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History Opel

The history of the OpelKadett


1936   1962  1965   1967   1973   1979   1984




German version

History (short form)

1837Adam Opel is born
1862Sewing maschine factory
1868Marriage to Sophie Marie Scheller
1869Up till 1880 five sons (Carl, Wilhelm, Heinrich, Friedrich, Ludwig)
1872Company-owned medical aid
1886Lutzmanns fitters-shop
1887Production of penny-farthings- and safety-bicycles
1889Winner of the world championship (penny-farthings)
1894Fritz wins the 620-km-long-distance race
1894Friedrich Lutzmann builds his first two-seater
1895The deat of Adam Opel, his widow, Carl und Wilhelm run the factory
1895Ball bearings from Fichtel & Sachs
1897Winner of the world championship (safety-bicycles)
1897Lutzmann took part in the 1st motor vehicle show in Berlin
1898Lutzmann's accident at the 2nd motor vehicle show
1898Complete take over of Lutzmanns fabrication
1899The first Opel as a patent motor vehicle.
1901Motorcycles
1902Darraqc-production licence
1903The first of the self-developed engines
1907Participation and winning of races
1909The "doctor-car"
1910Beginning of sales rationalisation
1911Major fire, innovations in the building of car-bodies, engines also for other purposes
19111 million sewing maschines produced, end of production
1913Opel's widow dies
1914Beginning of the 1st world war
1916Six-cylinder
1918End of the 1st world war
1919Opel-racetrack
1924Laubfrosch (leaf-green frog)
1928Rocket vehicle, partial sale to GM
1930Discontinuation of the motorcycle production
1931Sale of the remaining 20% of the shares to GM, 1,2-l-"Volkswagen", Opel-Blitz truck
1935Olympia, P 4, new factory in Brandenburg, cold chamber
1936Kadett, Super 6, rolling training center
1937Admiral
1938Kapitän replaces the Super 6
1939Beginning of the 2nd world war
19401 million Opels produced, end of the motor car-production
1945End of the 2nd world war,partial disassembly
1946Restart with the Opel-Blitz
1947Olympia
1948Kapitän
1951Test facility, no more running-in regulations
1952Olympia Rekord
1955Olympia Rekord - facelifting
19562 million Opels produced
1957Rekord P1
1958Kapitän P1
1960Rekord P2
1961Rekord Coupé
1962Kadett
1963Rekord A
1964KAD-series (Kapitän, Admiral, Diplomat)
1965Kadett B, Rekord B
1966Rekord C, Rallye Kadett
1967Commodore A
1968GT
1969KAD 2
1970Ascona und Manta A
1971Rekord D
1972Commodore B
1973Kadett C
1975Ascona und Manta B
1977Rekord E
1979Kadett D
1982Opel Corsa, Saragossa
1984Kadett E
1985Catalytic converters for all motor cars
1986Omega
1988Vectra A
1989Calibra
1991Astra F, Frontera
1992Monterey, Eisenach
1993Corsa B
1994Omega B
1995Four-valve diesel engine
1998Gliwice (Gleiwitz)
1999Zafira
2000Agila
2001Speedster
2002Vectra B
2003Meriva, Signum
2004Astra G
2006Astra GTC with the windscreen extended into the roof, Corsa, GT-new

Vehicle-components

Intake air system
Continuousdamping control
Zafira - fold-down rear seats (Minivan)


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