!NEW! Opel Invests 245 Million Euros in Ruesselsheim

• Investment for additional vehicle for main German plant at end of decade
• Additional production of a Buick model for North America 
• Change of export strategy for Chinese market 

On top of four Opel Insignia variants and the Opel Zafira Tourer MPV, which will be produced as of January 2015, the Ruesselsheim plant will get two additional vehicles later in the decade. This was decided by the Opel Supervisory Board at its meeting this week.

A significant investment of 245 million euros will be made to build an additional model. Due to competitive reasons, details about this car will not be announced until the end of the year. The Supervisory Board also gave the green light for the future production of an additional variant of the Opel Insignia. The Ruesselsheim plant has been chosen for the assembly of a future model which will be sold in the US under the Buick brand name. Start of production will also be in the second half of the decade.

"With the investment in a new, additional model for Ruesselsheim, we will take another important step in our multi-billion dollar model offensive with which we will pave the way for Opel’s profitable growth,” said GM President and Opel Supervisory Board Chairman Dan Ammann. "And the Buick production in Ruesselsheim will further improve our capacity utilization," added Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.

”The decisions of the Supervisory Board for the production of a Buick and for the investment in an additional model for the Rüsselsheim plant are based on the recently concluded collective agreement. They are part of our extended growth strategy and are further evidence of GM’s confidence in Opel," said Dr. Wolfgang Schäfer-Klug, Head of the Opel Works Council and Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board.

In addition, Opel has decided to change the export strategy for the Chinese market. As of January 2015, sales of the Opel brand in China will cease. "This is a long overdue decision,” said Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann. “It would have cost hundreds of millions of euros to raise awareness of the Opel brand and to expand the distribution network. Buick, however, is one of the market leaders in China and we plan to intensify our future collaboration, with several projects currently under examination."

Last year, 22 Opel dealers in China sold a total of 4,365 vehicles. In comparison, Buick – with 650 dealers – sold about 810,000 vehicles in China, including several that were co-developed with Opel.

Globally, Buick set an all-time global sales record last year, delivering 1.032 million vehicles worldwide. Buick was GM’s third largest passenger car brand after Chevrolet (4.984 million units) and Opel/Vauxhall (1.064 million units).

!NEW! Opel strengthens the Rüsselsheim plant with additional model

Opel strengthens its German locations with additional investments: The company will add a new model to its Rüsselsheim plant. For competitive reasons the company is not in a position to reveal any details at this point in time.

"With DRIVE! 2022 we have developed a clear ten-year plan which focuses on a multi-billion dollar model offensive. The offensive is in full swing. And we are already paving the way for the products that will give us the chance for further growth the end of the decade" says Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.

Currently four versions of the Insignia are assembled in Rüsselsheim. From the beginning of 2015, the current generation of the Opel Zafira Tourer – which is now being built in Bochum – will follow.

At the same time, the company has today announced together with its partner PSA Peugeot Citroen that in future the C-CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) models will be produced in PSA’s French Sochaux plant. In return, the Spanish Opel plant in Saragossa will, as already announced, produce the successor of the B-MPVs of both companies.

“The alliance between PSA and Opel is based on a balanced approach”, said Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.

!NEW! Four decades of top design: Opel Monza GSE meets Opel Monza Concept

• Style icons in comparison: Dream coupé of the seventies meets the IAA study 2013
• Designers from back then and now in dialogue: George Gallion and Friedhelm Engler
• Fascinating double interview: The Opel design language of yesterday and today

Four decades of top design: The Monza GSE meets the Monza Concept. Opel is continuing the tradition of beautiful Gran Turismo models coming out of Rüsselsheim.

A beautiful autumnal day at the river Main: Riding on a yellow truck, the Opel Monza Concept rolls up in front of the Adam Opel Building. The namesake of the brand-new concept vehicle, Opel Monza GSE, is already set. George Gallion, who designed the original 1977 Monza, and Friedhelm Engler, Director of Advanced Design of the Opel Monza Concept, follow spellbound, as the two cars are placed side by side – a moment worthy of goose bumps. Dozens of employees gather immediately, pulling out their smartphones as they walk around the racers. Even the two designers cannot be persuaded to pose for the photographers as planned. While the Opel Monza Concept is still assuming its position, Gallion opens the tailgate of the GSE. “That was a tricky thing,” he says, stroking the delicate trimming of the rear window. “It ensures the extremely slender structure is rigid enough, and we wanted this structure at all costs,” he explains. “When designing the Opel Monza Concept,” says Engler, “we were inspired by the tailgate’s glass.” And the car is now finally good to go. With a stroke of his finger over the rear fender, Engler opens the huge gull-wing door. Silently. Gallion takes his seat. Using a touchpad, Engler raises the LED projection. The curved cockpit, stretching from door to door, springs to life. Virtual buttons and control dials appear on the cockpit surface. “Everything can be shown here. A CD cover, the navigational map, a Facebook app, whatever you want, when you want it,” explains Engler.

Two designers and their works. Friedhelm Engler (on left) with his Opel Monza Concept with George Gallion in front of his Opel Monza GSE.

Ten questions for Opel designers George Gallion and Friedhelm Engler:

Mr. Gallion, you made history with the Opel Monza A2 in 1983. It was the first car with a digital display. What do you think of this new kind of instrument panel ?

GALLION: Some newspapers called our display a ‘mouse screen’ back then. I liked that. This is like, how should I call it, “Mickey Mouse meets Star Wars.” I am even slightly envious when I see what’s possible today. How beautiful this car has become.

ENGLER: Hey, George, you’ve got goose bumps. This interface between human and machine is crazy, right? The infotainment and instrument panel was originally intended to be a lot smaller, more reduced. Then we realized that it works really well. We can place the multifunctional, customizable dash panel across the entire width of the dashboard. It’s state of the art.

Opel Monza GSE: A luxury of the late seventies and early eighties. A coupé for daily driving with a six cylinder in-line engine that runs with silky smoothness.

Two generations: George Gallion (on left) and Friedhelm Engler under the large wing door of the Opel Monza Concept.

Mr. Gallion and Mr. Engler, your paths coincided at Opel in 1992. Did you ever run into each other ?

GALLION: But of course. I actually interviewed Friedhelm for the job.

ENGLER: I still remember it well. After the interview, George showed me around the studio and let me look under all the car covers. That was actually against the rules. But that’s typical of the fascination with Opel / Vauxhall. It’s approachable, both then and now.

How has the work of designers changed ?

ENGLER: The early stages always involve the vision, the idea and then pencils, and quality paper. That hasn’t changed. Right, George?

GALLION: Yes. It’s the old cliché – the designer sits in a café and sketches with pencil and paper in front of them. That’s true. Even in meetings, while designers are listening, well, most of the time, they are drawing while they’re at it.

ENGLER: What has changed, of course, are the tools – computer development and 3D programs, shaping machines and simulations.

48 years ago, Opel was the world’s first car manufacturer to present a concept car at the IAA, the Experimental Opel GT. This year it’s the Opel Monza Concept. How important are concept cars for the evolution of design ?

GALLION: The show cars are there in order to showcase new design ideas. They don’t necessarily have to result in a product. Rather, they aim to illustrate a trend. At that time, Opel had the first design department that was only allowed to research without regard to a particular product line.

48 years of Opel concept cars: The Experimental GT was in 1965 the first concept car made by a European manufacturer. Just like the Monza Concept, the GT celebrated its premiere at the IAA in Frankfurt.

ENGLER: The Monza Concept is the vision of the Opel brand, and for us, too, for designers, employees, and colleagues. It is incredibly motivating to see a vision take shape. Indeed, we have just seen what happened in front of the Adam Opel Building. Before the car is even in position, colleagues gather in droves to see the car and take photos.

How was the idea of the Opel Monza Concept born?

ENGLER: It began with a vision of the brand. We wanted to visualize efficiency that could also be realized from the point of view of engineering. The idea was for it not to convey heaviness but also not fragility. That is how the original sketch of the lady and the dog was born. (Engler pulls out a poster showing the car next to a lady and a greyhound.) This greyhound is just skin and bone, is incredibly agile, and at the same time looks elegant. That is perfect. Also, this woman, she’s got a 70s, 80s look on the one hand, but is also modern and cool. That was it, that was a full story. Together we developed the idea for another two years. A show car is not the work of just one person. It is a team effort, involving 70 or 80 people.

Dream car: The Monza Concept will sustainably influence the design of upcoming Opel models.

Getting back to the greyhound, over and again we read that animals are the inspiration for car designs. Do designers visit the zoo regularly in their free time ?

ENGLER: I don’t think that our people hang out at the zoo. Although, George, there is that story about the manta ray …

GALLION: That was in 1969. In response to the Ford Capri, we designed a prototype for a coupé in the space of four weeks. Predator names were ‘in’ at the time. We wanted to name it manta and use the shape of the fish as the emblem. But nobody could tell us what this fish looked like at all. Nobody but Jacques Cousteau, the marine biologist. So I went to see him in Paris to get photos of the manta ray. And well, the fish wasn’t all that beautiful in the end. So then we gave it a more elegant look in the design.

ENGLER: Examples from the animal world are appreciated simply because they mean something to everyone. When I talk about a cheetah or a greyhound in conversation, everyone has an image in their mind straight away.

Elegant design paired with ultra-modern efficiency on four wheels: The visionary Monza Concept shows what Opel drivers can expect in future. Its formal tension and lightness remind of a beautiful greyhound.

Opel Monza: that means, a sports coupé with a lot of space inside. What parallels can be drawn between the Opel Monza A and the Opel Monza Concept ?

ENGLER: Opel Monza Concept stands on its own. However, there are certain intentional references to the Opel Monza A, for example, the implied air ducts of the C pillar. The duct along the roofline reflects functionality which is what Opel stands for. This makes it a high-value four seater that makes no compromises. That’s why we call it a sports break and not a sports coupé. The generous sculpted glass – another reference – brings lightness and also gives it a more slender appearance. Otherwise, Opel Monza A is just a namesake, a reference. While we had it with us in the studio, we didn’t do a retro design, and we didn’t cook or rehash any old ideas. George and his team never looked back either.

How much of the Opel Monza Concept’s design will be incorporated into new Opel models ?

ENGLER: Like all Opels, the Monza Concept vehicle is the embodiment of our basic messages – sculpted design and German engineering skill. But it develops the topic, the design philosophy further, pushes it to the next level – by placing the emphasis on extremely strong proportions. Simple lines are therefore sufficient in other areas. Just like a beautifully grown Christmas tree. That’s sculpted design. And it’s evident in the Astra GTC: The lateral, fully pulled sheet metal completes the stage performance.

Is it often the case that you have to sacrifice a brilliant design idea for functional or technical specifications ?

ENGLER: No, not if you develop the idea from the beginning together with colleagues from the engineering and marketing departments.

GALLION: I’ve never tried to do anything that wasn’t technically feasible. But if the engineers said to me, “no, we cannot tilt this component another degree,” then I’d say, “Ok, then just try half a degree more.”

By the way, what cars do you have in your private garage ? 
Mr. Gallion, you arrived today in Opel Meriva …

GALLION: Yes, that’s my fourth already! The door design of the Opel Meriva B is very practical, particularly when I have my five-year-old grandchild with me. And the blue Opel Aero GT, at Opel Classic, that’s mine also.

ENGLER: I’m pursuing a special project at the moment. My son and I are turning an Opel GT into a rally vehicle, which we want to use for racing. When it’s finished, I’ll come over to your place and we can do some laps.

GALLION: It’s a deal! 

In brief: The designers and their concept cars

Friedhelm Engler

Born in 1963, the Director of Advanced Design at GM Europe studied design at the University of Pforzheim for three years, before moving to Tokyo to work as a product designer. At Opel, he began as a transport designer, was later head designer on the Meriva A and the Astra H, then Director of Design for Global Compact Car Architecture. Until 2010, he managed the design department of the PATAC development center in Shanghai. As Director, he was responsible for show cars and studies, including RAK e, RAD e, and the Monza Concept.

George Gallion

Born in the U.S. in 1937, he joined GM in Detroit after having studied industrial design in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1969, he moved to Opel and became Deputy Design Director. Many Opel / Vauxhalls carry his signature, from the Manta A to Monza to his latest projects, the Signum and Movano. He retired in 2002 and lives with his wife in the Taunus mountain range in Germany.

Opel Monza A1/A2

First Sketch: The design for the Opel Monza A. The large coupé celebrates in 1977 its world premiere at the IAA in Frankfurt.

Opel Monza A1 was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in 1977. The three-door coupé of the new top model, Senator, was ideal for everyday use with its four seats. The Monza was powered by six-cylinder engines with 2.5- to 3.0-liter cubic capacity. The Monza A2 replaced it at the end of 1982. In 1983, the top GSE line featured digital display instruments for the first time. Production of the coupé ended in 1986, but today it is fast becoming a cult classic.

Opel Monza Concept

  The visionary Monza Concept shows what Opel drivers can expect in future.

It combines the silhouette of a sports break with the line of a coupé, and gull-wing doors with functionality. Highly modern instruments and infotainment displays using LED projection technology are indicative of O / V’s plan for sweeping integration. As for the drive system, the modular design ensures the highest degree of flexibility. A 1.0 turbo engine is connected to the electric drive system of the design study, with more combinations possible.

!NEW! General Motors (GM) and PSA Peugeot Citroën on building B-MPV’s in Zaragoza, Spain

General Motors (GM) and PSA Peugeot Citroën are announcing today that as part of the existing alliance agreement, B-MPV’s from both companies will be built in the GM España plant in Zaragoza.

As previously announced, the Alliance is responsible for developing a next generation of B-segment MPV’s based on a PSA Peugeot Citroën platform. This program is one of the three projects which were agreed upon and signed by both partners in December 2012.

The Opel engineering team in Ruesselsheim will lead the engineering execution of the joint project. PSA Peugeot Citroën will supply powertrains for all applications. The first vehicles will come to market in late 2016.

The Alliance between PSA and GM is based on a balanced approach. The vehicles of both manufacturers will be highly differentiated and fully consistent with their respective brand characteristics.

More announcements on joint projects will follow at a later stage.

!NEW! Opel Monza GSE Shines at IAA Special Exhibit The Stars from 1983

• Association of German Automotive Industry’s special classic cars exhibition in Hall 3.1
• 1983 Opel Monza GSE now eligible for coveted German classic car H-plate
• Three Opel legends spanning three decades on display

Star from 1983: The Opel Monza GSE is an exclusive automobile, with sporty equipment and trim, powered by a 180 hp, 3.0 liter six-cylinder engine.

The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) will hold a special exhibition of classic cars at the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA: www.iaa.de) from September 12 – 22. The theme is ‘The Stars from 1983’ and the VDA invites all IAA visitors to its stand in Hall 3.1 to enjoy the legendary vehicles on display.

Star from 1983: Opel Monza GSE 3.0 V6

As the Opel Monza GSE turned 30 years old this year, it is now officially a member of the classic car club. This coupé ancestor of the Opel Monza Concept Car, also being presented at the IAA (Hall 8, Stand D09), is an exclusive automobile, with sporty equipment and trim, powered by a 180 hp, 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine. One of its neat, functional highlights is an LCD display for data such as speed, rpm, fuel level and engine temperature. During the four years the Monza GSE was in production, 43,812 customers bought this Opel dream car.

Star from 1993: The Opel Calibra was the most successful sports coupé of the 1990s.

The special exhibition also features other iconic cars from Opel. The youngest is the 170 hp Calibra V6, introduced 20 years ago and built from 1993 to 1997. The Opel Calibra was the most successful sports coupé of the 1990s and 238,647 units were built during its seven-year production run. This popular model was widely praised for its progressive design and recycling-friendly construction. It also set standards in terms of aerodynamics, boasting a cd value of 0.26, which is one of the lowest ever registered for a series production vehicle. The Calibra is extremely popular as a modern-day classic and will surely become a genuine classic car of the future.

Star from 1963: Opel Kapitän L – L stands for luxury. The 90 hp, six-cylinder in-line engine gave the elegant car a top speed of 150 km/h.

Already established as a true classic is the 1963 Opel Kapitän L (L stands for luxury), which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and is the third, and oldest, Opel highlight on the VDA stand. Straight lines and a stretched form are the Kapitän’s main bodystyling themes, while the slightly arched roof appears to hover over its large glass surfaces. Thanks to a full-view panorama windshield and the sloping panorama rear window, all-round visibility is superb. The 90 hp, six-cylinder in-line engine gave the Kapitän a top speed of 150 km/h. The 145,616 satisfied customers who bought this variant made it not only the most successful Kapitän ever, but also the best-selling six-cylinder sedan in Germany. 

Three V6 Stars from three decades: Opel Kapitän L, Opel Monza GSE, Opel Calibra at the historic Opel facility at Rüsselsheim.

!NEW! Leader: Juergen Klopp goes first new Opel Insignia OPC

New Opel sports star storms into the garage of the master trainer and brand ambassador

Juergen Klopp and Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann with new Opel Insignia OPC 

Borussia Dortmund, Juergen Klopp and Opel - perfect. All the team are fast, technically strong, ambitious, down to earth and approachable here. Since 2012 the German automaker premium partner of the Bundesliga club. Master Klopp also acts as the Opel brand ambassador and now moves onto the new top model from Rüsselsheim.

Even before the official premiere of the new Opel Insignia OPC at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt (September 12 to 22) Juergen Klopp has now got his new dream car at the edge of a panel discussion about European football at the Adam Opel Haus: With 239 kW / 325 hp maximum power and maximum torque of 435 Newton meters, the Insignia OPC marks the peak power of the Opel models. Thus Juergen Klopp can quickly get on the highway, clever take the pace out or are stable - thanks to the Brembo High-Performance brakes.

"Opel Insignia OPC was previously a hammer car, now the new is simply perfect: super engine, super all-wheel drive, strong design. Where I just feel fit as a fiddle, "said Klopp delighted about his new sports equipment.

Dortmund, Klopp and Opel - which fits precisely. Even the color. Team and brand colors are black and yellow. And his new Opel Insignia OPC must of course the favorite color of the coach wear: Graphite Black.

!NEW! Captain Karl-Thomas Neumann Takes Opel Kapitän on Special Voyage

Opel CEO on traditional tour with Kapitän, Admiral and Diplomat 

Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann with Opel's legendary "KAD" models: Kapitän, Admiral and Diplomat

Opel's "KAD" models are legendary. With the Opel Kapitän, Admiral and Diplomat, the German automaker defined the automotive premium class from 1964 to 1977. The three flagships were distinguished by luxurious equipment, sedan-like handling and powerful, majestically gurgling six and eight-cylinder engines. The large Opel models still exude dignity and elegance today.

Especially when the CEO of Adam Opel AG, Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, takes them out for a spin through the scenic Rheingau and Taunus regions. The car enthusiast already demonstrated his driving finesse at the Old-timer Grand Prix on the Nürburgring with the Rekord C "Black Widow", a special touring car from the 1960s. On a summer excursion with the "KAD" models, Neumann steered the Opel fleet through villages with enchanting timber-framed houses, picturesque vineyard valley roads and onto romantic Rhine ferries.

Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann with Opel Admiral 4.6 V8

"For me it is always very special and inspiring to drive the models from our Opel Classic collection. That is where we keep the treasures from Opel’s long history, that remind us again and again what a great heritage the brand has and what fantastic cars Opel has built and is again building today," said the Opel boss enthusiastically, talking about the impeccably maintained Rüsselsheim classic cars.

Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann with Opel Diplomat 5.4 V8 in Schloss Westerhaus

Opel CEO Dr Karl-Thomas Neumann enjoys the Diplomat’s 5.4 liter V8

The voyage with the luxury liners led from Rüsselsheim to Schloss Westerhaus, the former summer residence of the Opel family. There, CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann was greeted by Countess Ivonne von Schönburg-Glauchau, a descendant of company founder Adam Opel, and her husband Johannes.

Opel CEO Dr Karl-Thomas Neumann in Opel Kapitän 2.6

The summer tour continued on its aristocratic course along the north bank of the Rhine, with stops at Schloss Johannesberg and Biebricher Schloss. Finally the Opel fleet arrived back in its home port and docked on the bank of the Main River in Rüsselsheim. There, Captain Neumann ran his hand over the long hoods of Kapitän and Co. one last time before heading to the Restaurant Opelvilla to end the day while enjoying the impressions of a wonderful day.

Three flagships: Opel's legendary "KAD" models: Kapitän, Admiral and Diplomat 

Captain Neumann's "KAD" fleet in detail:

• Opel Kapitän, built 1969, 2.8 liter six-cylinder with 132 hp and comfortable DeDion rear axle. 
  
  
  

• Opel Admiral A V8, built 1965, 4.6 liter eight-cylinder with 190 hp and three-speed automatic transmission. 
  

• Opel Diplomat B V8 long version, built 1976, 5.4 liter eight-cylinder with 230 hp and a top speed of 205 km/h.

!NEW! Opel is hiring 350 Engineers

ITDC will be enhanced and get additional responsibilities in the global network

Mike Ableson, Vice President Engineering and Member of the Board at press conference 

Opel is hiring 350 engineers in order to support the brand’s ongoing product offensive. 300 of them will be hired to work at the International Technical Development Center in Rüsselsheim, the Torino Engineering Center is looking for 50 new engineers. New hires at ITDC Rüsselsheim will be in vehicle engineering as well as in powertrain engineering. Therewith Opel strengthens the role of the International Technical Development Center (ITDC) in Rüsselsheim with currently more than 6,000 employees.

At today's press conference Mike Ableson, Vice President Engineering and Member of the Board, announced that Opel is hiring 350 additional engineers. 300 of them will be hired to work at the Internationel Technical Developement Center in Rüsselsheim, the Torino Engineering Center is looking for 50 new engineers

The main areas of hiring are simulation, validation, construction, cost engineering and accessories engineering. For powertrain Opel is mainly looking for experts in the areas of engine and transmission engineering and calibration. The hiring process has already started and will be finalized by the end of the year.

"This is not only an evident proof that Opel/Vauxhall is taking the realization of its product offensive seriously. It is also another sign from General Motors that our parent company values German engineering and so the German ITDC is taking on more work in order to support Opel and Europe," said Michael Ableson, Vice President Engineering and Member of the Board. "By doing that we are securing the long-term importance of the ITDC as an integral part of GM's global engineering network."

Mike Ableson, Vice President Engineering and Member of the Board in Opel HQ 

In addition, GM will make more use of synergies between the brands, particularly between Buick and Opel will increase. This will result in further economies of scale that benefit both brands.

The recruitment goes along with the 230 million euro investment that GM announced in April 2013. This investment will be used for building new testing facilities into its European Product Development Center at the Opel headquarters in Rüsselsheim and at the proving ground in Dudenhofen. New dynamometers for engines and transmissions will replace older equipment to allow for development of the following generation of powertrains for 2020 and beyond. This will be a key enabler for Opel/Vauxhall in the development of next generation engines and compliance with European and global emissions regulations.

The powertrain development work that will be done in Rüsselsheim will translate into engines and transmissions not only for Europe but also for the rest of the world. Dr. Thomas Johnen, Vice President Powertrain Engineering, said: "Two next generation gasoline engine lines, which will be key building blocks to reach the next step of environmentally friendly mobility solutions, will be developed in Rüsselsheim for applications in Europe and worldwide."

Opel and GM are investing heavily into future Opel/Vauxhall products. Four billion euros have been earmarked for future product between 2013 and 2016. Through 2016, Opel is introducing 23 new models and 13 new powertrains.

!NEW! 75 years Opel Kapitaen: Great birthday parade through Ruesselsheim

• 42 historical Kapitaens of the years 1938 to 1953 at the start
• Departure from the Opel plant to the castle Westerhaus
• Magnificent classic car show on the Bahnhofplatz

On Saturday (April 27) in 9.45 clock meet at the Bahnhofplatz in Ruesselsheim Opel beautiful Kapitaens    from the years 1938 until 1953. A total of 42 vehicles travel on that day by the Opel plant along the former Kapitaen of the production hall and then through the main entrance to the station earlier Opel in Ruesselsheim place to introduce yourself there for about an hour with their owners. The classic car parade takes place on the occasion of the 75th anniversary - the end of 1938, the first Opel Kapitaen rolled off the assembly line.

The Old Classic Opel IG and the Department of the Adam Opel AG jointly organize this visual feast for participants and spectators. 40 vehicles are driven by their owners from the Old Opel IG, two captains of the years 1950 and 1952 are from the Opel Classic workshop. Around 10:45 clock the convoy of Opel sedans then rolls toward Westerwinkel house, located since 1900 in the family of Opel. Today, the castle and winery in the fourth generation of the great-granddaughter of the Rüsselsheim car maker, Ivonne Countess of Schoenburg-Glauchau out. Surrounded by vineyards, participants will be asked in the "Old Kelterhalle" the palace for lunch.

As a representative of the upper middle class, the 1938 Opel introduced between the captain compact Opel Kadett and the Opel Admiral ranked a representative. With self-supporting all-steel body and advanced drive technology available as two-and four-door sedan as well as a four-seater convertible in this vehicle class captain took a technical leadership role. The modern design of the six-cylinder, started in the first year with 2.5 liters and 55 hp, was in many stages of development for five decades, the hallmark of the great Opel vehicles. 1948 left the first post-Kapitaen in the old body style the work. And with the economic miracle then took the career of the Opel Kapitaen properly ride on. In the early sixties, now the pontoon construction was announced, the Opel was captain of its U.S. design language to the best-selling six-cylinder car in Germany.