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72-690: During the late 1920s von Opel had made a variety of demonstrations involving rocket-powered vehicles for the Opel company. He was assisted by the pyrotechnics manufacturer Friedrich Sander and the rocketry advocate Max Valier . In March 1928 the three men visited the Wasserkuppe , a mountain which had become the center of German gliding to investigate the possibility of fitting rockets to an aircraft. There they encountered some of Lippisch's revolutionary gliders, which because of their tail-less designs seemed suitable for adapting to rocket propulsion. Lippisch

144-617: A letter of intent was signed by GM to sell Saab to Koenigsegg , but the deal fell through in November 2009. On January 26, 2010, Saab was sold to Spyker Cars , forming a company known as Swedish Automobile . On March 6, 2017, General Motors (GM) and PSA Peugeot-Citroën (PSA) announced their agreement that the French carmaker would buy GM's Vauxhall and Opel subsidiaries in a deal worth US$ 2.2 billion. PSA Peugeot-Citroën (PSA) would later merge with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, with

216-524: A self-supporting ("unibody") all-steel body, closely following the 1934 Citroën Traction Avant . This was one of the most important innovations in automotive history. Launched in 1935, the Olympia was light and its aerodynamics enhanced performance and fuel economy. The 1930s was a decade of growth, and by 1937, with 130,267 cars produced. Opel's Rüsselsheim facility was Europe's top in terms of vehicle production, and ranking seventh worldwide. 1938 saw

288-534: A 7% share of PSA, becoming PSA's second-largest shareholder after the Peugeot family. The alliance was intended to enable $ 2 billion per year of cost savings through platform sharing, common purchasing, and other economies of scale. In December 2013, GM sold its 7% interest in PSA for £250 million, after plans of cost savings were not as successful. Opel was said to be among Europe's most aggressive discounters in

360-742: A compact MPV, the Zafira . In 1999, Opel unveiled its first sports car, the Speedster (Vauxhall VX220 in the UK). However, it was not a success and was discontinued in 2005. The company moved into the city car market in early 2000 with the Agila launch. The third generation Opel Corsa was launched in 2000, followed by a new version of the Vectra in 2002 and the Astra in 2004. Three generations of Vectra gave way to

432-692: A cowshed to a more spacious building in Rüsselsheim. The production of high-wheel bicycles soon exceeded the production of sewing machines. At the time of Opel's death in 1895, he was the leader in both markets. The first cars were designed in 1898 after Opel's widow Sophie and their two eldest sons entered into a partnership with Friedrich Lutzmann, a locksmith at the court in Dessau in Saxony-Anhalt , who had been working on automobile designs for some time. The first Opel production Patent Motor Car

504-562: A decade, but when production finished, there was no direct successor due to declining sales of executive saloon models from mainstream brands. A Corsa-based coupe, the Tigra , was also launched around this time and lasted in production for six years. The second generation Opel Vectra was launched in 1995, with the Vectra nameplate now extending to the Vauxhall version in the UK. The first Opel MPV,

576-664: A joint venture between GM and Isuzu was established in 1985. The new company took over the Bedford van plant in Luton, producing a range of badge engineered light vans based on Isuzu and Suzuki designs. IBC would later go on to manufacture the Isuzu-based Frontera SUV model. Isuzu would later pull out of IBC Vehicles in 1998, with Renault (and later the Renault–Nissan Alliance ) taking its place in

648-408: A length of 74 cm (29 in), weighing 7 kg (15 lb) empty and 16 kg (35 lb) with fuel. The maximum thrust was 45 to 50 kp, with a total burning time of 132 seconds. These properties indicate a gas pressure pumping. The first missile rose so quickly that Sander lost sight of it. Two days later, a second unit was ready to go, Sander tied a 4,000-meter (13,000 ft)-long rope to

720-483: A partnership with and acquired a stake in Fiat in 2000. GM divested its minority equity interests and dissolved the partnership in 2005, following a legal fight regarding the conditions of a put option afforded Fiat. Following the 2008 global financial crisis , and GM's plunge towards bankruptcy, on May 30, 2009, it was announced that a deal had been reached to transfer New Opel (Opel plus Vauxhall, minus Saab) assets to

792-632: A parts supplier to an expanded role as a global automaker that ranks "amongst the leaders in selling and building electric cars ." However, on November 3, 2009, the GM board called off the Magna deal after coming to the conclusion that Opel was crucial to GM's global strategy. With ongoing restructuring plans Opel announced the closure of its Antwerp plant in Belgium . Originally GM planned to sell Saab to Swedish sportscar maker Koenigsegg . On June 11, 2009,

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864-795: A performance-luxury brand, with only the Manta , Senator and Monza ranges being offered in Great Britain. Elsewhere in Europe, Vauxhall's Bedford brand was used on car-derived vans and heavy commercial vehicles. Vauxhall-badged cars were sold across Europe in small numbers, even in Opel's home market Germany, and remained the longest in Scandinavia and the Benelux countries – markets that did not have their own automobile industry and also retained

936-479: A record speed of 238 km/h (148 mph) in front of 3,000 spectators and world media representatives, including Fritz Lang , director of Metropolis and Woman in the Moon , world boxing champion Max Schmeling , and many other sports and show business celebrities. A world speed record for rail vehicles was reached with RAK3 at a top speed of 256 km/h (159 mph). After these successes, von Opel piloted

1008-478: A residual resistance to German goods following World War II. General Motors' American-made cars were sold sporadically in Europe in the 1970s and into the early 1980s. One main import centre was Lendrum & Hartman Limited in the United Kingdom (who had assembled GM cars in the pre-war years ), but in 1982 there was a push to increase export to Europe and all American (and Canadian) imports were moved to

1080-572: A separate company, controlled by a trustee. The deal, underwritten by the German Government , was negotiated by German Chancellor Angela Merkel . GM was expected to keep a 35% minority stake in the new company, Opel staff 10%, with a plan which proposed to sell the majority of the business to one of two partners: The new company would not be allowed to sell Opel cars in the US (permanently) and China (at least temporarily) markets, which are

1152-722: A unified importer in Athens , Greece, called the North American Vehicle Overseas Organisation. This location was chosen as the company would also handle exports to Africa and the Middle East. The export push was a reflection of a weak dollar and the post-oil crisis move to smaller and more efficient cars, more marketable in Europe. General Motors' European spare parts depot for American parts was located in Antwerp , Belgium. IBC Vehicles ,

1224-531: A wholly owned subsidiary. In 1935, Opel became the first German car manufacturer to produce over 100,000 vehicles annually. This was because of the popularity of the Opel P4 model. The sales price was 1,650 marks and the car had a 23  PS (17  kW ) 1.1 L four-cylinder engine achieving a top speed of 85 km/h (53 mph). Opel also produced the first mass-production vehicle in Germany with

1296-670: Is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Group prior to its merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to form Stellantis in 2021. Most of the Opel lineup is marketed under the Vauxhall brand in the United Kingdom since the 1980s. Some Opel vehicles were badge-engineered in Australia under

1368-878: The Calibra , being launched the following year. Soon afterward, Opel launched a high-performance version of the Omega – the Lotus Omega (Lotus Carlton in the UK) – which featured Lotus-tuned suspension and had a top speed of 175 mph. Opel's first turbocharged car was the Opel Rekord 2.3 TD , first shown at Geneva in March 1984. In the 1990s, Opel was considered GM's cash cow, with profit margins similar to Toyota's. Opel's profit helped to offset GM's losses in North America and to fund GM's expansion into Asia. 1999

1440-743: The Holden brand until 2020, in North America and China under the Buick , Saturn (until 2010), and Cadillac brands, and in South America under the Chevrolet brand. Opel traces its roots to a sewing machine manufacturer founded by Adam Opel in 1862 in Rüsselsheim am Main . The company began manufacturing bicycles in 1886 and produced its first automobile in 1899. With the Opel RAK program,

1512-668: The Insignia in 2008, with the new model becoming the company's first European Car of the Year award winner for 22 years. Following the 2008 global financial crisis and the Chapter 11 reorganization of GM , on 10 September 2009, GM agreed to sell a 55% stake in Opel to a consortium including Magna group and Sberbank – with the approval of the German government. The deal was later called off. With ongoing restructuring plans, Opel announced

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1584-441: The PSA Group agreed to buy Opel, its English twin sister brand Vauxhall and their European auto lending business from General Motors for US$ 2.2 billion. In return, General Motors will pay PSA US$ 3.2 billion for future European pension obligations and keep managing US$ 9.8 billion worth of plans for existing retirees. Furthermore, GM is responsible for paying about US$ 400 million annually for 15 years to fund

1656-656: The Sintra , was launched in Europe in 1996, imported from the US where it was sold as a Pontiac , but discontinued after three years due to disappointing sales. The Vauxhall-badged UK market version was also slated in motoring surveys for its dismal build quality and reliability. 1997 saw the demise of the Calibra coupe after an eight-year production, with no immediate replacement. The Opel Astra hatchbacks, saloons, and estate were wholly revamped for 1998 and, within two years, had also spawned coupe and cabriolet versions, as well as

1728-528: The 1902 Hamburg Motor Show . Production began in 1906, with the licensed Opel Darracq version discontinued in 1907. In 1909, the Opel 4/8 PS model, known as the Doktorwagen ( lit.   ' Doctor's Car ' ) was produced. Its reliability and robustness were appreciated by physicians, who drove long distances to see their patients back when hard-surfaced roads were still rare. The Doktorwagen sold for only 3,950 marks, about half as much as

1800-638: The 1920s, Fritz von Opel initiated together with Max Valier , co-founder of the "Verein für Raumschiffahrt", the world's first rocket program, Opel-RAK , leading to speed records for automobiles, rail vehicles and the first manned rocket-powered flight in September 1929. Months earlier in 1928, one of his rocket-powered prototypes, the Opel RAK2, piloted by von Opel himself at the AVUS speedway in Berlin, reached

1872-645: The 1980s there. The factory opened in 1982, and its first product was the Opel Corsa (imported to the UK as the Vauxhall Nova from 1983). The Ascona switched to front-wheel drive for an all-new General Motors J-Car global model format in 1981, with the Cavalier nameplate continuing for the UK market. The Kadett was revamped again in 1984, and became the company's first winner of the European Car of

1944-485: The British market, Opel everywhere else. This in turn allowed manufacturing resources to be pooled, therefore Opel badged vehicles were produced in Vauxhall factories and vice versa. Initially under this arrangement, Vauxhall still retained some degree of design and engineering freedom with their versions of the Opel models carrying their own distinct front and rear styling, and in some cases, their own engine designs; but by

2016-553: The British twin sister brand Vauxhall and the European auto lending business from General Motors for €2 billion ($ 2.3 billion), making the French automaker the second biggest in Europe, after Volkswagen . Opel is still headquartered in Rüsselsheim am Main. The company designs, engineers, manufactures, and distributes Opel-branded passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles, and vehicle parts; together with its British sister marque Vauxhall, they are present in over 60 countries around

2088-450: The Ente, which was burned beyond any hope of repair. The Opel RAK.1 was developed as the successor to the "Ente", and was demonstrated successfully to the public in September 1929 with Fritz von Opel as pilot. Data from General characteristics Performance Opel Opel Automobile GmbH ( German pronunciation: [ˈoːpl̩] ), usually shortened to Opel ,

2160-527: The Opel RAK collaborators were able to attain powered phases of more than thirty minutes for thrusts of 300 kg (660-lb.) at Opel's works in Rüsselsheim," again according to Max Valier's account. The Great Depression led to an end of the Opel-RAK program, but Max Valier continued the efforts. After switching from solid-fuel to liquid-fuel rockets, he died while testing and is considered the first fatality of

2232-481: The Opel versions. The Opel Ascona of this era was sold on the UK market (and made in British and continental factories) as the Vauxhall Cavalier . Both of these cars had mild styling changes, as did the flagship Opel Rekord and Vauxhall Carlton saloon and estate ranges, which went on sale towards the end of the 1970s. By the 1970s, Opel had emerged as the stronger of GM's two European brands; Vauxhall

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2304-639: The Republic of Ireland (provision of IT services) and GM Auto LLC (ООО Джи Эм Авто) (a separate subsidiary that distributes the Chevrolet Camaro, Tahoe , and Traverse models in Russia). In Europe, GM Europe operated 14 vehicle production and assembly facilities in nine countries and employed around 54,500* people. Many additional directly related jobs were provided by some 8,700 independent sales and service outlets. In 2005 GM's market share in Europe

2376-465: The UK market – while Vauxhall was discontinued in the Republic of Ireland in favour of Opel six years earlier. GM Europe announced in 1991 that the sixth generation Opel Kadett platform would adopt the Astra name (already used by Vauxhall) – ushering in a new policy of standardization of model names across both brands, further diluting Vauxhall's independence from Opel. In 2002, it was announced that

2448-592: The Vauxhall car production lines at Luton would close following the introduction of the third generation Vectra . Also in 1986, GM bought Lotus in England – the first fruit of the purchase being the special edition Lotus Omega/Carlton performance saloon. Seven years later, on August 27, 1993, GM sold the company for £30 million to owners of Bugatti . GM acquired a 50 percent stake in Saab of Sweden in 1989, taking full ownership in 2000. General Motors also developed

2520-462: The Wasserkuppe's landing strip. On the second flight, the team decided to try firing both rockets together for increased thrust over a shorter period. However, rather than burning properly one of the rockets exploded, punching holes in both wings and setting the aircraft alight. Stamer was nevertheless able to bring it down from a height of around 20 metres (65 ft) before hastily abandoning

2592-585: The Year accolade. The Rekord's successor, the Opel Omega (still Vauxhall Carlton in the UK), achieved the same success two years later. The long-running Ascona nameplate was discontinued in 1988, with its replacement being sold as the Vectra , although the UK market version was still sold as the Vauxhall Cavalier. The Opel Manta coupe was also discontinued in 1988, with its Vectra-based successor,

2664-434: The aircraft's center of gravity as the fuel of the rockets was consumed. The rockets were intended to be fired one after the other, to provide continuous thrust for as long as possible, and each had a burn time of around 30 seconds. Fritz Stamer, who had long been a test pilot for Lippisch's designs was selected to fly the aircraft. After one false start, the aircraft took off and flew a 1,500 metre (4,900 ft) circuit of

2736-400: The automaker a wholly owned subsidiary , establishing an American ownership of the German automaker for nearly 90 years. Together with British manufacturer Vauxhall Motors , which GM had acquired in 1925, the two companies formed the backbone of GM's European operations – later merged formally in the 1980s as General Motors Europe . In March 2017, PSA Peugeot Citroën agreed to acquire Opel,

2808-412: The closure of its Antwerp plant in Belgium by the end of 2010. In 2010, Opel announced that it would invest around € 11 billion in the next five years. €1 billion of that was designated solely for the development of innovative and fuel-saving engines and transmissions. On 29 February 2012, Opel announced the creation of a major alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroen , resulting in GM taking

2880-547: The company's American leadership had rejected an "invitation" to switch to munitions manufacture a few months earlier. In 1942 Opel switched to wartime production, making aircraft parts and tanks. Truck manufacture continued at the Brandenburg plant , where the 3.6-liter Opel Blitz truck had been built since 1938. These 3 short tons (2.7  t ) trucks were also built under license by Daimler-Benz in Mannheim . After

2952-525: The company's SUV line-up in 1994, but had been dropped from the UK and continental markets by 2000 due to disappointing sales. At the end of 1992, the company unveiled a completely new Corsa, which, like the original model, was produced at the Zaragoza plant. This car carried the Corsa nameplate on the UK market as a Vauxhall. A second generation Omega was launched in early 1994. It remained in production for

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3024-530: The company's development, acquisitions, key directors, particularly Guy Nicholas (Nick) Vansittart (1893–1989) see Lendrum & Hartman and James D. Mooney (1884–1957) involvement with Adam Opel A.G. and politics between the wars. By the early 1970s, GM began to merge the product lines of Opel and Vauxhall, with the development of a series of common platforms from which a range of vehicles could be derived. These vehicles carried either Vauxhall or Opel branding depending on market – Vauxhall being mainly used in

3096-420: The country's largest automobile exporter in 1928. The "Regent" – Opel's first eight-cylinder car – was offered. The RAK 1 and RAK 2 rocket-propelled cars made sensational record-breaking runs. Opel as a company and its co-owner Fritz von Opel , grandson of Adam Opel, were instrumental in popularizing rocket propulsion for vehicles and have an important place in the history of spaceflight and rocket technology. In

3168-427: The dawning space age. Sander's technology was confiscated by the German military in 1935. He was forced to sell his company and was imprisoned for treason. He died in 1938. In March 1929, General Motors (GM), impressed by Opel's modern production facilities, bought 80% of the company. The Opel family gained $ 33.3 million from the transaction. Subsequently, during 1935, a second factory was built at Brandenburg for

3240-536: The early post-war years. Opel GT This two seater sports car was introduced in 1968 and was produced until 1973. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Vauxhall and Opel ranges were rationalised into one consistent range across Europe. The 1973 version of the Opel Kadett was later rebadged in hatchback, saloon, and estate form as the Vauxhall Chevette for the UK market, with German factories producing

3312-495: The end of August 2009 there were doubts over whether a sale of Opel would actually go ahead, though a German government official later revealed that talks were continuing. This was followed by RHJ International raising its bid for Opel to €300m from €275m. On September 10, 2009, GM agreed to sell a 55% stake in the German brand Opel to the Magna group with the approval of the German government. With this move, Magna chairman Frank Stronach aims to take Magna from its current role as

3384-512: The end of the war, with the Brandenburg plant dismantled and transported to the Soviet Union, and 47% of the buildings in Rüsselsheim destroyed, former Opel employees began to rebuild the Rüsselsheim plant. The first postwar Opel Blitz truck was completed on 15 July 1946 in the presence of United States Army General Geoffrey Keyes and other local leaders and press reporters. Opel's Rüsselsheim plant also made Frigidaire refrigerators in

3456-455: The existing pension plans in Great Britain and Germany. General Motors Europe General Motors Europe (often abbreviated to GM Europe ) was the European subsidiary of the American automaker General Motors ("GM"). The subsidiary was established by GM in 1986 and operated 14 production and assembly facilities in 9 countries, and employed around 54,500 people. GM's core European brands were Vauxhall and Opel , which both sell much

3528-451: The late 1920s in Rüsselsheim. According to Max Valier 's account, Opel RAK rocket designer, Friedrich Wilhelm Sander launched two liquid-fuel rockets at Opel Rennbahn in Rüsselsheim on 10 and 12 April 1929. These Opel RAK rockets were the first European, and after Goddard, the world's second, liquid-fuel rockets in history. In his book Raketenfahrt Valier describes the size of the rockets as of 21 cm (8.3 in) in diameter and with

3600-425: The launch of the Opel Kadett D in 1979, the cars only differed in badging and specification. This therefore meant that two ranges of otherwise identical cars were sold in competition with each other under the two brands, this ended in 1982 when both dealer networks were merged as "Vauxhall-Opel", most of the Opel range was discontinued in favour of their Vauxhall equivalents and Opel was positioned in Great Britain as

3672-401: The less expensive manufacturing process), but by the 1930s, this type of vehicle would cost a mere 1,930 marks – due in part to the assembly line, but also due to the skyrocketing demand for cars. Adam Opel led the way for motorised transportation to become not just a means for the rich, but also a reliable way for people of all classes to travel. Opel had a 37.5% market share in Germany and was

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3744-408: The luxury models of its day. The company's factory was destroyed by fire in 1911, and a new facility was built with more up-to-date machinery. Opel's cars were initially tested on public roads, leading to complaints about noise and road damage. Under public pressure, Opel began construction of a test oval in 1917. The track was completed in 1919, but not open to the public until 24 October 1920 under

3816-570: The market. GM reported a 2016 loss of US$ 257 million from its European operations. It is reported that GM has lost about US$ 20 billion in Europe since 1999. Opel's plant in Bochum closed in December 2014, after 52 years of activity, due to overcapacity. Opel withdrew from China, where it had a network of 22 dealers, in early 2015 after General Motors decided to withdraw its Chevrolet brand from Europe starting in 2016. In March 2017,

3888-573: The new version of the Kadett – entered production in 1979, initially built in Germany and Belgium. It was sold in the UK alongside the stronger-selling Vauxhall version – the Astra – which entered UK production in 1981. During the 1970s, Opel expressed interest in building an additional production facility in Spain and eventually settled on a location near Zaragoza , intending to develop a new supermini for

3960-422: The official name of Opel-Rennbahn (Opel Race Track). In the early 1920s, Opel became the first German car manufacturer to build automobiles with a mass-production assembly line. In 1924, they used their assembly line to produce a new open two-seater called the Laubfrosch (Tree frog) . The Laubfrosch was finished exclusively in green lacquer. The car sold for an expensive 3,900 marks (expensive considering

4032-419: The possible third party carmakers include the U.S carmaker Ford and the French company PSA Peugeot-Citroën (PSA) . However, negotiations broke down with Magna over details, particularly the sale of intellectual property rights and distribution of all future GM products in the former Soviet Union . GM announced that final bids were to be placed with them by July 20, which resulted in three bidders: Towards

4104-464: The presentation of the highly successful Kapitän . With a 2.5 L six-cylinder engine, all-steel body, front independent suspension, hydraulic shock absorbers, hot-water heating (with electric blower), and central speedometer. 25,374 Kapitäns were made before the intensification of World War II brought automotive manufacturing to a temporary stop in the autumn of 1940, by order of the government. Opel automobile production ended in October 1940, after

4176-480: The production of " Blitz " light trucks. In 1929 Opel licensed the design of the radical Neander motorcycle and produced it as the Opel Motoclub in 1929 and 1930, using Küchen, J.A.P. , and Motosacoche engines. Fritz von Opel attached solid-fuel rockets to his Motoclub in a publicity stunt, riding the rocket-boosted motorcycle at the Avus racetrack. After acquiring the remaining shares in 1931, General Motors had full ownership of Adam Opel AG and organized it as

4248-473: The rocket. After 2,000 m (6,600 ft) of rope had been unwound, the line broke, and this rocket also disappeared in the area, probably near the Opel proving ground and racetrack in Rüsselsheim, the "Rennbahn". Sander and Opel also worked on an innovative liquid-propellant rocket engine for an anticipated flight across the English Channel. By May 1929, the engine produced a thrust of 200 kg (440 lb.) "for longer than fifteen minutes, and in July 1929,

4320-603: The same range of cars in different markets. GM also owned the Swedish brand Saab until early 2010 and sold Chevrolet models between 2005 and 2015. The U.S. brand Cadillac is imported into Europe in small quantities. In 2009, General Motors (GM) announced to move its European headquarters from Zürich , Switzerland to Rüsselsheim , Germany to strengthen its German subsidiary Opel . As of July 2022, General Motors's European operations are conducted by Cadillac Europe GmbH (distribution of Cadillac vehicles and Chevrolet sports cars), General Motors IT Services (Ireland) Limited in

4392-627: The two biggest markets in the world. On June 1, 2009, GM filed for bankruptcy in a court in New York. As the sale of Opel has been negotiated two days before, with the preferred bidder the Magna consortia, both companies were in effect ring-fenced from any GM asset liquidation. Magna stated that their plans for Opel included attracting GM or third-party carmakers to build their cars and electric vehicles in Antwerp . If Opel needed to reduce production of its own core models then any unused capacity could be used to manufacture vehicles for other carmakers. Inside sources close to Magna revealed that some of

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4464-434: The two companies' operations and product families into one did not start until the 1970s – which had Vauxhall's complete product line replaced by vehicles built on Opel-based platforms – the only exception to the rule being the Bedford CF panel van. This only solely Vauxhall design was marketed as an Opel on the continent. By the turn of the 1980s, the two brands were, in effect, the same. Opel's first front-wheel drive car –

4536-406: The venture – which was subsequently renamed as GMM Luton , manufacturing the Vivaro family of light cargo vans. In 1986, GM officially inaugurated GM Europe, the same year as the last "true" Vauxhall – the Bedford CF panel van – ceased manufacture. In 1987, GM Europe sold the heavy trucks division of Bedford to AWD Ltd, the Bedford brand continued on light commercial vehicles until 1990 when it

4608-435: The world's first public rocket-powered flight using Opel RAK.1 , a rocket plane designed by Julius Hatry . World media reported these events, including Universal Newsreel in the US, causing "Raketen-Rummel" or "Rocket Rumble" immense global public excitement, particularly in Germany, where, among others, Wernher von Braun was highly influenced. Opel RAK became enthralled with liquid propulsion, building and testing them in

4680-402: The world's first rocket program, under the leadership of Fritz von Opel , the company played an important role in the history of aviation and spaceflight: Various land speed records were achieved, and the world's first rocket-powered flights were performed in 1928 and 1929. After listing on the stock market in 1929, General Motors took a majority stake in Opel and then full control in 1931, making

4752-413: The world. The company was founded in Rüsselsheim , Hesse , Germany, on 21 January 1862, by Adam Opel . In the beginning, Opel produced sewing machines . Opel launched a new product in 1886: he began to sell high-wheel bicycles , also known as penny-farthings . Opel's two sons participated in high-wheel bicycle races, thus promoting this means of transportation. In 1888, production was relocated from

4824-653: Was 9.4%. The total number of European employees were 54,500 (as of May 2009). General Motors entered the European market only three years after the company's foundation in 1908. This involved the construction of Chevrolet cars in Denmark in 1923 and Belgium in 1925. This involvement was greatly expanded by the acquisitions of Vauxhall in 1925 and Opel in 1929. Originally both Vauxhall and Opel had operated independently of each other with totally separate product lines and were direct competitors outside of each other's home markets. See also David Hayward's Automotive history: GENERAL MOTORS 1908 TO 1933 Outlines in detail

4896-411: Was able to demonstrate how models of his aircraft would fly with small rockets installed in them. In June von Opel, Sander, and Valier returned and bought one of his aircraft, the Ente, a canard design. Two black powder rockets were installed, to be electrically fired by a switch in the cockpit. A counterweight system was also devised and placed under the cockpit floor which would automatically adjust

4968-538: Was built in Rüsselsheim early 1899, although these cars were not very successful (A total of 65 motor cars were delivered: eleven in 1899, twenty-four in 1900 and thirty in 1901) and the partnership was dissolved after two years, following which Opel signed a licensing agreement in 1901 with the French Automobiles Darracq France to manufacture vehicles under the brand name Opel Darracq. These cars consisted of Opel bodies mounted on Darracq chassis, powered by two-cylinder engines. The company first showed cars of its design at

5040-400: Was dropped completely. The newly created AWD struggled as an independent business away from GM, and collapsed in 1992, bringing an end to the lineage of Bedford trucks and the Dunstable plant was later closed. In 1988, following the discontinuation of the Manta model (the Senator had become a Vauxhall in 1984, while the Monza coupe was killed off in 1987), the Opel brand was formally dropped in

5112-435: Was the last time when Opel was profitable for an entire year after almost 20 years. The first major Opel launch of the 1990s was the 1991 Astra, which spelled the end for the Kadett nameplate that had debuted more than 50 years earlier. The company also turned to Japanese Isuzu for its first SUV, the Frontera , which was also launched in 1991 but produced in Europe despite its Japanese origins. The larger Monterey joined

5184-545: Was the third-best-selling brand in Great Britain after the British Motor Corporation (later British Leyland ) but made only a modest impact elsewhere. The two companies were direct competitors outside of each other's respective home markets. Still, mirroring US automaker Ford's decision to merge its British and German subsidiaries in the late 1960s, GM followed the same precedent. Opel and Vauxhall had loosely collaborated before, but serious efforts to merge

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