From sewing machines to rocket-powered cars, the strange history of Germany's Opel

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded in a cowshed in 1862, Opel evolved from a sewing machine manufacturer into a global automotive powerhouse. Along the way, it pioneered mass-production assembly lines, fueled the early space age with experimental rocket programs, and became a central, if controversial, industrial player during the twentieth century's most turbulent decades.

Adam Opel established his company in Rüsselsheim am Main in 1862, initially focusing on sewing machines before pivoting to high-wheel bicycles. By the time of his death in 1895, the firm led both markets. The transition to automobiles began in 1899, though early efforts were modest. It was not until the 1920s that Opel revolutionized German transport by introducing the country's first mass-production assembly line, famously producing the green-lacquered Laubfrosch.

The company's history is marked by a fascination with speed and innovation. In the late 1920s, Fritz von Opel spearheaded the Opel-RAK program, which achieved world speed records for rail and road vehicles. This initiative included the world's first rocket-powered flight in 1929. These experiments, which utilized liquid-fuel rockets, were so influential that they captured global attention and inspired future space pioneers like Wernher von Braun.

General Motors acquired a majority stake in 1929 and full control by 1931, beginning an American ownership that lasted nearly 90 years. During the 1930s, Opel became a dominant industrial force, producing the Olympia—Germany's first mass-produced unibody car—and becoming the nation's largest tank producer by 1939. The company's wartime operations remain a subject of historical scrutiny, particularly regarding its use of forced labor and the production of the Blitz truck, which was utilized by the Wehrmacht and in the Holocaust.

Post-war recovery saw the Rüsselsheim plant rebuilt, and by the 1970s, Opel had become the primary engine of General Motors' European operations. It rationalized its product lines with the British brand Vauxhall, creating a unified presence across the continent. Despite periods of high profitability in the 1990s, the company eventually transitioned to the PSA Group in 2017 and finally to Stellantis in 2021, marking the end of its long-standing American era.

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