Opel Germany

Opel is German car manufacturer founded in 1862 as By German engineer Adam Opel. Their first products were sewing machines, after 1886 they started to make bicycles and in 1899 the automobiles. Since becoming share-limited company in 1929 they almost immediately became subsidiary of American company Generel Motors and they remain until this day.

At the beginning as car company Opel signed agreement with Friedrich Lutzmann from Dessau, a locksmith actually, who had been working on automobile designs for some time. The cars made under that partnership were not very successful, so the cooperation stopped within two years. Later Opel signed a licensing agreement with the French Automobiles Darracq S.A. to manufacture vehicles under the brand name "Opel Darracq", but again this partnership lasted only few years.

The first success of Opel on the car market was Opel 4/8 PS from 1909, also known as Doktorwagen (Doctor’s Car), which was prepared for particular group of clients. Until 1930s Opel was mostly known for their luxury cars, but also they were trying, just like many other manufacturers at that times, to provide cars that could be afforded by middle class or the workers. They succeeded with such models as Opel P4 and in mid-1930s they were the largest car manufacturer in the world with over 100,000 cars produced each year. Also in mid-1930 they started second factory that would be focused on building trucks.

During the war Opel was manufacturing many military cars (which still causes controversies with General Motors use the slave-labour in Germany. After the war end most of the main factory was either destroyed or dismantled and transported to Russia. After rebuild of the plant the company soon returned to the car manufacturing business. After war models were often inspired by the Opels from 1930s and soon the company regained good (but not as good as pre-war) position on the market. With time their cars were mostly still kept in the lower price-range that would allow more people to afford them.

	Opel Blitz German truck that was one of the most recognizable cars used by Wehrmacht during World War 2. read more