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77-691: The first industrial plant was founded by the French company Darracq , which had decided to open a branch in Italy. The site chosen for that purpose was directly adjacent to areas that had hosted the 1906 International fair in Milan. The location was on Via Gattamelata in Milan, on the way to Gallarate, in the then extreme north-western outskirts of the city. The same area was chosen by other car companies to establish their headquarters or branches, first Isotta Fraschini , then Citroën , FIAT , Carrozzeria Touring , Zagato and

154-506: A British film directed by Henry Cornelius , Genevieve , featured a 1904 Darracq as its centrepiece. The film sparked an increase in collecting and restoring vintage automobiles. In the 100th episode of Wheeler Dealers , Mike Brewer and Edd China restore a 1903 Darracq, borrowed from the Haynes International Motor Museum , to working order and drove it in the veteran car run from London to Brighton. This project

231-415: A Léon Bollée -designed voiturette tricar . The somewhat old-fashioned voiturette proved a débâcle: the steering was problematic, the five-speed belt drive "a masterpiece of bad design", and the hot tube ignition crude, proving the 250,000 francs or £10,000 Darracq et Cie had paid for the rights a mistake. Though larger it was remarkably similar to a current Renault design. Its notable innovation

308-519: A self-supporting ("unibody") all-steel body, closely following the 1934 Citroën Traction Avant . This was one of the most important innovations in automotive history. Launched in 1935, the Olympia was light and its aerodynamics enhanced performance and fuel economy. The 1930s was a decade of growth, and by 1937, with 130,267 cars produced. Opel's Rüsselsheim facility was Europe's top in terms of vehicle production, and ranking seventh worldwide. 1938 saw

385-601: A société en commanditie in February 1897 and named it A Darracq et Cie. He built a new plant, the Perfecta works, in the Paris suburb of Suresnes just south of Puteaux . Production began in January 1898 with bicycle parts, tricycles and quadricycles and a Millet motorcycle powered by a five-cylinder rotary engine and shortly after an electric brougham . In 1898 Darracq et Cie made

462-526: A 7% share of PSA, becoming PSA's second-largest shareholder after the Peugeot family. The alliance was intended to enable $ 2 billion per year of cost savings through platform sharing, common purchasing, and other economies of scale. In December 2013, GM sold its 7% interest in PSA for £250 million, after plans of cost savings were not as successful. Opel was said to be among Europe's most aggressive discounters in

539-457: A V8 4,584cc unit. This model had also been initiated by Managing Director Owen Clegg back in 1913, but production had been delayed by intervening events until 1919. The "Type A" featured four forward speeds and, from 1920, four-wheel brakes. Despite these innovative features, it did not sell well. The French franc had suffered a sustained crisis of its own during the war years, and in May 1920

616-514: A capitalization of 1,000,000 pesetas. An order was accepted from a M. Charley for several thousand cabs to sell to franchised operators in major European and American cities. Darracq ordered 4,000 chassis frames and built a new factory beside the existing one but except in New York the cabs were not as popular as the Renault and Unic competition. In 1907 one-third of New York's 1,800 cabs were Darracqs. It

693-718: A compact MPV, the Zafira . In 1999, Opel unveiled its first sports car, the Speedster (Vauxhall VX220 in the UK). However, it was not a success and was discontinued in 2005. The company moved into the city car market in early 2000 with the Agila launch. The third generation Opel Corsa was launched in 2000, followed by a new version of the Vectra in 2002 and the Astra in 2004. Three generations of Vectra gave way to

770-675: A cowshed to a more spacious building in Rüsselsheim. The production of high-wheel bicycles soon exceeded the production of sewing machines. At the time of Opel's death in 1895, he was the leader in both markets. The first cars were designed in 1898 after Opel's widow Sophie and their two eldest sons entered into a partnership with Friedrich Lutzmann, a locksmith at the court in Dessau in Saxony-Anhalt , who had been working on automobile designs for some time. The first Opel production Patent Motor Car

847-550: A decade, but when production finished, there was no direct successor due to declining sales of executive saloon models from mainstream brands. A Corsa-based coupe, the Tigra , was also launched around this time and lasted in production for six years. The second generation Opel Vectra was launched in 1995, with the Vectra nameplate now extending to the Vauxhall version in the UK. The first Opel MPV,

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924-408: A length of 74 cm (29 in), weighing 7 kg (15 lb) empty and 16 kg (35 lb) with fuel. The maximum thrust was 45 to 50 kp, with a total burning time of 132 seconds. These properties indicate a gas pressure pumping. The first missile rose so quickly that Sander lost sight of it. Two days later, a second unit was ready to go, Sander tied a 4,000-meter (13,000 ft)-long rope to

1001-475: A record speed of 238 km/h (148 mph) in front of 3,000 spectators and world media representatives, including Fritz Lang , director of Metropolis and Woman in the Moon , world boxing champion Max Schmeling , and many other sports and show business celebrities. A world speed record for rail vehicles was reached with RAK3 at a top speed of 256 km/h (159 mph). After these successes, von Opel piloted

1078-455: A single crankcase , producing 200 hp (150 kW; 200 PS), making it one of the first specialized land speed racers, and on December 30, 1905, Victor Hémery drove this car to a speed of 109.65 mph (176.46 km/h) in the flying kilometer at Arles , France . The V8 was shipped to Ormond Beach, Florida , (then host to numerous land speed record attempts), where it was timed at 122.45 mph (197.06 km/h) in 1906 to win

1155-528: A substantial part owned by Alexandre Darracq but majority controlled by a small group of English investors. J S Smith-Winby was appointed chairman. Further capital was raised and large sums were spent on factory expansion, the Suresnes site was expanded to some four acres in extent, and in England extensive premises were bought. In 1902, A. Darracq et Cie signed a contract with Adam Opel to jointly produce vehicles in

1232-534: A suburb of Milan in Italy in 1906 through a license arrangement with Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan. The business did not do well and Darracq shut it down in 1910. A new partnership, Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili (ALFA), acquired the business. In 1914 Nicola Romeo bought ALFA and it became Alfa Romeo . In 1907, Darracq formed Sociedad Anonima Espanola de Automoviles Darracq in Vitoria, Spain with

1309-521: A wholly owned subsidiary. In 1935, Opel became the first German car manufacturer to produce over 100,000 vehicles annually. This was because of the popularity of the Opel P4 model. The sales price was 1,650 marks and the car had a 23  PS (17  kW ) 1.1 L four-cylinder engine achieving a top speed of 85 km/h (53 mph). Opel also produced the first mass-production vehicle in Germany with

1386-846: The Calibra , being launched the following year. Soon afterward, Opel launched a high-performance version of the Omega – the Lotus Omega (Lotus Carlton in the UK) – which featured Lotus-tuned suspension and had a top speed of 175 mph. Opel's first turbocharged car was the Opel Rekord 2.3 TD , first shown at Geneva in March 1984. In the 1990s, Opel was considered GM's cash cow, with profit margins similar to Toyota's. Opel's profit helped to offset GM's losses in North America and to fund GM's expansion into Asia. 1999

1463-692: The Cesare Sala Bodyworks. The latter was essentially forced to choose that area because their activities were closely linked to those of Alfa. In 1997 Gabriele Salvatores shot his 1997 film Nirvana (film) in the Plant. The factory buildings were subsequently demolished to make room to a green area. The city park inaugurated in 2011 as Parco del Portello. (Or Parco Industria Alfa Romeo) 45°29′27″N 9°08′29″E  /  45.490795°N 9.141494°E  / 45.490795; 9.141494 Automobiles Darracq France Automobiles Darracq France

1540-497: The German Empire under licence, with the brand name "Opel Darracq". A. Darracq et Cie prospered. By 1903, four models were offered: a 1.1-litre single, a 1.3 L and 1.9 L twin , and a 3.8 L four . The 1904 models abandoned flitch-plated wood chassis for pressed steel, and the new Flying Fifteen , powered by a 3-litre four, had its chassis made from a single sheet of steel. This car was Alexandre Darracq's chef d'oeuvre . There

1617-571: The Gordon Bennett Trophy , however, was disastrous: despite entries of identical 11.3 L cars built in Germany, France, and Britain (per the Trophy rules), Darracq & Co scored no success. Paul Baras drove a Darracq to a new land speed record of 104.53 mph (168.22 km/h) at Ostend , Belgium , on November 13, 1904. A 1905 racer was more promising. Fitted with a 22.5 L overhead valve V8 made from two Bennett Trophy engines mated to

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1694-651: The Henriod rotary valve engine, which was underpowered and prone to seizing. The new engine's failure was reported by Darracq & Company London to its shareholders to be no more than the difficulty of achieving quantity production. It proved disastrous to the marque, and Alexandre Darracq would be obliged to resign. In late 1911 Alexandre Darracq was replaced by new manager, his former chief engineer, Paul Ribeyrolles former head of Gladiator inventor and motor racing enthusiast. In June 1912 Darracq resigned, he had already sold all his shares. A main board director, Hopkins,

1771-697: The Insignia in 2008, with the new model becoming the company's first European Car of the Year award winner for 22 years. Following the 2008 global financial crisis and the Chapter 11 reorganization of GM , on 10 September 2009, GM agreed to sell a 55% stake in Opel to a consortium including Magna group and Sberbank – with the approval of the German government. The deal was later called off. With ongoing restructuring plans, Opel announced

1848-476: The Opel RAK program, the world's first rocket program, under the leadership of Fritz von Opel , the company played an important role in the history of aviation and spaceflight: Various land speed records were achieved, and the world's first rocket-powered flights were performed in 1928 and 1929. After listing on the stock market in 1929, General Motors took a majority stake in Opel and then full control in 1931, making

1925-492: The PSA Group agreed to buy Opel, its English twin sister brand Vauxhall and their European auto lending business from General Motors for US$ 2.2 billion. In return, General Motors will pay PSA US$ 3.2 billion for future European pension obligations and keep managing US$ 9.8 billion worth of plans for existing retirees. Furthermore, GM is responsible for paying about US$ 400 million annually for 15 years to fund

2002-741: The Sintra , was launched in Europe in 1996, imported from the US where it was sold as a Pontiac , but discontinued after three years due to disappointing sales. The Vauxhall-badged UK market version was also slated in motoring surveys for its dismal build quality and reliability. 1997 saw the demise of the Calibra coupe after an eight-year production, with no immediate replacement. The Opel Astra hatchbacks, saloons, and estate were wholly revamped for 1998 and, within two years, had also spawned coupe and cabriolet versions, as well as

2079-628: The "Four Inch" Isle of Man Tourist Trophy , and in 1912, Malcolm Campbell entered a former works Darracq at Brooklands . After the Great War and as part of the STD combine Sunbeam Grand Prix re-badged as Talbot-Darracq participated in the 1921 French Grand Prix. The ' Invincible Talbot-Darracq ' which were in effect a smaller versions of the Grand Prix cars dominated voiturette racing at the highest levels for six years, winning every race they entered. In 1953,

2156-507: The "Type V" was listed at 35,000 francs in bare chassis form: a torpedo bodied car was priced at 40,000 francs. Even the "Type V", with its 3,150 mm (124 in) wheelbase, was substantial car, but for customers wanting more, a "Type A" appeared on the same list at 39,500 francs in bare chassis form, and 44,500 francs for a torpedo bodied car. After the war the prewar 16HP V14 was the manufacturer's top-selling car in Britain. Following

2233-568: The 1902 Hamburg Motor Show . Production began in 1906, with the licensed Opel Darracq version discontinued in 1907. In 1909, the Opel 4/8 PS model, known as the Doktorwagen ( lit.   ' Doctor's Car ' ) was produced. Its reliability and robustness were appreciated by physicians, who drove long distances to see their patients back when hard-surfaced roads were still rare. The Doktorwagen sold for only 3,950 marks, about half as much as

2310-620: The 1920s, Fritz von Opel initiated together with Max Valier , co-founder of the "Verein für Raumschiffahrt", the world's first rocket program, Opel-RAK , leading to speed records for automobiles, rail vehicles and the first manned rocket-powered flight in September 1929. Months earlier in 1928, one of his rocket-powered prototypes, the Opel RAK2, piloted by von Opel himself at the AVUS speedway in Berlin, reached

2387-621: The 1980s there. The factory opened in 1982, and its first product was the Opel Corsa (imported to the UK as the Vauxhall Nova from 1983). The Ascona switched to front-wheel drive for an all-new General Motors J-Car global model format in 1981, with the Cavalier nameplate continuing for the UK market. The Kadett was revamped again in 1984, and became the company's first winner of the European Car of

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2464-598: The British twin sister brand Vauxhall and the European auto lending business from General Motors for €2 billion ($ 2.3 billion), making the French automaker the second biggest in Europe, after Volkswagen . Opel is still headquartered in Rüsselsheim am Main. The company designs, engineers, manufactures, and distributes Opel-branded passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles, and vehicle parts; together with its British sister marque Vauxhall, they are present in over 60 countries around

2541-517: The Opel RAK collaborators were able to attain powered phases of more than thirty minutes for thrusts of 300 kg (660-lb.) at Opel's works in Rüsselsheim," again according to Max Valier's account. The Great Depression led to an end of the Opel-RAK program, but Max Valier continued the efforts. After switching from solid-fuel to liquid-fuel rockets, he died while testing and is considered the first fatality of

2618-953: The Opel lineup is marketed under the Vauxhall brand in the United Kingdom since the 1980s. Some Opel vehicles were badge-engineered in Australia under the Holden brand until 2020, in North America and China under the Buick , Saturn (until 2010), and Cadillac brands, and in South America under the Chevrolet brand. Opel traces its roots to a sewing machine manufacturer founded by Adam Opel in 1862 in Rüsselsheim am Main . The company began manufacturing bicycles in 1886 and produced its first automobile in 1899. With

2695-473: The Opel versions. The Opel Ascona of this era was sold on the UK market (and made in British and continental factories) as the Vauxhall Cavalier . Both of these cars had mild styling changes, as did the flagship Opel Rekord and Vauxhall Carlton saloon and estate ranges, which went on sale towards the end of the 1970s. By the 1970s, Opel had emerged as the stronger of GM's two European brands; Vauxhall

2772-567: The Year accolade. The Rekord's successor, the Opel Omega (still Vauxhall Carlton in the UK), achieved the same success two years later. The long-running Ascona nameplate was discontinued in 1988, with its replacement being sold as the Vectra , although the UK market version was still sold as the Vauxhall Cavalier. The Opel Manta coupe was also discontinued in 1988, with its Vectra-based successor,

2849-400: The automaker a wholly owned subsidiary , establishing an American ownership of the German automaker for nearly 90 years. Together with British manufacturer Vauxhall Motors , which GM had acquired in 1925, the two companies formed the backbone of GM's European operations – later merged formally in the 1980s as General Motors Europe . In March 2017, PSA Peugeot Citroën agreed to acquire Opel,

2926-506: The closure of its Antwerp plant in Belgium by the end of 2010. In 2010, Opel announced that it would invest around € 11 billion in the next five years. €1 billion of that was designated solely for the development of innovative and fuel-saving engines and transmissions. On 29 February 2012, Opel announced the creation of a major alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroen , resulting in GM taking

3003-536: The company's American leadership had rejected an "invitation" to switch to munitions manufacture a few months earlier. In 1942 Opel switched to wartime production, making aircraft parts and tanks. Truck manufacture continued at the Brandenburg plant , where the 3.6-liter Opel Blitz truck had been built since 1938. These 3 short tons (2.7  t ) trucks were also built under license by Daimler-Benz in Mannheim . After

3080-516: The company's SUV line-up in 1994, but had been dropped from the UK and continental markets by 2000 due to disappointing sales. At the end of 1992, the company unveiled a completely new Corsa, which, like the original model, was produced at the Zaragoza plant. This car carried the Corsa nameplate on the UK market as a Vauxhall. A second generation Omega was launched in early 1994. It remained in production for

3157-420: The country's largest automobile exporter in 1928. The "Regent" – Opel's first eight-cylinder car – was offered. The RAK 1 and RAK 2 rocket-propelled cars made sensational record-breaking runs. Opel as a company and its co-owner Fritz von Opel , grandson of Adam Opel, were instrumental in popularizing rocket propulsion for vehicles and have an important place in the history of spaceflight and rocket technology. In

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3234-427: The dawning space age. Sander's technology was confiscated by the German military in 1935. He was forced to sell his company and was imprisoned for treason. He died in 1938. In March 1929, General Motors (GM), impressed by Opel's modern production facilities, bought 80% of the company. The Opel family gained $ 33.3 million from the transaction. Subsequently, during 1935, a second factory was built at Brandenburg for

3311-522: The early post-war years. Opel GT This two seater sports car was introduced in 1968 and was produced until 1973. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Vauxhall and Opel ranges were rationalised into one consistent range across Europe. The 1973 version of the Opel Kadett was later rebadged in hatchback, saloon, and estate form as the Vauxhall Chevette for the UK market, with German factories producing

3388-506: The end of the war, with the Brandenburg plant dismantled and transported to the Soviet Union, and 47% of the buildings in Rüsselsheim destroyed, former Opel employees began to rebuild the Rüsselsheim plant. The first postwar Opel Blitz truck was completed on 15 July 1946 in the presence of United States Army General Geoffrey Keyes and other local leaders and press reporters. Opel's Rüsselsheim plant also made Frigidaire refrigerators in

3465-573: The factory was turning out sixty cars a week; by 1914, 12,000 men rolled out fourteen cars a day. During the First World War , Darracq S.A. switched to the production of various war materials. During 1916 these Suresnes assets were transferred to Société Anonyme Darracq, a new company incorporated in France for the purpose, British assets were transferred to a company named Darracq Motor Engineering Company Limited . A. Darracq and Company (1905) Limited

3542-655: The inclusion of Clément-Talbot in the S T D Motors group Suresnes products were branded Talbot-Darracq though the word Darracq was dropped in 1922 and this company was renamed Automobiles Talbot S.A. Cars made by Automobiles Talbot imported from France to England were renamed Darracq to avoid confusion with the English Clément-Talbot products. Like other automobile makers in this era, such as Napier , Bentley , and Daimler , Darracq & Co participated in motor racing , and their drastically stripped-down voitures legére garnered publicity. A 1904 effort to win

3619-451: The late 1920s in Rüsselsheim. According to Max Valier 's account, Opel RAK rocket designer, Friedrich Wilhelm Sander launched two liquid-fuel rockets at Opel Rennbahn in Rüsselsheim on 10 and 12 April 1929. These Opel RAK rockets were the first European, and after Goddard, the world's second, liquid-fuel rockets in history. In his book Raketenfahrt Valier describes the size of the rockets as of 21 cm (8.3 in) in diameter and with

3696-401: The less expensive manufacturing process), but by the 1930s, this type of vehicle would cost a mere 1,930 marks – due in part to the assembly line, but also due to the skyrocketing demand for cars. Adam Opel led the way for motorised transportation to become not just a means for the rich, but also a reliable way for people of all classes to travel. Opel had a 37.5% market share in Germany and was

3773-408: The luxury models of its day. The company's factory was destroyed by fire in 1911, and a new facility was built with more up-to-date machinery. Opel's cars were initially tested on public roads, leading to complaints about noise and road damage. Under public pressure, Opel began construction of a test oval in 1917. The track was completed in 1919, but not open to the public until 24 October 1920 under

3850-561: The market. GM reported a 2016 loss of US$ 257 million from its European operations. It is reported that GM has lost about US$ 20 billion in Europe since 1999. Opel's plant in Bochum closed in December 2014, after 52 years of activity, due to overcapacity. Opel withdrew from China, where it had a network of 22 dealers, in early 2015 after General Motors decided to withdraw its Chevrolet brand from Europe starting in 2016. In March 2017,

3927-418: The new version of the Kadett – entered production in 1979, initially built in Germany and Belgium. It was sold in the UK alongside the stronger-selling Vauxhall version – the Astra – which entered UK production in 1981. During the 1970s, Opel expressed interest in building an additional production facility in Spain and eventually settled on a location near Zaragoza , intending to develop a new supermini for

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4004-422: The official name of Opel-Rennbahn (Opel Race Track). In the early 1920s, Opel became the first German car manufacturer to build automobiles with a mass-production assembly line. In 1924, they used their assembly line to produce a new open two-seater called the Laubfrosch (Tree frog) . The Laubfrosch was finished exclusively in green lacquer. The car sold for an expensive 3,900 marks (expensive considering

4081-417: The only solution was to enlarge the factory by as much as 50 per cent. Twelve months later, the chairman was able to tell shareholders all the six speed records of the automobile world were held by Darracq cars and they had all been held more than twelve months and yet another had recently been added by K Lee Guinness . Alexandre Darracq established Società Italiana Automobili Darracq (SIAD) in Portello ,

4158-464: The presentation of the highly successful Kapitän . With a 2.5 L six-cylinder engine, all-steel body, front independent suspension, hydraulic shock absorbers, hot-water heating (with electric blower), and central speedometer. 25,374 Kapitäns were made before the intensification of World War II brought automotive manufacturing to a temporary stop in the autumn of 1940, by order of the government. Opel automobile production ended in October 1940, after

4235-480: The production of " Blitz " light trucks. In 1929 Opel licensed the design of the radical Neander motorcycle and produced it as the Opel Motoclub in 1929 and 1930, using Küchen, J.A.P. , and Motosacoche engines. Fritz von Opel attached solid-fuel rockets to his Motoclub in a publicity stunt, riding the rocket-boosted motorcycle at the Avus racetrack. After acquiring the remaining shares in 1931, General Motors had full ownership of Adam Opel AG and organized it as

4312-421: The proven Rover Twelve , sensibly copied the Twelve for Darracq & Co's new model. Before his appointment as works manager Clegg had spent 12 months in USA at Darracq's expense studying automobile production. The factory at Suresnes was retooled for mass production , making it one of the first in the industry to do so. The 16 HP Clegg-Darracq was joined by an equally reliable 2.1-litre 12 HP car, and soon

4389-473: The rocket. After 2,000 m (6,600 ft) of rope had been unwound, the line broke, and this rocket also disappeared in the area, probably near the Opel proving ground and racetrack in Rüsselsheim, the "Rennbahn". Sander and Opel also worked on an innovative liquid-propellant rocket engine for an anticipated flight across the English Channel. By May 1929, the engine produced a thrust of 200 kg (440 lb.) "for longer than fifteen minutes, and in July 1929,

4466-444: The running engine was published on YouTube. Darracqs won the 1905 and 1906 Vanderbilt Cup at Long Island, New York , both credited to Louis Wagner in a 100 hp (75 kW; 100 PS) 12.7 L racer. Darracq & Co also won the Cuban race at Havana . Darracq & Co's final racing victory was the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup. Competition efforts did not stop entirely, however. In 1908, Darracqs came second, third, and seventh at

4543-548: The steam buses would blow up and would not allow any of her charges to travel on one. The unpopular buses proved to have a brief uneconomic service life and their manufacturer was liquidated in 1912. Darracq and Co had to write off an investment of £156,000, a substantial portion of their capital. In 1907 Alexandre Darracq became interested in aviation and by 1909 Darracq S.A. were building light aero engines , used by Louis Blériot and Alberto Santos-Dumont . They were clearly based on their racing engines. There may have been just

4620-469: The title "1906 King of Speed"; this was not enough to hold the land speed record, however, which went to a Stanley , the Rocket , at 127.6 mph (205.35 km/h). On return to Europe the car was sold to Algernon Lee Guinness who set many records over the next few years until the car was retired in 1909 with a broken piston. This V8 Special (see full story at [1] ) was rebuilt in 2005 using its original engine which had survived mostly intact. A video of

4697-442: The two built. After 1907 it became harder to sell Darracq's cars, prices had to be cut, new models did not attract the expected custom. Returning to Alexandre Darracq's 1898 idea to build low-cost, good-quality cars, much as Henry Ford was doing with the Model T , Darracq S.A. introduced a £260 14–16 hp (10–12 kW; 14–16 PS) model at the very end of 1911. These, at the founder's insistence, would all be cursed with

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4774-434: The two companies' operations and product families into one did not start until the 1970s – which had Vauxhall's complete product line replaced by vehicles built on Opel-based platforms – the only exception to the rule being the Bedford CF panel van. This only solely Vauxhall design was marketed as an Opel on the continent. By the turn of the 1980s, the two brands were, in effect, the same. Opel's first front-wheel drive car –

4851-467: The unsatisfactory position of their business and it reported poor co-operation between London and Suresnes, they had been pulling against each other, furthermore there had been considerable loss through "recent changes in personnel". The committee then went on record saying: The chairman of the investigating committee, Norman Craig, was appointed chairman of A Darracq and Company (1905). New works manager Owen Clegg, appointed in October 1912, designer of

4928-435: The world's first public rocket-powered flight using Opel RAK.1 , a rocket plane designed by Julius Hatry . World media reported these events, including Universal Newsreel in the US, causing "Raketen-Rummel" or "Rocket Rumble" immense global public excitement, particularly in Germany, where, among others, Wernher von Braun was highly influenced. Opel RAK became enthralled with liquid propulsion, building and testing them in

5005-413: The world. The company was founded in Rüsselsheim , Hesse , Germany, on 21 January 1862, by Adam Opel . In the beginning, Opel produced sewing machines . Opel launched a new product in 1886: he began to sell high-wheel bicycles , also known as penny-farthings . Opel's two sons participated in high-wheel bicycle races, thus promoting this means of transportation. In 1888, production was relocated from

5082-415: Was a manufacturer of motor vehicles and aero engines in Suresnes, near Paris. The enterprise, known at first as A Darracq et Cie, was founded in 1896 by successful businessman Alexandre Darracq . In 1902 he sold his new business to a privately held English company named A Darracq and Company Limited, taking a substantial shareholding and a directorship himself. He continued to run the business from Paris but

5159-538: Was built in Rüsselsheim early 1899, although these cars were not very successful (A total of 65 motor cars were delivered: eleven in 1899, twenty-four in 1900 and thirty in 1901) and the partnership was dissolved after two years, following which Opel signed a licensing agreement in 1901 with the French Automobiles Darracq France to manufacture vehicles under the brand name Opel Darracq. These cars consisted of Opel bodies mounted on Darracq chassis, powered by two-cylinder engines. The company first showed cars of its design at

5236-465: Was dropped from its products and the business was renamed Talbot S.A. Initially its products were branded Darracq-Talbot and then just Talbot. The London parent company suffered a financial collapse during the great depression and in 1935 Talbot S.A. was acquired by investors led by managing director, Antonio Lago. Alexandre Darracq , using part of the substantial profit he had made from selling his Gladiator bicycle factory to Adolpe Clément , formed

5313-437: Was inspired by the movie. Opel Opel Automobile GmbH ( German pronunciation: [ˈoːpl̩] ), usually shortened to Opel , is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Group prior to its merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to form Stellantis in 2021. Most of

5390-438: Was nothing outstanding in its design but "every part was in such perfect balance and harmony" it became an outstanding model. Its exceptional quality helped the company capture a ten percent share of the French auto market. In late 1904 the chairman reported sales were up by 20 per cent though increased costs meant the profit had risen more slowly. But what was more important was they had many more orders than they could fill and

5467-425: Was now no more than a holder of shares in these two businesses. After the War automobile production resumed as soon as the Suresnes factory had ceased making munitions, arms and planes. By the time of the Motor Show in October 1919 the prewar 16HP "Type V14" had returned to production, featuring a four-cylinder 2,940cc engine. But the manufacturer's big news at the Paris show was the 24HP "Type A", powered by

5544-487: Was obliged to retire to the Côte d'Azur in 1913 following years of difficulties that brought his business into very hazardous financial circumstances. He had introduced an unproven unorthodox engine in 1911 which proved a complete failure yet he neglected Suresnes' popular conventional products. France then entered the first World War. In 1916, ownership of the Suresnes business was transferred to Darracq S.A. In 1922, Darracq's name

5621-425: Was sent to Paris to take charge of general administration and former Rover Company chief engineer, Owen Clegg, was retrieved from USA where he was studying production methods at Darracq's expense and appointed works manager. At the end of 1912 the chairman reassured shareholders a return on their investment in the valveless motor would arrive in 1913. By February 1913 shareholders had set up their own inquiry into

5698-534: Was the last time when Opel was profitable for an entire year after almost 20 years. The first major Opel launch of the 1990s was the 1991 Astra, which spelled the end for the Kadett nameplate that had debuted more than 50 years earlier. The company also turned to Japanese Isuzu for its first SUV, the Frontera , which was also launched in 1991 but produced in Europe despite its Japanese origins. The larger Monterey joined

5775-428: Was the provision of a system to vary engine speed between 100 rpm and 2,000 rpm. This was accomplished by regulating the engine's ignition and its inlet valves. By the end of September 1901 they had sold more than 1,000 of these cars but with only 300 employees Suresnes must have been essentially an assembly business. A. Darracq et Cie was sold as of 30 September 1902 to A. Darracq and Company Limited, an English company

5852-590: Was the third-best-selling brand in Great Britain after the British Motor Corporation (later British Leyland ) but made only a modest impact elsewhere. The two companies were direct competitors outside of each other's respective home markets. Still, mirroring US automaker Ford's decision to merge its British and German subsidiaries in the late 1960s, GM followed the same precedent. Opel and Vauxhall had loosely collaborated before, but serious efforts to merge

5929-501: Was useful business during the recession of 1908 but Darracq turned his attention to heavy motor vehicles. A joint venture into steam buses designed by Leon Serpollet was not a success. Only twenty were sold, and Darracq and Co lost money on the project. London's Darracq-Serpollet Omnibus Company incorporated in May 1906 was hampered by delays in building a new factory then by the death by cancer of 48-year old Serpollet in early 1907. The nurse of either Mr Nickols or Mr Karslake believed

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