During the 22e ADAC Hessen-Thüringen - Opel Classic old-timer drive, five classic Opel cars and the Opel Cascada give a nice picture of open Opel driving through the years. The classic ride from 26 to 28 in May leads through the Werretal area, on either side of the former border between West and East Germany.
This year, five classic Opel cars and a modern one are taking part in the famous old-timer ride. The Opel 8 / 25 PS from 1920 was a sporty open four-person car. The Opel Super 6 Gläser convertible from 1937 is an elegant, sporty two-seater cabrio. The Opel Olympia 'cabriosedan' from 1950 was a popular body variant and the special Rekord A from 1964 and Rekord C from 1967 were converted by the bodybuilder Deutsch into a beautiful cabriolet. The contemporary Opel Cascada accompanies the classics as a modern interpretation of the convertible genre.
Open start
When Opel launched its first car in 1899 - the Patent Motorwagen "System Lutzmann" - almost all cars were fitted with an open body. Opel also offered this car without a roof. When Opel introduced the Opel 8 / 25 PS with its V-shaped radiator as an open four-person car twenty years later, it was pre-eminently a modern vehicle. The car was fitted with a fabric hood, but side windows were missing. The two liter four-cylinder engine delivered 18 kW (25 hp) at 1.600 revolutions per minute. The top speed was at 65 km / h.
Super 6
In 1937, at the time of the 75 anniversary, Opel presented the new Super 6. It was equipped with a modern 2,5 liter engine with 40 kW (55 hp) power and had a top speed of 115 km / h. This type was available ex-factory as a two and four-door sedan and as a convertible. Customers with special requirements were served by various German bodyworkers. For example, bodywork company Gläser in Dresden built the 2 + 2 Opel Super 6 Gläser convertible in which Peter Küspert, Opel's Vice President Sales, takes part in the ride.
Pre-war Olympia during the Wirtschaftswunder
The Opel Olympia of 1950 with its many chrome was the symbol of the post-war German Wirtschaftswunder. As a convertible, however, he still looked pre-war, with fixed side windows. In between the roof could be rolled up to let in light and fresh air. In 1956, the Olympia Rekord was the last car of this design to come from the factory.
Deutsch manufactures Opel convertibles to order
In the following twenty years, Opel did not offer factory convertibles. During this period, it was bodywork companies such as Karl Deutsch in Cologne who built open Opel cars. To order, Deutsch converted the Rekord A from 1963 into a convertible. Such a conversion cost more than half the price of the standard version. Only thirty units have been built, so the German convertibles are very rare.
Commodore A: 50 times open version
Until 1972, when the model was replaced, Deutsch made another fifty cabriolets based on the Rekord C and its sporty brother, the Commodore A. The red Rekord C Deutsch cabriolet is ridden during the ADAC Hessen-Thüringen - Opel Classic by former (DTM) driver and Opel ambassador Joachim Winckelhock.