We could say that the history of Opel begins at the time when Adam Opel founded his sewing machine factory in Rüsselsheim (Germany), after traveling through Europe and being fascinated by them, on January 21, 1862, that is, more 150 years. Four years later, following the example of some British factories, it also began to produce bicycles, becoming in a short time the largest bicycle manufacturer in the world. As long as Adam lived, the company never got close to making automobiles, since they never caught his eye. However, when he died in 1895, his sons (Carl, Wilhelm, Heinrich, Friedrich and Ludwig), who had been involved in the operation of the company for years, did want to venture into this new branch of business, the automobile industry. .
Introduction to the automotive sector
In 1897, the company acquired one of the pioneering German companies in automotive engineering , Anhaltische Motorwagenfabrik. Later, he signed a contract with a famous car designer and supplier, Friedrich Lutzmann from Dessau. In this way, they were ready to start production of their Lutzmann patent motor vehicle. However, the market did not welcome him as well as expected, so they ended up parting ways with the designer.
As early as 1902, they created the first design of their own , which they presented at the Hamburg Motor Show. The success was much greater than with the previous one, since four years later they had already manufactured more than 1,000 vehicles. During the following years, Opel wanted to approach other sectors, so they manufactured the first aircraft engine in 1911, commissioned to propel an Euler biplane, in addition to developing a motorized fire pump, which was successfully sold to several towns and cities. close.
Over the next several years, Opel continued to grow to become the largest German car manufacturer, bringing the first 4.7-liter six-cylinder engine to market. In addition, it also inaugurates a cement track south of Rüsselsheim, which is the first permanent race and test track in the entire country.
Democratization of the 4 wheels
In 1924, Opel became the first German manufacturer to introduce an assembly line . This helped make the Opel 4/12 CV a success, as production costs and, as a consequence, the market price fell considerably. Then, in 1930, they launched the Opel P4 and Kadett, with important technological advances such as a self-supporting steel body, independent front suspension, four-stroke engine with four cylinders and hydraulic drum brakes. The democratization of automobiles had already begun in Europe.
In 1929, the company owned by the Opel family was transformed into a joint stock company, most of which were acquired by the North American group General Motors. In this way, German industry was practically incorporated into a whole that operated on a world scale. Since then, Opel has grown, benefiting from the technical and organizational experiences of General Motors and gaining more and more acceptance both in the national and international markets.
