120 years of Opel commercial vehicles. 1899 to XNUMX

With the advent of a car that suddenly appeared in transport, it was no longer a question of the muscular strength of horses. Instead of hay, I car pioneers they bought gasoline from a general store.

The gas station still had to be invented when the brothers Opel built the first cars Rüsselsheim in 1899. 

Motorized vehicles, company vehicles, camper vans: new terms for a new era with a focus on carrying capacity и engine life.

"Colossus" of the Opel Lutzmann patent automobile system

In the year of its debut Opel Motorwagen System Lutzmann patent it immediately became the basis for “a giant motorized transport vehicle built by a local company. Adam Opel for a large winery».

This was stated by the local newspaper Main-Spitze on July 2, 1899: this is the only proof that Opel has produced the first cargo van. The first photograph of an Opel commercial vehicle dates from 1901 and shows Lutzmann Luggage Carrier closed body: 5 hp and a speed of about 20 km / h.

The Darracq System

The first transport cars were followed by delivery cars: Darrak system (1902), Opel adopted designs that are still fashionable today: front engine, gearbox, drive shaft and rear-wheel drive. V closed delivery vans and these flashy advertisements were produced on this basis until the XNUMX's.

Initially these were individual units built according to customer requests, but in 1924 Opel became the first German manufacturer to launch production on a conveyor of models PS 4 di Rüsselsheim.

Opel company car

From 1924 to 1931, 119.484 copies were produced. Tree frog (Tree frog). Perhaps the first real commercial vehicle in the modern concept was Opel company car (company car) since 1931. This version of the van had a payload of 500 kg and was a huge success in its class with a market share of 80%. Opel built 22.000 23 units of the XNUMX-strong Dienstwagen.

In 1934 was Blitz Solid Truck in platform or van version, equipped with an in-line six-cylinder engine, which will be typical for the Opel commercial vehicle range.

Anni '50: Opel Olympia express delivery van

With the economic boom, providing customers with maximum speed has become more and more important. And that's exactly what they did there Opel Olympia in 1950 and Record high-speed Olympia camper van (Express delivery van) since 1953, together withOpel Blitz since the XNUMX's.

The success of these vehicles was immediate thanks to their payload, reliability and cabin comfort. There Olympia Record with a payload of up to 515 kg, it laid the foundation for the great success of Opel's trailer models (passenger cars and vans, i.e. cars and vans). 

60s: Opel Record P2

In the early XNUMX's, the ideal companion for artisans was Opel Record P2, thanks to the large load compartment, low operating costs, reliability, two powerful and reliable engines: 1.5 l. 50 h.p. and 1.7 l. 55 hp, three-speed semi-automatic transmission "Olimat".

From 1960 to 1963, 32.026 units were produced. It was there Opel Record C Wagon, also available in a van version, which then kicked off the big station wagon boom in 1966. However, a few years later Cadet combo, but that's another story, which we will tell about in the next issue ...