Opel History

To study Opel industry history one should turn to its founder Adam Opel. Adam Opel was born on May 9, 1837 in Russelsheim. He studied with his father (a locksmith) till the age of 20, when he went to work as an apprentice locksmith to Belgium, in Liege, Brussels, and Paris. While in Paris (1858), Adam saw the latest wonder of engineering greatly impressed him: the sewing machine. In 1859, he went to work for a maker of sewing machines to get a closer look. When returned (1862) he rented his uncle’s cow stall and started a sew machines production.

In 1867 Adam built a new two story factory near the railroad station. He attached a new home to his factory and married (1868) the daughter of a well-to-do family Sophie Marie Scheller who afterwards helped him finish the plant. The craftsman business succeeded. Sophie gave birth to five sons: Carl, Wilhelm, Heinrich, Friedrich and Ludwig. Couple of years later the production volume went up to 8,000 units/year some parts of which to be exported abroad. In the 1880's sewing machine production was increasing with more than a half million machines produced by 1899. Five sons helped Adam manage the business. At odd moments the workshop produced bicycles.

The Opel bicycles became a popular brand name in Europe due to the sons’ keenness on racing. During their sport life Carl had won 60 European grand prix, Wilhelm - 70, Heinrich-150, Fritz-180, and Ludwig -100 prices.


In 1893 Wilhelm Opel went to the USA to unveil their production articles to the Auto Show in Chicago. By 1894 the Opel Company had produced 2000 bicycles/year. In 1895 Adam Opel died from typhus succeeding the business to his family and marking finishing of the initial and basic stage in Opel history. The company was managed by his widow Sophie holding the primary interest and his two eldest sons with lesser shares. By the end of the century Opel factory employed 600 workers. Sewing machines and bicycles were in great demand however the brothers started to look for a partner for producing cars on their factory in Rüsselsheim. The German famous manufacturers Benz and Daimler rejected the offer of cooperation.

In 1899 the brothers turned to Friedrich Lutzmann from Dessau owning “Anhaltische Motorwagenfabrik” to form a joint automotive manufacturing in Anhalt, Germany. The Opel brothers worked for two years in partnership with Lutzmann building up the production of automobiles in Rüsselsheim. Together they produced their first model called Opel-Luftzmann (1899). By 1901 65 cars had been produced in the factories. The car production was doing badly with sales of 11 vehicles only. In 1901 the Opel separated from Lutzmann. When visiting the Nuremberg Motor Show the brothers exposed the Opel production shortcomings and signed a new contract with Alexandre Darracq. The Opel was licensed to produce vehicles for 7 years. Jointly, in 1902 they began producing ...