One morning in September of 2010 I was a passenger on a German train that would take me from Frankfurt airport to the town of Bingen, where I was to meet my brother for a reunion. It had been nearly a decade since we'd last met and he was waiting for me, having flown from his home in Florida the previous day. Shortly after leaving Frankfurt the train slowed while passing through Russelsheim, where Opel automobiles are made. Those few minutes were an eye-opener, a reminder of just how critical an automobile manufacturer can be to the welfare of a community and its workers.
I was well aware of the brand, of course, and had been for many years. Opel was a company with a lengthy history, starting when founder Adam Opel established a sewing machine business in 1862 and then progressed to bicycle manufacturing. His first attempts at making cars were disappointing but by the 1920s Opel was by far Germany's most profitable automobile manufacturer. General Motors bought the company in 1929 and through a process of production increases and technical refinement turned it into Europe's largest vehicle maker. Although nearly destroyed by Allied bombers in the second World War, Opel returned from the ashes and by 1950, with GM again in control, it was building new factories and creating a wide range of models. Nothing exotic, just no-nonsense, well-made automobiles.
Opels exported to North America included the compact Kadett, and the Manta, GM's answer to the Ford Capri. Both landed on the showroom floors of Buick dealers, none of whom had a clue about how to sell small European automobiles. They did moderately better with the Opel GT, a handsome 2-seater sports car built between 1968-73 but even so, GM's attempt to market German cars in America failed. By the way, both the Cadillac Catera and the last Saturn models were re-badged Opels.
For a few years Opel was losing money, to the extent that GM was rumoured to be shutting it down or maybe finding a buyer. When I heard about that I, like most North Americans, shrugged my shoulders and said "oh well... too bad, another one gone." Until the day of that train ride. It took several minutes to pass the massive factory buildings and all their related facilities, during which I realised just how big this company was and how many individuals must be depending on it for their livelihoods. The company did not deserve to go under and neither did the good folks who worked there. Opel now plays an enormously important role in the global GM corporate group, developing platforms for use around the world, including the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Malibu.
What led me to compose this blog, which has nothing to do with classic cars, was a news item that suggested Opel management was considering the possibility of taking over Saab, the bankrupt Swedish maker that has many suitors but none with the right combination of experience and available funds. In my view Opel and Saab would be an ideal marriage, bringing together Opel's greater manufacturing facilities with Saab's ability to create automobiles of considerable character. Funny how a simple train ride can make one aware that there's more to a car company than just a name. Opel and Saab together? I like it.