Europe
2009-01-23
Hans H. Demant: Opel is celebrating 110 years of automobile innovation in 2009. But you Adam started much earlier, in 1862, building sewing machines. What’s the connection?
Adam Opel: Bicycles! On a trip to Paris, I saw bicyclists driving down an avenue. I was impressed how fast a mechanical machine could move. I felt that dedicating an industry to mobility was visionary. And I wanted to contribute to shaping the future. At the time, many colleagues thought it was folly to add bicycles to our stable sewing machine business, but I wanted to be forward-thinking.
Hans Demant: That is one of the enduring philosophies that you have instilled in the company. Making innovation affordable to everyone is a cornerstone of our culture.
Adam Opel: My sons added the automobile to our product line in 1899, after my time. They, too, had folks who scoffed at the idea, but skepticism to new ideas is normal. And very soon, they contributed a lot to the advancements in automotive manufacturing when they started building cars with a modular assembly system which allowed combining prefabricated bodies with different chassis and engines. The Opel Doctor Car was revolutionary in 1909. It was smaller than the usual cars back then and was sold for only 3,950 marks -- half the price of competitor’s luxury liners. That made it accessible to the growing middle class, like doctors and lawyers.
Hans Demant: We’ve never lost this spirit in Rüsselsheim: Be the first to offer new ideas, concepts and technologies to the widest public.
Adam Opel: Indeed. A few years ago, you created this compact seven-seater, the Zafira. As the father of five sons, I was very interested in this car.
Hans Demant: The Zafira was not the first seven-seater monocab on the market place, but it was the first to be that compact and therefore it was the most affordable, too. And, it had a completely new concept of interior flexibility. When we launched the Zafira, both the type of car and its seating system were absolutely unique.
Adam Opel: And now, Hans, what projects are you working on now?
Hans Demant: You probably saw that our latest new car, the Opel Insignia, has been awarded 2009 Car of the Year. This summer, we’ll launch an ecoFLEX version of the Insignia, which will combine amazingly low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions with a powerful, 160 hp diesel engine. You certainly know how air quality and the decreasing availability of oil are of great concern to us.
Adam Opel: I know. But I feel there is no reason to panic. When my sons started to build automobiles 110 years ago, human kind was just moving from a carriage propelled by horses to one that moved by itself. At the time, frankly, we were not sure which energy source would be used to propel a vehicle: Steam? Petrol? Researchers even looked at ethanol back then, and some thought of electricity. Nowadays, nobody remembers these questions, but after a century of unquestioned use of oil, you’re back to the same debate. I know that you will find the right answers. What is your opinion, Hans?
Hans Demant: Mobility is freedom and we at Opel want to develop a sustainable concept for individual mobility. I really believe electricity will be the energy propelling cars in the future.
Adam Opel: Electricity? Interesting! And all these debates about the limited range and the necessity to constantly re-charge the batteries-- I see you’re smiling.
Hans Demant: Adam, Opel will soon showcase its future electric car. It’s an all-new kind of electric car with revolutionary technology, and I can tell you one thing: We have overcome the challenges, so it’s absolutely suitable for everyday driving. It is a step beyond all other known technologies featured in hybrids or conventional electric cars.
Adam Opel: So innovative?! And how does it work?
Hans Demant: Adam, I am enjoying this conversation. Why don’t we meet again this spring to continue the chat? I promise I can show it to you.
Plug-in energy: Opel Managing Director Hans Demant is convinced that the electric car belongs to the future. The automotive tradition begins at Opel with the first gasoline-powered Lutzmann and continues to this modern, environmentally-friendly concept.
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