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.

!NEW! AVD Oldtimer Grand Prix: Opel Celebrates 1996 International Touring Car Championship Victory with Calibra V6

• International Touring Car Championship 1996: Opel wins with Calibra V6
• Nürburgring 24 Hours 2003: Opel wins with Astra V8 Coupé
• Oldtimer GP 2016: Opel touring cars from Manta A to Astra TCR take to the track
• On display in the paddock: Opel rally cars driven by Walter Röhrl

International Touring Car Championship 1996: Opel wins with Calibra V6.

The AVD Oldtimer Grand Prix at the legendary Nürburgring (August 12 to 14) is the highlight of the season for classic fans. This year Opel celebrates its successful motorsports tradition with famous touring cars. On pole-position is the Opel Calibra V6 which won the 1996 International Touring Car Championship. The black “Cliff” Calibra driven by Manuel Reuter claimed the last ITC-title despite strong competition from Alfa Romeo and Mercedes. At the Nürburgring the all-wheel drive Calibra will be driven by former DTM driver and Opel brand ambassador, Jockel Winkelhock.

World Champion 1996: The black “Cliff” Calibra claimed the last ITC-title despite strong competition from Alfa Romeo and Mercedes.

Opel Calibra V6 will not be alone on the starting grid. The ITC-champion will be joined by the Irmscher Manta A (which rally-legends Walter Röhrl and Rauno Aaltonen drove to victory in the 1975 Spa 24 Hours), the group 4 Gerent Opel GT and a 300 hp Steinmetz Commodore from 1971. Additional crowd-favorites include the group 5 Opel Rekord C also known as the “Black Widow” and a group H Opel Manta which since its debut has never missed a 24-hour race at the Ring. Equally at home in the Eifel is the 500 hp Astra V8 Coupe which won the 24 hour race at the “Green Hell” in 2003, driven by Manuel Reuter, Timo Scheider, Marcel Tiemann and Volker Strycek.

Nürburgring 24 Hours 2003: Opel wins with Astra V8 Coupé.

The Astra-racer almost went into production as the OPC X-Treme, and the car displayed at the 2001 Geneva Motor Show will be on stage again at the Oldtimer Grand Prix. Specially for rally fans, the OPC X-Treme will be accompanied on the Opel Classic stand in the paddock by three rally cars driven by former World and European Rally Champion, Walter Röhrl – the Ascona A and Kadett C GT/E from the legendary Röhrl/Berger era and the Opel Ascona 400, with which Röhrl and co-driver Christian Geistdörfer drifted to the 1982 World Rally Championship crown.

Apart from the historic oldtimers, the current generation will be represented by a touring car from the TCR series. The brand new Opel Astra TCR will make its first appearance at an Oldtimer GP and join the Calibra V6 and co. on the track. The Opel Astra TCR combines a production car with state-of-the-art race technology, enabling customer teams to take part in sprint and long-distance races under strictly limited regulations. The five-door Astra is powered by a highly efficient 2.0 liter turbocharged engine which the rulebook restricts to a maximum 330 hp and 410 Nm of torque. With a dry weight of only 1200 kg, more than enough performance for highly spectacular – affordable – motorsport.

!NEW! 25 Years of Opel Calibra: From Aerodynamic Champion to Cult Coupé

• Big splash: World premiere at 1989 Frankfurt Motor Show
• Slippery shape: Low 0.26 Cd, best value among series production cars
• Affordable dream: Thanks to volume production technology, 115 hp for 33,900 marks
• Sporting highlight: All-wheel drive Calibra V6 wins 1996 ITC Championship
• Most successful sports coupé of 1990s: 238,647 units produced in seven years

Calibra: Real cult coupés come from Opel

Real cult coupés come from Opel. Following the successes of the Manta, Opel GT and Monza, the sleek Calibra continued Opel’s winning formula when it premiered at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in 1989, exactly 25 years ago. It was an extremely progressive concept way ahead of its time, with the best drag coefficient of all series production cars, independent wheel suspension and semi-trailing arm rear axle, optional all-wheel drive and ultra-modern gasoline engines with closed-loop-controlled catalytic converters fitted as standard. These attributes were recognized in 1990 when the Calibra won the coveted Golden Steering Wheel, Germany’s most prestigious automobile award.

Opel Calibra 2.0: Entry-level engine with 115 hp

The 2.0 liter entry-level engine with 85 kW/115 hp propelled Opel’s aerodynamic world champion to a top speed of 203 km/h, while the 150 hp, four-valve version went on to 223 km/h. Despite such impressive performance, the Calibra 16V was still able to return 7.7 l/100 km combined cycle fuel consumption. In other words, this was sporty looks and performance with no compromises – typical Opel, just like the low entry-level price of 33,900 marks.

This kind of value is, of course, a tradition for coupés from Rüsselsheim. The legendary Manta already benefitted from the high volume production technology of the Ascona, and the Calibra leveraged a similar gain from its close relative, the Opel Vectra. As a result, the Manta and the Calibra were both affordable dream cars that became cult coupés thanks to their successful recipe of sportiness with economy and reliability, and both are now much sought-after classic cars.

Design lesson: Form follows function

Opel Calibra: Wind tunnel testing 

Opel Calibra united exciting design with optimized aerodynamics and uncompromised everyday practicality. The wide-opening tailgate gave easy access to a versatile, 980 liter luggage compartment. And despite its coupé format, the Calibra’s long wheelbase ensured all four occupants had plenty of space and comfort. Generous standard equipment included power steering, a five-speed close-ration gearbox, a six-speaker audio system and tinted windows. Air conditioning, a four-speed automatic transmission and an electric tilt/slide sunroof were among the options.

Top priority: Safety first

In developing the Calibra, Opel engineers were already focused on pedestrian protection, a top issue today. Trend-setting features such as the slippery body shape, rounded edges, the hidden windshield wipers and concealed roof drip moldings would become part of future vehicle design.

Safety first: Opel Calibra new ellipsoid headlamps with higher light output

Electronic ABS and sleek, new ellipsoid headlamps with a higher light output, sharp contrast and reduced light scatter improved active safety. And the large, beautifully integrated front and rear bumpers were designed to absorb plenty of impact energy in the event of an accident.

The most important models: As you like it

Powerhorse: Opel Calibra Turbo with 204 hp

At market launch in 1990, a high-quality all-wheel drive system was optionally available in addition to the standard front-wheel drive for both 2.0 liter gasoline engines. The Calibra 4x4 impressed with excellent traction, superb braking stability and ultra-safe driving behavior. They were qualities that deserved even more power under the hood – and in March 1992 Opel made waves when the Calibra Turbo entered dealerships at a highly-competitive price of 49,800 marks. All-wheel drive, a six-speed gearbox, sports seats and 16-inch light alloy wheels with wide, 205/50 tires all came as standard. But the big story was the 2.0 liter turbo engine pumping out 204 hp (150 kW) with a massive torque ‘curve’ that resembled the elevated plateau of Table Mountain in Cape Town. In short, whenever the driver of a Calibra Turbo knocked on the door, there was always someone at home!

Six pointer: Opel Calibra 2.5 V6 with 170 hp

The Calibra’s Keke Rosberg Edition is, of course, legendary. Just in time for its works debut in the German Touring Car Masters (1993/94), Opel introduced  the new 125 kW/170 hp, 2.5 V6 Calibra, together with 2.0 liter four-cylinder  variants in Opel’s white-yellow DTM look. Customers who chose a Calibra Cliff Motorsport Edition in May 1996 were way ahead of the game. Its paintwork was the same as the Class 1 racing car in which Manuel Reuter would win the ITC championship – successor series to the DTM with World Championship status – for Opel at the end of the season. The street-legal Cliff racer had a 20 mm lower sports chassis, BBS light alloy wheels (7J x 16) and a price advantage of 3,601 marks.

For real fans: Opel Calibra Cliff Motorsport Edition

Grand finale: Last Edition

Just one year after its ITC success, the Calibra entered another home stretch, this time towards the end of production. After 222,000 registrations since 1990, a special limited volume Last Edition was created as a final chapter in the Calibra story. It could be ordered until the end of April 1997 and came with a sports chassis, BBS wheels, leather trim and air conditioning to provide a luxurious experience. The engine choice comprised the 2.5 liter V6 or a 136 hp/100 kW, 2.0 liter, four-cylinder unit.

Last but not least: Opel Calibra Last Edition

August 29, 1997 marked the official end of production. After seven years, 238,647 Calibras had been produced at the main plant in Rüsselsheim, and also at Valmet in Uusikaupunki, Finland. To meet high customer demand, the production run in 1990 was increased to 60,000 units from a planned volume of 20,000, with part of this being produced at Valmet Automotive.

The Calibra’s biggest markets were Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain and France. The 115 hp entry-level model led the sales charts with production totaling more than 130,000 units, followed by the 150 hp, 2.0 liter version, of which more than 61,000 were built.

Opel Calibra was most successful sports coupé of 1990s: 238,647 units produced in seven years

Fittingly, it was a black Last Edition with a 2.0 liter, four-valve engine which rolled off the assembly line as the final Calibra to be made. Today, Opel Classic enjoys showing this car at many Youngtimer events, where the beautiful coupé always ends up a crowd favorite.