2017)

In the 1970s and 1980s, Opel and its British sister brand, Vauxhall, started to make similar cars across Europe. For example, the Opel Kadett was sold as the Vauxhall Chevette in the UK. The Opel Ascona became the Vauxhall Cavalier. This helped GM have one strong car range in Europe.

Opel's first car with front-wheel drive, a new version of the Kadett, started production in 1979. In 1982, Opel opened a new factory in Spain. Its first car was the Opel Corsa, which was sold as the Vauxhall Nova in the UK.

Opel cars won the "European Car of the Year" award several times. The Kadett won in 1985, and the Opel Omega won in 1987. In the 1990s, Opel was very profitable for GM. However, after 1999, Opel faced financial challenges. Some plants closed, like the one in Bochum in 2014. Opel also left some markets like China and India.

Recent Changes (2017–Present)

In March 2017, the PSA Group (which owned Peugeot and Citroën) agreed to buy Opel and Vauxhall from General Motors. This made PSA the second-biggest car maker in Europe. In 2018, Opel made a profit for the first time since 1999.

On January 16, 2021, Opel became part of Stellantis. This happened when the PSA Group joined with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Opel Today

Opel has 10 factories for vehicles and parts, and four development centers in six countries. They employ about 30,000 people in Europe. Opel cars are sold in over 60 countries worldwide. The main engineering and design work for Opel and Vauxhall cars happens at the International Technical Development Center in Rüsselsheim.

Marketing and Identity

Opel Logo

1862: Adam Opel's initials

The first Opel logo had Adam Opel's initials, "A" and "O". Later, around 1890, the logo changed to include "Victoria Blitz," with "Blitz" meaning "lightning" in German.

1910: the blue eye

In 1910, the logo looked like an eye with "Opel" in the middle. From the 1930s to the 1960s, Opel cars often had a flying object, like a zeppelin or an arrow, inside a ring on the front of the car.

The lightning bolt symbol, which is famous today, came from the Opel Blitz truck. "Blitz" means lightning, and the truck's logo had stripes like a lightning bolt. By the late 1960s, the lightning bolt was combined with the ring, creating the basic design used today. This simple logo is easy to recognize.

Evolution of hood ornament flying through ring
Hood ornament of the Opel Olympia (1935–37)
Hood ornament flying through the ring (1937)
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 (2002–2007)
Opel logo (2009-2017)
Opel logo (2017–2020)
Opel logo (2020-2023)
Opel logo (Since 2023)

Clubs and Slogans

Opel has its own sports clubs, like the SC Opel Rüsselsheim football club and RV 1888 Opel Rüsselsheim cycling club. Opel's current slogan is The Future Is Everyone's.

Partnerships

Opel partners with football clubs like Borussia Dortmund in Germany. They also work with the energy company TotalEnergies on battery factories. In the past, Opel sponsored famous football clubs like AC Milan and FC Bayern Munich.

Opel Around the World

Opel cars are sold in most of Europe, parts of Africa, the Middle East, and some countries in Asia and South America. In many places, Opel models have been sold under different brand names. For example, in Great Britain, they are Vauxhall. In Latin America, they were often Chevrolet. In Australia and New Zealand, they were Holden. In North America and China, some Opel models were sold as Buick cars.

North America

Opel cars were sold in the U.S. through Buick dealers from 1958 to 1975. Popular models included the Opel Kadett and Opel GT. Later, some Opel designs were used for cars sold under Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, and Saturn brands. For example, the Buick Regal and Buick Cascada were rebadged versions of Opel cars.

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

Opel Cascada
Buick Cascada

Africa

Opel exports cars to countries like Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, and Tunisia. In South Africa, Opel models were produced by Delta Motor Corporation for many years.

Oceania

Many Opel models were sold in Australia and New Zealand under the Holden brand. For example, the Holden Barina was an Opel Corsa. The Opel brand was introduced to Australia in 2012 but stopped exports in 2013 due to low sales. Opel returned to New Zealand in 2022.

Asia

Opel has had a presence in China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. In many of these countries, Opel models were later replaced by Chevrolet cars or other brands. Opel returned to the Japanese market in 2022.

Europe

United Kingdom

In the UK, Opel cars are sold as Vauxhall Motors.

Ireland

In Ireland, Opel became the main GM brand in the 1980s. Opel cars were assembled in Ireland in the 1960s.

Awards and Recognition

Opel cars have won the prestigious "European Car of the Year" award five times:

1985: Opel Kadett E
1987: Opel Omega A
2009: Opel Insignia
2012: Opel Ampera
2016: Opel Astra K

Car Names

From the 1930s to the 1980s, Opel often used names from the German Navy or official jobs for its car models, like Kapitän (Captain) and Admiral. Since the late 1980s, most Opel car names end with an "a," such as Corsa, Astra, and Vectra. This changed when Opel and Vauxhall started using the same names for their cars.

Some exceptions to the "a" ending include the Speedster, GT, Karl, and Adam. For vans and commercial vehicles, names often end with an "o," like Combo, Vivaro, and Movano. Opel also used the name "Caravan" for its station wagon models for many decades. Now, they use "Sports Tourer" for these models.

Current Opel Models

Here are some of the cars Opel makes today:

Corsa (Since 1982)	Small car	Hatchback
Astra (Since 1991)	Family car	Hatchback Sports Tourer (Station Wagon)
Mokka (Since 2012)	Small SUV	Crossover SUV
Crossland (Since 2017)	Small SUV	Crossover SUV
Grandland (Since 2017)	Compact SUV	Crossover SUV
Combo Life (Since 2018)	Family van	MPV
Rocks (Since 2021)	Small electric car	Quadricycle

Opel Vans and Commercial Vehicles

Combo (Since 1986)	Panel van	Van
Movano (Since 1998)	Large van	Van Chassis cab Crew cab
Vivaro (Since 2001)	Medium van	Van Chassis cab

Motorsports

Opel Adam R2 Rallye at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show

Opel has a history in car racing. In the early 1980s, the Opel Rally Team competed in the World Rally Championship. Walter Röhrl won the drivers' title in 1982 with an Opel Ascona 400.

In the 1990s, Opel raced in touring car championships and won the 1996 championship with the Opel Calibra. They also competed in the German DTM race series from 2000 to 2005.

Opel returned to racing in 2013 with the Adam rally car. In 2019, Opel introduced the Corsa Rally Electric, an electric rally car. They started the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup in 2021, which is the world's first rally series for electric cars.

Images for kids

An administration building of Opel Rüsselsheim
Opel product of the 1940s: Frigidaire refrigerator
1952 Opel Kapitän
Opel Rekord P1 (1957–1960)
German auto industry recognition award for Gaston de Wolff
The Opel Vectra C, in production from 2002 to 2008
Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, CEO of the Opel Group from March 2013 to June 2017
Friedrich Sander, Opel RAK technician August Becker and Opel employee Karl Treber (from right to left) in front of liquid-fuel rocket-plane prototype while test operation at Opel Rennbahn in Rüsselsheim
Opel Admiral convertible (1937–1939)
Opel Kapitän (1938–1940)
Opel Blitz assembly at the Brandenburg plant, 1936
Opel Rekord E, mk.2 (1982–1986)