125 Years Ago: Opel Celebrates Its First Victory in Motorsports

• March 31, 1901: Heinrich Opel wins Königstuhl hill climb race in a modified ‘Motorwagen’
• Early successes: Second Königstuhl victory follows the very next year, Fritz von Opel takes first place in the opening race at Berlin’s AVUS in 1921
• Rally and circuit successes: Walter Röhrl wins European Rally Championship in 1974 and World Rally Championship in 1982 in an Opel; Manuel Reuter takes ITC title in 1996 in the ‘Cliff’ Calibra
• Pioneering role: Opel launches the world’s first electric rally one-make cup in 2021
• Fully electric driving fun: New Opel Mokka GSE brings rally feelings to the road
• Next level: Opel GSE Formula E Team will compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as of next season

A few days ago, Opel announced that it will be competing in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship for the first time as of next season. The brand with the Blitz is thus opening a new chapter in its long and successful motorsport history. This history began at the dawn of the 20th century; to be precise, Opel celebrated its first victory in an official race 125 years ago. On March 31, 1901, Heinrich Opel won the hill climb race up the Königstuhl near Heidelberg in Germany in a modified ‘Motorwagen’.

This event marked the start of Opel’s successful motorsports history, which continues to this day across a wide variety of racing and rally series. Over the decades, the brand’s journey has taken it from its first hill climb and road races, through the European and World Rally Championships, to circuit racing with Formula Opel, Formula 3, the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) and the International Touring Car Championship (ITC).

For the past five years, Opel has been demonstrating just how electrifying and thrilling locally emissions-free motorsport can be with the world’s first electric rally one-make cup, which is set to enter its next season in a few weeks’ time with the new Opel Mokka GSE Rally. Meanwhile, customers can also experience the exhilarating GSE driving pleasure, as Opel brings the all-electric rally feeling to the road with the 207 kW (281 PS) Mokka GSE series car.

With its factory team, the Opel GSE Formula E Team, competing in Formula E, the Rüsselsheim-based company is now taking its commitment to electric motorsport to the next level. 

Taking part in the world’s fastest-growing racing series marks a milestone for Opel on its journey towards an electric future – a future whose roots stretch back to its first motorsport victory 125 years ago.

A dream comes true: Opel’s first victory in motorsports on March 31, 1901

Opel made its debut in motor racing as early as the late 19th century. Heinrich Opel, the second-youngest son of the company’s founder Adam Opel, took part in the first international motor race in Germany – the ‘Aachen–Coblenz’ long-distance race – in May 1899, driving a Patent-Motorwagen ‘System Lutzmann’. Unfortunately, a technical issue prevented him from reaching the finish line. The Opel brothers also took part in subsequent races, though they had to wait a little longer for their first real success. But these early experiences laid the foundations for the first victory that was soon to follow. This was because the brothers were constantly improving their motor cars and, above all, increasing their reliability.

On March 31, 1901, the moment finally arrived: Heinrich Opel took to the track in a modified ‘Motorwagen’ for the first ‘mountain road race’ at the Königstuhl. The race near Heidelberg organised by the Rheinischer Automobilclub is thought to have been the first in the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region and one of the very first German hill climb races.

The 5 hp Opel vehicle was characterised above all by its light weight: the mudguards, running boards, lights and trim had been removed. Whether consciously or unconsciously – aerodynamic insights would not influence car design until much later – the Rüsselsheim-based carmakers reduced air resistance using leather side skirts and a taut knee cover extending from the flat front end to the top of the seats. All this paid off: Heinrich Opel completed the 4.5-kilometre mountain route – with a 450-metre elevation gain and sections with gradients of up to 16 per cent – in 23 minutes in the optimised ‘Motorwagen’, thereby leaving his competitors far behind.

The motor car’s reliability was particularly impressive – not just during the race. Unlike today, when racing cars are transported to the circuit, Heinrich Opel already made the journey to and from the event in his own vehicle back in 1901. He covered the 180-kilometre route in just four hours, achieving an average speed of 45 km/h which was an outstanding average speed in those days.

No coincidence, but skill: Further Opel victories to follow in the ‘early years’

The Opel brothers quickly recognised the potential of motorsports. Success not only boosted the image of the young brand and its products; the development work also had a positive impact on the reliability of the entire range of cars. And Opel proved the following year that this initial success was no fluke. A new partnership with the French manufacturer Alexandre Darracq gave the Opel team a fresh boost. The newly developed Opel-Darracq motor car was in a league of its own. At the second hill climb race on the Königstuhl on October 26, 1902, Heinrich Opel crossed the finish line in just 10 minutes and 15 seconds – more than four minutes ahead of the next fastest competitor.

The winning streak continued: in the following years, Opel secured further podium finishes with its racing cars. And in 1921, the Rüsselsheim-based team made history at Berlin’s AVUS. More than 200,000 people came to the opening race on the legendary city circuit. Fritz von Opel set off in a fiery red Opel 8/25 hp racing car. To the cheers of the crowd, he fought his way forward lap after lap. In the end, he left his competitors far behind and won after seven laps with a time of 1:04:23 hours, corresponding to an average speed of 128.84 kilometres per hour.

Highlights: European and World Rally Championships and ITC Championship

These ‘early years’ marked the beginning of Opel’s long motorsport tradition, which reached its peak in the 1970s to 1990s. Speaking of rallying: as early as 1966, the Swede Lille-Bror Nasenius won the European Rally Championship for production touring cars in an Opel Rekord B, securing one of Opel’s first major international rally titles. The brand’s rallying history is inextricably linked with the name Walter Röhrl. In 1973, Röhrl and Jochen Berger finished as European vice-champions in an Opel Ascona. In 1974, the duo then dominated the European Rally Championship with six overall victories and 120 points – the highest points total ever achieved at that time – and were crowned European Drivers’ Champions with three rounds still to go. The 1974 European Championship title marked the start of a further rallying career for Röhrl and Opel, which, together with his co-driver Christian Geistdörfer, culminated in the 1982 World Rally Championship title in a 191 kW (260 hp) Ascona 400.

Opel went on to enjoy great success on the circuit as well. In 1996, Manuel Reuter and Opel secured victory in the International Touring Car Championship (ITC) with the legendary ‘Cliff’ Calibra, a 500 hp 2.5-litre V6 racing car. In 2003, the team comprising Reuter, Timo Scheider, Marcel Tiemann and the then head of motorsport Volker Strycek clinched a thrilling victory in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in an Opel Astra V8 Coupé.

And today? The future of motorsport is electric, but no less thrilling. Opel has been demonstrating for the past five years in the world’s first electric rally one-make cup that fully electric and therefore locally emissions-free rallying offers just as much excitement – and the brand will soon be doing so for the first time in the Formula E World Championship as well.

Finetuning on the Nürburgring: New Opel Corsa GSE Undergoes Final Testing

• Special attention: GSE-specific chassis put through its paces
• Hot hatch: New Opel Corsa GSE promises thrilling, fully-electric performance
• Show premiere: Newcomer to be on display at Paris Motor Show

After recently announcing the arrival of the new Opel Corsa GSE later this year, the brand with the Blitz is putting the all-electric hot hatch through its paces. The newcomer was recently tested on the legendary Nürburgring with special attention being paid to the fine-tuning of the chassis.

The Nürburgring in the Eifel region of Rhineland-Palatinate has made a name for itself as one of the most beautiful and challenging racetracks in the world. It is therefore no surprise that Opel saw it as the ideal place to apply the final tweaks to the new Opel Corsa GSE before it goes into serial production later this year.

“The Opel Corsa GSE will be the next addition to the GSE family. We want everybody to enjoy fully-electric hot hatchback performance and exciting driving dynamics. That’s why we specifically travelled to the Nürburgring to put the final touches on the set-up. I am sure that everybody will enjoy the locally emissions-free driving pleasure it will offer,” said Marcus Lott, Member of the Opel Executive Committee and Senior Vice President Stellantis Lead Engineering Central Europe.

As can be expected from a performance model, the Opel Corsa GSE will come with a sport chassis with specific throttle, steering and ESC tuning matching its power output. While at the Nürburgring, the team focused on the fine-tuning of precisely these elements to ensure the perfect set-up of the series production vehicle which will then be the most powerful series Corsa ever built.

Elsewhere, the all-electric high-performance variant of Germany's most popular small car will celebrate its show premiere at this year’s Paris Motor Show (October 12 to 18). With its electrifying design details, it will stand out from the crowd. And, of course, it will also deliver on this claim with thrilling performance on the road – tested on the Nürburgring. So, stay tuned – more detailed information will follow soon.

From 2026/27 Season: Opel to Compete in Formula E

• Four-year contract: Opel GSE Formula E Team will compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as of next season
• Next level for GSE sub-brand: German high-tech engineering in the world’s fastest-growing racing category
• More exciting, faster, more powerful: GEN4 racing cars with up to 600 kW and permanent all-wheel drive
• Opel CEO Huettl: “Formula E marks a new milestone on our journey to an electric future”
• Racing DNA: Opel builds on many years of experience in circuit racing and all-electric rallying

Opel is about to write a new chapter in its long and successful motorsport history. Starting from the 2026/27 season, the brand will be competing in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as a factory team. With the ‘Opel GSE Formula E Team’, the Rüsselsheim-based company is taking its commitment to electric motorsport to the next level and at the same time showcasing its powerful, all-electric GSE models. As a German brand with a long motorsport tradition and victories in rallying, touring cars and endurance racing, Opel is now bringing its technical expertise to the world’s fastest-growing racing series. This was officially announced by Opel CEO Florian Huettl and Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds and at a press conference at the Spanish circuit of Jarama today.

“Joining Formula E marks a new milestone for Opel on our journey towards an electric future,” said Opel CEO Florian Huettl. “With Formula E moving to GEN4 cars as of the coming season, we see this as the ideal time to join this exciting, all-electric racing competition. Our Opel GSE Formula E Team will show what our brand stands for: German engineering, bold design and electrified performance, attributes that also apply to Opel’s fully-electric GSE models such as the Mokka GSE and soon the new Corsa GSE.”

“We are delighted to welcome Opel as a new factory team in Formula E,” said Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E. “As a strong German brand with distinctive engineering expertise and a fresh, bold image, Opel brings a long and storied history in motorsport and a new dynamic to the starting grid. Opel’s commitment also shows the importance of Formula E for global car manufacturers in the transition to electric mobility.”

Formula E GEN4: Next step for Opel in All-Electric Motorsport

For Opel, participation in Formula E represents the next logical step in all-electric motorsport. The introduction of the GEN4 cars for the upcoming Formula E season is therefore exactly the right time for Opel to demonstrate its own motorsport know-how and return to the circuit with forward-looking technology. GEN4 marks the biggest leap in performance in the history of Formula E. The all-electric race cars will achieve a peak output of up to 600 kW (816 hp) in qualifying and attack mode – a whopping 250 kW (340 hp) more than before. In addition, the fourth generation of vehicles has permanent instead of temporary all-wheel drive, which will provide significantly more grip. This will make Formula E even faster and more exciting. At the same time, the capacity for energy recovery will be increased to up to 700 kW, which will benefit the efficiency and range of the race cars.

While test drives of the new generation of vehicles are taking place across Europe, the Opel motorsport department, headed by Jörg Schrott, is setting up. A team of vehicle, development and strategy engineers and operational management is already preparing for the start of the season. While the Opel GSE Formula E Team is benefiting from Stellantis Motorsport’s extensive experience in developing the GEN4 model, Opel is contributing its German engineering to the new project.

“What began five years ago with the establishment of the first electric rally cup is now reaching its peak with the participation in the FIA World Championship”, said Jörg Schrott, Opel GSE Formula E Team Principal and Director of Opel Motorsport.

As early as in 2021, the Rüsselsheim-based manufacturer launched the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup, the world's first electric one-make cup. Over the past five years, young rally talents have demonstrated their skills in the locally emissions-free Opel Corsa Rally Electric. The winner of the respective season also secured a seat in the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team in order to subsequently contest the Junior European Rally Championship (JERC).

With the start of the new 2026/27 rally season in a few weeks, Opel is maintaining its pioneer role in electric rallying. The GSE Rally Cup participants will compete in exciting competitions in the new Opel Mokka GSE Rally. The high-performance electric rally car has an output of up to 207 kW (281 hp) and 345 Newton metres of torque. It is thus more than twice as powerful as the previous Corsa Rally Electric and offers performance at Rally4 level. A driving experience that is not only reserved for the next generation of rally drivers: With the Mokka GSE, Opel is also bringing the all-electric rally feeling to the road for customers. The production model, which can reach speeds of up to 200 km/h and has already been awarded the ‘Golden Steering Wheel 2025’2 in Germany, is just as powerful as its rally counterpart and shares all high-voltage components as well as many other technical details.

In addition, Opel has decades of experience in classic top-class and amateur motorsport. The brand's previous activities range from the World Rally Championship to the circuit racing with commitments in Formula Opel, Formula 3 or the German Touring Car Masters (DTM). With the participation of the brand with the Blitz in Formula E from the 2026/27 season, Opel is thus taking its commitment to all-electric top-class motorsport to the next level.

OMG! GSE experience in the world’s fastest-growing racing series

With the ‘OMG! GSE’ campaign platform, Opel is presenting its range of high-performance electric cars. The abbreviation GSE stands for ‘Grand Sport Electric’ and is used to describe particularly dynamic electric models. Following the Opel Mokka GSE last year, the Opel Corsa GSE is set to launch in 2026 – perfect timing for the connection between the racetrack, the official team’s name and the road car models.

Before Formula E kicks off its new and now 13th season, the Opel GSE Formula E Team will make its first public appearance during the official GEN4 launch at the Paul Ricard racetrack in Le Castellet in April, giving a first glimpse of its look and further updates.

[1] The values of a vehicle depend not only on the efficient use of fuel by the vehicle, but are also influenced by driving behaviour and other non-technical factors.

[2] AUTO BILD issue 47/2025 and BILD am SONNTAG issue 47/2025, category ‘Small Cars’.

Inspirational Women at Opel and Stellantis: Maike Seeber and Bilyana Stern Manage the Plants in Rüsselsheim and Kaiserslautern

• New Opel Astra ‘made in Germany’: Plant manager Seeber is proud of new model and the teams at Opel’s headquarters
• Dual role: Bilyana Stern leads Kaiserslautern site and press shop in Rüsselsheim
• Cooperative leadership style: Setting the framework, delegating responsibility, motivating teams to find solutions
• International Women’s Day on March 8: Diversity and equality have a long tradition at Opel

March 8 is International Women's Day. However, equality, diversity and inclusion are not only a top priority at Opel and Stellantis on this annual day of celebration. Instead, these principles are a fundamental part of the corporate culture and a prerequisite for the brands’ and companies’ success. This applies at all levels, from top management to the Women's Perspective Panels in development to production. This stated, Maike Seeber and Bilyana Stern hold key roles in the company.

Seeber has been plant manager in Rüsselsheim since last year and is therefore responsible for the production of the new Opel Astra, which celebrated its world premiere at the beginning of 2026 and has been available to order for a few weeks now. Elsewhere, Stern has a dual role: she manages the press shop in Rüsselsheim and, for the past year, has also been in charge of the Kaiserslautern site, Stellantis' largest component plant for numerous Stellantis brands and sites worldwide. The top priority for both plant managers is to ensure quality and competitiveness ‘made in Germany’. To achieve this, they focus on cooperation, empowerment and each employee’s own personal responsibility.

Precision: The interaction of people, processes and technology must work

For Maike Seeber, the Rüsselsheim plant and the new Opel Astra stand for what fascinates her about the automotive industry: the interaction of people, processes and technology – and a high-quality-vehicle that drives off the assembly line as the result. That is why she spends as much time as possible in the production halls. “To experience first-hand how design, technological innovations, industrial feasibility and the spirit of the Rüsselsheim team come together is something very special. This is precision work to the point,” she emphasises.

What is visible on the line also shapes the plant manager’s everyday work. Her schedule is tight, the topics diverse. The focus is on the ramp-up of the new Astra, with classic production topics determining everyday life: requirements for the supply chain, material availability and a wide range of variants – including the drivetrains. Like all Opel models, the Astra is produced as an all-electric car, hybrid and combustion engine vehicle on a single production line. This also means flexibility and specialist training for employees. “Logistics, which used to be much more stable, is particularly challenging,” says Seeber. “Today it is one of the most volatile areas.” Global supply chains, geopolitical risks and unforeseeable events have fundamentally changed the requirements. Logistics has long since ceased to be a pure planning issue, but a continuous coordination task – with a high level of responsibility for all parties involved.

‘Made in Germany’: Ensuring the quality and competitiveness of the sites

Thus, it is all the more reassuring when cooperation between the individual company locations and divisions runs smoothly. Bilyana Stern plays a key role in this, since she is very familiar with the specific requirements of both sites as head of the press shop in Rüsselsheim and plant manager in Kaiserslautern. “From Kaiserslautern, we supply more than 20 Stellantis sites worldwide. Components from here are used in over 30 models from seven Stellantis brands, giving the site a central role within the company. Our priority is to ensure exemplary quality and thus competitiveness – despite high wages and energy costs in Germany. Because ‘made in Germany’ is important to us. A major goal is to create synergies – for example, through centralised functions for the German plants."

Seeber agrees: For her, the sites are perfect examples of what ‘made in Germany’ must stand for today: high-quality, competitive, efficient and technologically leading production under demanding conditions. Thus, the Rüsselsheim plant is flexibly positioned. At the same time, Opel is increasingly focusing on vertical integration. Work that would previously have been carried out by external service providers now takes place directly in the factory. One example of this is the battery shop, where the final assembly of the high-voltage batteries for all-electric vehicles takes place.

“I came to Rüsselsheim to take the opportunity to actively shape the future of production,” the 42-year-old adds. To successfully put this claim into practice, Seeber can rely on more than two decades of leadership and industry experience gained both nationally and internationally, mainly on the supplier side. “I know the supplier side and what is possible and what is not,” she says. “That helps me to make clear decisions even under demanding conditions.”

Leading cooperatively: Setting the framework, strengthening personal responsibility

The same applies to Bilyana Stern. The 36-year-old can also look back on a diverse international career that took her up to Kuala Lumpur and prepared her through various positions at different companies for the challenges at the multinational component plant in Kaiserslautern. “I have learned how important it is to make quick decisions. 70 per cent planning is enough, then it's time to implement. That still shapes my leadership style today: it's better to try things out and learn quickly than to wait for the perfect setup.”

Agility, efficiency and personal responsibility are important to Stern: “For me, it's about putting people first. I work very closely with my teams, on an equal footing. I demand a lot, but I also encourage a lot. I am present, address issues directly and, at the same time, want to motivate people to take bold decisions on their own responsibility that will move the company forward. For me, leadership means letting others grow, inspiring them and taking them with me on the journey.”

This kind of leadership – not simply making decisions over the heads of their employees but acting cooperatively – characterises both Stern and Seeber. The Rüsselsheim plant manager also focuses on empowerment instead of micromanagement, describing it as follows: “I want the teams to develop solutions themselves. My job is to set the framework and not to take every decision myself.” Especially in a complex environment, it is crucial to transfer responsibility and create learning spaces.

Focus on young talents: Diverse, having equal rights, driven by enthusiasm

„The team shines with a lot of commitment, heart and soul and it lives change,” says Seeber, reporting on her daily experiences. With a view to the future, the plant manager emphasises the importance of the next generation being actively trained at all German sites. Young employees contribute new skills – for example in the areas of artificial intelligence, 3D printing or process automation. Today, for example, the 3D printer is used in the plant to produce tools that would have been outsourced in the past. „This makes it all the more important to give young people confidence at an early age and to give them creative freedom,” says Seeber. And Bilyana Stern adds with regard to women: “Many women often have the feeling that ‘I have to be perfect before I apply.’ But that is nonsense. We just need to show more courage!”

Eye-catching: Opel Corsa YES Special Edition with Extra Features

• Colourful statement: Special edition with exclusive Koral Orange paint and orange accents in the interior from €24,340 (RRP incl. VAT in Germany)
• Stylish YES benefits: Carbon black roof, 16-inch BiColour alloy wheels, digital displays and steering wheel made of vegan leather
• Free choice: Battery-electric, hybrid or with efficient combustion engine
• Serial success: Opel Corsa Germany's best-selling small car for five years in a row

Germany's best-selling small car of the past five years is now becoming even more attractive: Opel is giving the Corsa YES special edition a new extraordinary paint job, which will make the bestseller an absolute eye-catcher, as well as equipping it with further extras as standard. Opel Corsa YES is now available in bright Koral Orange. In addition, the interior comes with colour-coordinated accents as well as other high-quality standard components from digital displays in every drive variant to the vegan leatherette steering wheel. Best of all, even with the extra features and the new metallic paintwork, the Corsa YES will not cost more than before. Opel customers can get into their own Corsa YES from prices starting at €24,340 (all prices RRP incl. VAT in Germany).

"Our Opel Corsa is a customer favourite. Topping its segment for five consecutive years speaks for itself. This success is not least due to the fact that we continuously refresh the allure of the Opel Corsa with new ideas. The best example of this is the new exclusive YES special edition with attractive extras and the eye-catching colour Koral Orange with matching exterior and interior design. With this, Corsa drivers can stand out from the crowd and make a statement," said Patrick Dinger, Head of Opel Germany.

With the exclusive Koral Orange metallic paint finish, the new Opel Corsa YES turns heads from afar. The stylish appearance is underlined by the carbon-black roof and 16-inch alloy wheels in black and silver BiColour Diamond design. Elsewhere, the interior with the black ‘Banda’ seat cover in premium leather look creates a pleasant ambience. With orange stitching and stripes, it also continues the colour theme of the body. The same applies to other orange accents that run through the doors and instrument panel, as well as the black headliner.

The steering wheel, which is flattened at the bottom and is covered with vegan artificial leather as standard in the YES special edition, also stands for comfort with sustainability. The multimedia infotainment system with a 10-inch touchscreen and 7-inch driving information display offers the best entertainment and connectivity. Unlike in other variants, the displays of the Opel Corsa YES are now fully digital at all times – regardless of whether customers opt for a petrol, hybrid or all-electric and thus locally emissions-free drivetrain.

Those who want to upgrade their Opel Corsa YES even further, can opt for the comfort pack with electric parking brake (standard on Opel Corsa Electric YES), middle armrest with storage compartment and two remote control keys for €150. Elsewhere, the new YES tech package with features such as the 130-degree reversing camera, the parking pilot for the front and rear, electrically adjustable and heated exterior mirrors, the keyless start system ‘Keyless Start’ and much more ensures even more relaxed driving pleasure from €700. And for all those who prefer a slightly more discreet approach, the Corsa YES is also available in Eucalyptus Green – again with matching stitching, stripes and accents in the door and instrument panel – for an additional €700.

[1] A vehicle's values not only depend on the vehicle's efficient use of fuel, but are also influenced by driving behaviour and other non-technical factors.