This is the first mass-produced station wagon from Germany. (Photos: Opel)
The first Opel Rekord also came as a station wagon, and is the successor to the famous Olympia model.
Germany has always been an important country for the car industry, and the car’s godfather is also a German – Karl Benz patented the first automobile back in 1886.
But dark clouds were to appear for the German car industry. First with World War I which broke out in 1914, the great economic downturn in the interwar years and finally World War II.
For Opel, a German company founded in 1862 to make sewing machines that again made the leap into the automobile industry in 1899, the timing was bad. Opel had become a giant, offering cars, trucks and even trains and planes.
In fact, they made such a mark that American General Motors splashed out the cash and secured the brand in 1931, and four years later Opel also became the first German brand to produce over 100,000 cars a year.
That is largely thanks to the popular Olympia model launched that year, and the name was not accidental. In 1936, the Olympics were held in Berlin, and as we know, the period between two Olympics is called the Olympiad.
Okay, we can’t drop the Olympics entirely. Because during the 1936 Olympics, Norway actually put the German organizers in their place, because our national football team met Germany in the quarter-finals. With all the German leaders who four years later declared war on Norway in the stands in Berlin, Norway won 2-0 after two goals by Magnar Isaksen, and we finally took a sensational bronze medal.
The car that was supposed to pay tribute to these Olympic Games was the Olympia, and after the war Opel resumed production of the compact model. It was allowed to live until 1953.
But then they had the heir ready, which was named Olympia Rekord, and this was the predecessor of Opel Rekord, which was launched in 1957.
As early as 1950, Opel had an Olympia ready, which was also available as a van in addition to the sedan. But it was only three years later that the real revolution would come.
During the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt in 1953, Opel was able to present the brand new Olympia Rekord, not surprisingly as both sedan and van. But Opel had an ace up its sleeve, namely something as new as a station wagon version called the Caravan.
“An ideal vehicle that harmoniously combines beauty and practicality – on weekdays for customer deliveries, on weekends for pleasant relaxation,” Opel advertised at the time.
And we can surely agree that this one is delicious?
With the Opel Olympia Rekord Caravan, a German manufacturer also for the first time combined the advantages of a comfortable sedan and a practical van in a vehicle intended for large-scale production.
In front, the car could present the so-called shark’s mouth, characteristic of both variants at the time. In the case of the Caravan version, the smooth pontoon body transitioned into a box-shaped rear end with side windows, so that the passengers in the back row could also enjoy the view.
The station wagon no longer had anything in common with the van, and thus the version paved the way for a completely new type of car. Yes, because this was actually the first mass-produced German station wagon.
The elegant four-seater obviously impressed with a large luggage compartment, and don’t think that folding down the rear seats is anything new. The Olympia Rekord Caravan had this opportunity.
Split backrests could be folded in at an angle which made it easier for passengers to get in, while the tailgate made it easy to load and unload work tools and larger items, explains Opel.
In addition, the trunk could take a payload of up to 480 kilograms, and was designed so that it was easy to clean.
The Olympia Rekord Caravan not only impressed with its design and flexible usability, but also with its 40 hp, fuel-efficient 1.5-liter engine. It ensured a top speed of around 115 km/h, and the customers thus had very little to complain about.
This also contributed to the fact that the Olympia Rekord Caravan actually laid the foundation for future Opel models, where a station wagon and hatchback were an integral part of the range.
10 years later, the Kadett A Caravan followed in 1963, and this was the first compact hatchback from Opel and quickly contributed to the brand becoming the market leader in this segment.
So the Olympia Rekord had been retired since 1957, because the 1st generation of the car, which was only called Rekord, took over.
In a few weeks, it will be ready for another small revolution over at Opel. The upcoming Astra Sports Tourer Electric will have its premiere at IAA Mobility 2023, and this will be one of the first fully electric hatchbacks from a German manufacturer.
The new all-electric station wagon from Rüsselsheim boasts 115 kW/156 hp and 270 Nm of torque, and offers a top speed of 170 km/h. And the space at the back can’t even be matched by the old hero Olympia Rekord Caravan.
The Astra Sports Tourer Electric offers 516 liters of luggage space, and if the seats are folded down, the capacity increases to 1,553 litres.
And that is the legacy of the car that was presented 70 years ago, namely the ground-breaking Opel Olympia Rekord Caravan.
Here are pictures of the old hero, and some that show both the old and the new.
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2023-09-02 08:48:00
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