Opel GT and Opel Corsa A GSi are “Vintage Cars of the Year”

• Premiere: First time one brand wins two awards in Auto Bild Klassik readers’ choice
• Celebrities: Opel designer Erhard Schnell and touring car legend Volker Strycek accept awards

Vintage Car of the Year in the sports car and coupé segment: Opel GT designer Erhard Schnell next to his award-winning brainchild.

The 1968 Opel GT and the 1988 Opel Corsa GSi have won “Vintage Car of the Year” awards. It is the first time ever that two cars made by a single brand have celebrated victories at the “Golden Vintage Car” readers’ choice award organised by magazine Auto Bild Klassik. The pan-European award was established in 2010 and readers can choose their favourites in six categories. The iconic Opel GT won the “Sports cars and coupés” segment while the speedy Opel Corsa A GSi impressed in the “Small and compact car segment”. Two very special Opel ambassadors travelled to the award ceremony in Stuttgart. 91-year-old former Opel designer Erhard Schnell accepted the award for his brainchild – the Opel GSi. Elsewhere “Mister GSi”, Opel Director Performance Cars Volker Strycek, collected the trophy for the Corsa GSi.

“The courage we displayed when designing the Opel GT has paid off time and time again. I am delighted that its design still fascinates people today and has resulted in it winning ‘Vintage Car of the Year’,” said Erhard Schnell. “Opel has always built cars that spark emotion. This is demonstrated by icons such as the Opel GT but also by little sports cars such as the Corsa GSi – of which the latest variant is currently available,” added Volker Strycek.

Vintage Car of the Year in the small and compact car segment: “Mister GSi” Volker Strycek with the 1988 Opel Corsa A GSi.

Opel Corsa GSi was launched exactly 30 years ago. It was as dynamic as a motorbike: extremely compact, 820 kg light, with cheeky wheel arches, sport seats, 100 hp and a top speed of 188 km/h. It laid the foundations for further Corsa GSi models and its DNA can still be seen in its latest descendent. The latest generation Corsa GSi celebrated its world premiere a few weeks ago. Powered by a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine (fuel consumption^[1]: urban 8.0-7.7 l/100 km, extra-urban 5.5-5.1 l/100 km, combined 6.4-6.1 l/100 km, 147-139 g/km CO₂) it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.9 second and has a top speed of 207 km/h. The new Corsa GSi and its big brother the Insignia GSi are thus continuing Opel’s successful GSi tradition.

A groundbreaking design was already a feature of the very first sketch for Opel’s other winner at this year’s awards, the Opel GT. Presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1965, the Opel GT was already rolling off the production line three years later thanks to the excitement it stirred. The advertising slogan “Only flying is better” is just as iconic as the “Coke bottle” shape and the “sleeping eyes” pop-up headlights. Even back then, those responsible combined sportiness with comfort and trendsetting efficiency – just as the Opel designers are doing today with the Opel GT X Experimental. The forward-looking brand concept is a bold, 4.06-metre, 5-door, all-electric compact SUV with coupé appeal and brimming with innovative ideas, which gives a preview of what the future holds for Opel models.

 

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^[1] Values measured according to WLTP and converted to NEDC for comparison.

Opel to Launch Eight All-New or Refreshed Models by 2020

• Stronger customer orientation and dealer performance
• Focus on high volume and high growth segments with three key launches by 2020: All-New Opel Corsa, Vivaro and Mokka X successor
• Ensure CO₂ compliance with state-of-the-art technology: four electrified vehicles by end of 2020; 100 percent electrification by 2024; further improved combustion engines

 

Opel is continuing to execute the PACE! plan product offensive to meet customer needs and ensure compliance with the drastic Europe-wide CO₂ guidelines which become effective in 2020. The future portfolio will ensure a sustainable, successful future for both the company and its dealer network. From early 2019 to the end of 2020, the company will launch eight all-new or refreshed models, investing primarily in high-volume and profitable segments. By then, Opel will be offering one of the newest portfolios of all volume manufacturers.

With its PACE! plan, Opel has clearly committed to bringing at least one all-new model onto the market every year. In 2019 alone, Opel will launch the new generation of the bestselling Corsa and the successor to the successful Vivaro as LCV and passenger car variants. Additional variants and equipment versions of the Combo will also be on sale, thus significantly renewing the LCV portfolio. 

The successor to the hugely popular Opel Mokka X will follow in 2020 and will play a pivotal role for the strategy to expand the proportion of the company’s SUV sales from 25 to 40 percent by 2021.

“Opel goes electric” was one of the commitments made by the company in November 2017 as part of its PACE! plan. Order books for both the all-electric new five-seater Corsa and the Grandland X PHEV which will be produced in Eisenach will be open by the summer of 2019. By the end of 2020, Opel will have a total of four electrified models on offer, providing a lot of driving pleasure and transforming e-car demand from niche to volume. By 2024, there will be an electrified version of every Opel model. Opel will make highly interesting offers, both technically and economically, and will democratise electro-mobility while further improving its combustion engines.

In order to contribute to the CO₂ compliance and to focus on high volume segments, the Opel ADAM, KARL and Cascada will not be replaced after the end of their life cycles, but will remain on sale until the end of 2019. With the new portfolio, Opel will continue to cover around 80 percent of the mainstream market volume in 2020 – with significantly higher efficiency and customer-orientation while simultaneously reducing complexity.

“In a context of drastic CO₂ norms, it’s our responsibility to shape a sustainable future for our company and our dealers with a highly competitive portfolio for passenger and light commercial vehicles. Opel will offer fun to drive and emotionally designed models including highly competitive light commercial vehicles such as the new Combo and Vivaro. The customers will benefit from the broad introduction of innovative technologies and affordable electrification,” said Opel CEO Michael Lohscheller. “The most recent awards – like the IVOTY 2019 for our Combo – demonstrate that we are on the right path.”

The German manufacturer with almost 120 years of automotive tradition is leveraging Groupe PSA platforms and innovative propulsion technologies for all new models. Opel has impressively demonstrated its efficiency this year: the entire portfolio was and is fully available from dealers in time for the transition to the new Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure standard (WLTP). Moreover, Opel is already fully ready for the new Euro 6d-TEMP emissions standard and offers 127 passenger car models that meet the requirements which will come into effect for all new registrations in September 2019. “Our commitment to Euro 6d-TEMP is part of our strategy to become a leader in the reduction of vehicle emissions and a key pillar of our customer-centric approach. Whoever buys a new Opel now must not fear a city driving ban from today’s perspective,” said Lohscheller.

Successful September: Opel Increases Market Share to 7% in Europe

Opel and sister brand Vauxhall benefitted from the timely and consistent preparation of the transition to the new WLTP (Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure) test cycle in September: The brands achieved a combined passenger car and light commercial vehicles market share of 7 percent (+ 0.8 percentage points versus same month of 2017) in Europe in September^[1]. This is the highest market share in an individual month since March 2016 and the highest September value since 2014.

“Seven percent Opel market share in Europe is a great result of which we can be proud of. And our market share gains in Europe are broadly based and above all achieved in the right and profitable channels. We are benefitting from the fact that we have certified our portfolio according to WLTP and Euro 6d-TEMP in good time. Whoever buys an Opel now, can rely on the latest technology and gets peace of mind,” said Xavier Duchemin, Managing Director Sales, Aftersales and Marketing, Opel Automobile GmbH.

Last month, Opel registered a market share increase in 11 markets, including the biggest European countries: In its home market Germany, the brand increased its market share to 9.5 percent (+ 2.2pp) of the total market, the highest share in an individual month since December 2010 and the highest September value since 2007.

Opel’s sister brand Vauxhall registered a market share of 8.6 percent (+ 1.3pp) in the UK, the highest result in an individual month for 13 months. In Spain, the Opel market share was at 5.8 percent (+0.3pp), which represents the highest September share since 2015. In Italy, the brand with the Blitz achieved a market share of 5.4 percent (+0.6pp) also representing the best score for a September since 2015 and the highest monthly result for 18 months. Opel’s market share reached 3.8 percent (+ 0.6pp) in France. This is the highest market share in an individual month since May 2015 and the highest September value since 2010.

Opel achieved its highest market share of all European countries in the Netherlands where the Rüsselsheim-based carmaker was the overall market leader with a market share of 10.4 percent. In Belgium, the brand registered a market share of 8.5 percent in the total market, the highest September market share since 2009. In Slovakia, Opel achieved a record market share of 9.5 percent.

Opel/Vauxhall market share of passenger car market (PC) and total market (PC + Light Commercial Vehicles)

	PC Sep 18	Change PC versus Sep 17	PC+LCV Sep 18	Change PC+LCV versus Sep 17
Germany	10.2%	+2.6pp	9.5%	+2.2pp
UK	8.5%	+1.2pp	8.6%	+1.3pp
France	4.3%	+0.9pp	3.8%	+0.6pp
Italy	5.7%	+0.7pp	5.4%	+0.6pp
Spain	6.0%	+0.1pp	5.8%	+0.3pp

 
^[1] Total Market Europe E30, according to preliminary figures, figures rounded