Opel shows compact class at the 9th Bodensee Klassik

• After 60 years on an anniversary tour: Opel Kadett A in the rally field
• Sonorous names: "Kulläng" Rallye-Kadett, Kadett GT/E and Kadett GSi from ex-Chancellor Schmidt also at the start
• Prominent crew: actress Gesine Cukrowski and Olympic champion André Lange in Opel vintage cars
• State-of-the-art support: Rally organizers drive all-new Opel Astra

Opel shows at this year's Bodensee Klassik compact class! For the 9th edition of the varied classic rally, legendary Opel Kadett models of different generations will be at the start from May 5th to 7th . At the same time, with the new Astra , which is celebrating its dealer premiere on Opel Day on May 7th, Opel is demonstrating how the manufacturer continues to bring innovations to the compact segment, making them affordable for everyone. Actress Gesine Cukrowski and four-time Olympic bobsleigh champion André Lange are also convinced of this. Closely associated with the brand for many years, they take part as prominent Opel drivers in the Rallye Kadett of former rally ace Anders Kulläng at the vintage car outing in the Lake Constance region.

Tour: New routes with proven scenic beauty

Thrilling, varied and beautiful – these are the characteristics that have characterized the Bodensee Klassik and its routes since the start in 2012. And that also applies to the most recent edition. It starts on Thursday afternoon, May 5th, with the “Prologue Bodenseeblick”. Start and finish this time is the city center of Friedrichshafen. On Friday, May 6th, the field of participants will embark on the "Swabian Alb Tour". Historical and scenic highlights will be Salem Castle and the beautiful hinterland of Lake Constance in the direction of Sigmaringen. After the third stage, which takes place on Saturday, May 7th, via the Oberjoch in the "Ostallgäu" to Kempten and Wangen, the rally drivers and their co-drivers will have covered a total of around 550 kilometers when they return to Friedrichshafen and will be enriched by unforgettable experiences .

Opel rally classics: Kadett legends from generation A to E

Opel Kadett A

This is ensured in particular by the classics, in which the participants master the individual stages. Opel shows here what real compact class means! The oldest Opel at the start is the Kadett A , which rolled off the assembly line for the first time 60 years ago. Post-war Kadett was a prime example of lightweight construction at the time, weighing 670 kilograms. One-litre, short-stroke engine impressed the contemporary testers with its spontaneous power delivery, good torque and elasticity. After a short time it became clear that the success of the Kadett A exceeded all expectations and the compact Opel was rightly advertised with the slogan "A car without problems". By the time production ended in August 1965, the Kadett A had sold a total of 649,512 buyers.

Opel Kadett B Rallye

Actress Gesine Cukrowski and the four-time bobsleigh Olympic champion André Lange are completing the Bodensee Klassik in a very special example of the Kadett B generation. You will pilot the Rallye Kadett , driven by Swedish rally ace Anders Kulläng and his co-driver Bruno Berglund in the 1970s. Equipped with the engine of the "big brother" Rekord Sprint, a special rear axle, roll cage and additional instruments, it is a perfect basis, not only for motorsport use.

Opel Kadett C GT/E

Opel Kadett GT /E from 1977 and a Kadett GSi from 1991 ensure further Opel brilliance on the classic tour Make motorsport particularly easy. The competition vehicle, which was consistently trimmed for sporty use, still inspires enthusiasts today with its equipment from the two-liter engine with electronic fuel injection to the ZF five-speed gearbox and limited-slip differential to the sporty tuned and reinforced chassis. Eye-catching white and yellow paintwork was standard.

"Last, but not least", a "state-supporting" example of the last Opel Kadett generation completes the starting field: Metallic-black painted Opel Kadett GSi with 85 kW/115 hp was purchased in 1991 by none other than former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, who had owned the car for five years long used together with his wife Loki for private trips. Opel Kadett GSi was able to reach the then prestigious mark of 200 km/h top speed not least because of its aerodynamic qualities with a trailblazing drag coefficient of 0.30.

Opel Kadett E GSi

On-site vehicles: Rally organizers on the move in the all-new Opel Astra

Just as brilliant as the Kadett models of the different decades, latest generation of the Opel Astra also drives up as a support vehicle at the Bodensee Klassik. Organizers can experience the newcomer as a limousine on site.Sixth, completely newly developed generation of the compact class bestseller is not only a real design gem with the Opel Vizor, fully digital Pure Panel and top technologies such as the latest version of the adaptive, non-glare IntelliLux LED Pixel light, it is also electrified for the first time available - and in the future in three variants. All-new Opel Astra can already be ordered as a plug-in hybrid, which will be supplemented by a second performance level in the course of the year. From 2023, the purely battery-electric Opel Astra-e will complete the range.

All-New Opel Astra Hybrid

At the same time, the new Astra once again stands for making technologies and innovations affordable for everyone. Every version comes with numerous state-of-the-art assistance systems as standard. These include systems such as the front collision warning with automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition and drowsiness detection, as well as the park pilot for the front and rear or a 180-degree reversing camera.