Opel Corsa Trophy turns 40

• In 1984 the first of 15 consecutive editions
• An excellent proposal to enter the world of rallying
• Forerunner of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup "powered by GSe"

Forty years ago, in 1984, the Italian single-make championship debuted, initially reserved for Opel Corsa-A 1.3 SR (the GSi was not yet available) prepared according to the international Group N regulations. 

The event, launched by the then importer of the German manufacturer, was born in the wake of the enthusiasm for the successes of the Opel Ascona 400 in the Italian and world championships of the specialty - which materialized respectively with the titles of “Tony” Fassina and “Rudy” Dal Pozzo in 1981 and Walter Rohrl and Christian Geistdörfer in 1982 - and aimed to introduce young enthusiasts to the specialty.

How did it start?

In particular, the Opel Corsa Trophy aimed to, if not solve, at least contain the problem of participation costs, which for many were absolutely prohibitive. The series was in fact run as part of the Coppa Italia trials, that is, the first series national rallies with a maximum duration of 400 kilometers, suitable for those who wanted to try their hand at this specialty for the first time. In essence, it was possible to participate in the trophy with a budget of around 10 million lire, thanks to the 14% discount on the purchase price of the car and the equipment kit that included the essential elements for the rally setup of the Opel Corsa. In this way, it was possible to participate in both the Coppa Italia and the single-make trophy which, in each of its more than 60 races, offered a prize pool of 2,250,000 lire. Result: with 64 participants in its first edition in 1984, it immediately achieved the record for the most crowded single-make.

The story continues “electrically”

The history of the Italian one-make series ended 25 years ago at the end of 1999 (coinciding with the launch of the third-generation Opel Corsa) after fifteen consecutive editions, but it can be said that it paved the way for today's ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup "powered by GSe" which is a glimpse into an innovative future of motorsport. The world's first electric one-make rally cup, which was contested for the first time in 2021 with the Opel Corsa Rally Electric, is uncharted territory in every respect. With this pioneering achievement, Opel Motorsport is pushing the electrification of rallying forward, thus combining Opel-typical sustainability and efficiency with high dynamics and emotionality.

Stellantis Reaffirms Commitment to Opel and Germany

• Visit of Rüsselsheim plant and Design Centre
• Preview of future grEEn-campus

Stellantis Chairman John Elkann und Xavier Chéreau, Stellantis Chief Human Resources & Heritage and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Opel Automobile GmbH, visited the premises in Rüsselsheim and reaffirmed their support and commitment for the long-term future of the site. Together with Florian Huettl, Opel CEO and Stellantis Germany Managing Director, they visited yesterday the production plant, where the best-selling Opel Astra in all drive variants and the DS4 from its sister brand DS Automobiles are manufactured. They also received an insight into Opel’s future model portfolio in the Design Centre. Furthermore, they took time to talk to employees and social partners.

“Opel and Germany are very important to Stellantis. At a time of deep industrial transformation, I was happy to take the opportunity of this visit in Rüsselsheim to reaffirm our commitment to Stellantis’ German operations and to our high-quality dialog with our key partners and stakeholders, in particular IG Metall. This cooperative approach will bring sustainable opportunities to all in Germany, a first example of which is the construction of the grEEn-campus in Rüsselsheim,” said Stellantis Chairman John Elkann.

“The speed with which our German plants have transformed into efficient, state-of-the-art production sites is impressive. Of course, we must not let up on continuously increasing our competitiveness and quality in production and customer service. I would like to thank IG Metall and our works council for the constructive and trustful collaboration,” added Opel Supervisory Board Chairman Xavier Chéreau.

“Rüsselsheim not only stands for 125 years of automotive production, but also for innovation and progress. We look forward to the future with confidence, we will continue to play a pioneering role in the transformation of the automotive industry and surprise our customers with our exciting models. Opel is the first German manufacturer to offer a battery-electric variant of every model, without exception. 

With our employees and all partners, we are implementing our strategy with full conviction and concentration,” said Florian Huettl, Opel CEO and Stellantis Germany Managing Director. “With our extensive Stellantis brand portfolio, we have a strong market position; we are number two on the German market in total and number one in the German light commercial vehicle business. 

We will further develop the entire organisation together and focus on collaborative partnerships – inside and outside the company. We are one team for Stellantis in Germany. We have a strong dealer network as well as successful brands and models like the Opel Astra, Peugeot E-3008, Citroën ë-C3 and Fiat 500e.”

Just a few weeks before a crucial year for the entire automotive industry in connection with the stricter CO2 fleet limits, Stellantis rejoined the European Automotive Association ACEA. “We intend to engage constructively with all stakeholders, from our union and commercial partners to political leaders, to identify a common path towards a strong future for our industry. Our strategy and commitment to electrification remain unchanged,” emphasised John Elkann. The Stellantis Chairman shared his views with Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, in recent conversations.

During the visit to the Adam Opel Haus, Elkann and Chéreau also received an update on the progress of the grEEn-campus project, the future Stellantis Germany headquarters and the new global Opel headquarters on Mainzer Straße in Rüsselsheim. The new modern, efficient and urban company headquarters will make a decisive contribution to reducing the carbon footprint of the Rüsselsheim location.

Pure Focal Sound On Board The Latest Generation Of Opel Grandland

Focal brings its signature sound on board the next-generation OPEL GRANDLAND Electric model, with a Premium hi-fi system boasting 10 speaker drivers. Available as an optional extra, this system features exclusive audio technologies to offer a high-quality, immersive emotion-fuelled listening experience for the driver and passengers alike. Already a partner for PEUGEOT and DS AUTOMOBILES vehicles, this is the first time Focal has made its mark on an OPEL model.

FOCAL QUALITY: IMMERSIVE SOUND

The Premium hi-fi system made for this vehicle boasts no fewer than 10 exclusive speaker drivers:

• 4 woofers/mid-ranges (4 x 50W / 2 Ω) in the doors and a central speaker (30W / 2 Ω) fitted in the dashboard.

All are equipped with Polyglass technology, a light yet rigid high-performance cone, extending the bandwidth of the speaker drivers while retaining excellent sensitivity. Their uncompromising design delivers powerful, faithful rendering.

• A compact, powerful elliptical subwoofer (3 x 50W / 2 Ω), capable of flawlessly reproducing musical dynamics.

Its Power Flower neodymium motor consists of several magnets and offers tight control of the cone’s movement for perfect sound reproduction.

• 4 TNF tweeters (4 x 15W / 4 Ω) with aluminium inverted dome, which reproduce the top end of the spectrum with finesse and precision in the sound space.

• 12-way, 690-watt amplification using boosted Class D technology. Tightly controls all speaker drivers thanks to its impressive damping and low distortion. The amplifier offers excellent energy efficiency, consuming only the energy required, to avoid unnecessarily affecting the vehicle’s battery life.

AN ENHANCED EXPERIENCE

Matching the vehicle’s impressive collection of automotive technologies (electric STLA Medium platform), alternative propulsion modes, Selective Frequency Damping technology, a wide range of driver-assist systems, and more), the Focal hi-fi system delivers top-of-the-range performance. Each element has been considered both individually and as a whole, for meticulous sound rendering. Focal has also paid particular attention to the positioning of the speaker drivers. Plus, Focal offers two listening modes for incredible immersion: “All-Passengers”, an optimised stereo mode for each passenger, and “Front Optimized”, an experience that augments the stereo stage, making it wider and deeper for the front seats. The sound is enveloping, voices clear and detailed, the bass deep and impactful.

IN-CAR COMFORT

Inspired by the design codes from the OPEL EXPERIMENTAL concept car, the next-generation OPEL GRANDLAND combines elegant and dynamic exterior design with a spacious, versatile and comfortable interior. Its comfort level is enhanced by an innovative lighting system (IntelliLux Pixel HD), a 16-inch screen, ergonomic AGR seats, clever storage solutions, and of course the quality of its Focal hi-fi system. The French brand is a leading audio manufacturer for a reason: combining expertise and technology, craftsmanship and innovation, it provides multiple listening solutions: at home, on the go with headphones and in-car kits, in professional studios, and even on board yachts – whatever the scenario, Focal brings its audiophile signature.

FOCAL Premium hi-fi system: