"A pleasure to own an Opel Olympia," the brochure wrote at the time: "Comfortable and the most modern of all economic cars." There was nothing in it about the service life, but if it looks like this after 60 years, then the proof is delivered. According to the owner who we of course claim upon discovery, the car from 1952 and in 1956 is set on Dutch registration. No welding, no new light blue paint coat, completely original. It's wonderful that there are people who keep the memory of car history so alive.
Our neighbor had bought a dark green (army?) With back door (s?) Used in 1955-56 and used as a delivery van. He represented (moped) bicycle parts and drove through the Achterhoek from Varsseveld and I (10 years) was sometimes allowed to go on route. Driven in for a few years.
My father bought a 1963 Olympia from an acquaintance in 1952, for the hefty sum of a thousand guilders. It was our first car, so we have good memories of it. The first "distant" holidays to Limburg, Drente, Gelderland and trips to Germany and Belgium. It was indeed a very solid Opeltje, but already old-fashioned, because it was basically a design from 1935.
Every Saturday, the Opel was cleaned and cleaned and pampered. My father painted it, my mother sewed it in new upholstery and on the kitchen table the red letters “Opel” were painted on the chromed hubcaps. He did not rust and the technology has always remained healthy.
In the winter it froze in the Opel inside just as hard as outside (later a heater came in) and as children we had to slap the doorpost at every turn to get the direction indicators moving. With hard braking you smashed your teeth against the iron bracket on the unlocked front seats. If everything went well, he would run 120, but he would tap the 140 down the slope on the Van Brienenoord Bridge. That was a lot.
In 1968 my father sold the now 16 year old Opel to drive a much more modern Simca 1300. With four doors, electric windscreen wipers, a real defroster and a mono radio. Such a luxury.
I am still in possession of an Opel Olympia 1950 with small window and spare wheel on the back.
Dear Willem,
this was the suez crisis in 1956.
when Nasser stole the canal. I was then 7 years old.
Oil crisis was 1973, right?
I recognize this car! My old uncle lived in Lucerne Switzerland. Around 1961, we lived in The Hague, he was visiting us. I can still see the Opel from the window. Unfortunately I don't have a photo of it, but I do have the memory.
well,
my memory was negative. my uncle had bought this car new and went immediately after the oil crisis (Sunday driving ban) from Haarlem to his family in Dordrecht. At Overschie (not yet a motorway) slipped on cobblestones in a sharp turn and crashed head-on onto an oncoming car.
my uncle got the handlebar through his lung (still lived 2 days) and my aunt
slammed through the forward. the niece and nephew in the back had a concussion.
there are still pictures of the car and of the accident.
but it remains a nice car and I have been a 6 kid.
Wow awesome!!
We were married 41 years ago in such an Opel, but then one from 1950 with the small window and the spare wheel on the back.
Unfortunately no longer in our possession