The Opel brand is familiar to every car enthusiast. But not everyone knows that the founder of the corporation, Adam Opel, began his business career with the production of sewing machines and bicycles. By the end of the 19th century, his products were completely assembled in Germany and were popular all over the world. The dedication of the German industrialist and the help of his sons pushed him to create an affordable car for every family.
early years
The biography of the great industrialist began in 1837 in the German city of Rüsselsheim near Frankfurt. He was the eldest son of a farmer's family and had to continue his father's business. From an early age, the boy showed a craving for technology, so his father decided that the best occupation for his son would be training in plumbing. At twenty, the young man went to Belgium and got a job as an apprentice. After that, he studied art in England and then in France. In 1858, at an exhibition in Paris, he first saw a sewing machine. The innovative mechanism amazed him, and to get to know him better, Opel got a job in production.
Sewing machine manufacturing
When Adam returned to Germany in 1862, he brought with him a dream - to start the production of sewing machines in his homeland. His uncle gave away an empty barn, which housed workshops, and then a shop. The inventor set about creating a mechanism that once struck him. A year later, his younger brother George returned from Paris and was actively involved in the production process. After the death of their father in 1867, the brothers significantly expanded their production capacity by erecting a new building. Changes in personal life and a dowry, which the young family received after Adam's marriage to Sophie Marie Scheller, helped to complete the construction. The girl was from a wealthy family and supported her husband's endeavors in everything.
In 1870, the company first presented a sample of a new sewing machine called "Sofia". Production, gaining momentum in the first few years, increased the growth of manufactured products every year. The curiosity was eagerly bought not only in Europe, but also in America, Russia and India. In twenty-five years, the company has become the largest exporter of sewing machines, bringing their number to half a million units.
Bicycle release
While traveling in Europe, Opel saw a bicycle for the first time and decided to make it popular at home. Adam began to release another novelty in 1886. This year he presented the first prototype bicycle. Two reasons pushed him to the development of this industry. Firstly, the manufacture of sewing machines has ceased to bring the desired income, and secondly, the children of the industrialist are seriously interested in cycling. Opel's eldest son spent a long time in England studying the vehicle. In general, all five sons of Adam and Sophie: Karl, Wilhelm, Heinrich, Friedrich and Ludwig were actively involved in the family business. Young people were cycling enthusiasts, so they supplemented the existing model with the best and most advanced ideas.
The design of the Opel bicycle was distinguished by the fact that an innovation was applied for the first time in it - the wheels were equipped with tires that were filled with air. The novelty was highly appreciated by buyers, this allowed the dynasty to become the world's largest manufacturer of bicycles, their annual production was two thousand pieces. After Adam's death in 1895, his children continued his business, they expanded production and mastered a new industry.
Opel cars
It was a time of rapid development of science and technology, so the sons of Opel, with the support of their mother, were actively involved in a new industry - the automotive industry. Before that, they had long been fond of self-propelled crews. Their goal was to create a car that would be affordable for any family, and besides that, it was comfortable and reliable. The first car of the Opel brand was released in 1899, after the death of the company's founder. The plans that Adam drew for himself more than three decades ago were brought to life by his wife and sons.
The first Opel cars had an original body, chassis and two-cylinder engine. Subsequently, the engine was equipped with a water pump, and this allowed the vehicle to reach speeds of up to 45 kilometers per hour. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the production of a model of a higher class with an engine volume of 6, 9 liters was launched. The new model, which appeared four years later, had a four-cylinder engine and was priced at 3,950 marks. By that time, the company had completely abandoned the production of sewing machines and improved the production of vehicles: bicycles, motorcycles and cars. 1912 saw the appearance of the ten-thousandth car, and Germany became their largest manufacturer. Opel continued to exist as a joint stock company.
The global economic crisis of the 1930s also affected German industrialists. The company found the best way out of this situation in cooperation with the American corporation General Motors. In 1929, she bought out 80% of the company's assets, and then soon acquired the remaining 20%, shares and became the sole owner of the German automobile industry. For these two deals, Opel received $ 33 million. The competent management of the company led to the fact that the industrial empire remained the largest European car manufacturer, expanding production due to the emergence of heavy vehicles. The current emblem appeared on the Opel Blitz model, because the name in translation from German means “lightning”. Even before the start of World War II, the millionth car rolled off the assembly line, and in 1956, the production exceeded the figure of two million units. Over the next years, Opel increased the pace of capacity development and opened factories in Italy, Poland and Russia.
Decades later, Adam Opel's dream of a reliable and affordable car came true. When he started his own career and opened the production of sewing machines, hardly anyone imagined that they would not glorify the talented inventor, but the contribution to the global automotive industry would be considered the main achievement of the famous industrialist and his family.
