Rüsselsheim/Nürburg. The visitors of the Opel exhibition at the 43rd Oldtimer Grand Prix and the fans along the Nürburgring race circuit really got their money’s worth. Numerous Opel legends from the company’s 115 years of motorsport history were exhibited and thundered round the track on their demonstration laps.
Opel CFO Michael Lohscheller also visited the Nürburgring and got behind the wheel of the Opel Manta A "24 hours Spa-Francorchamps" from 1974 for a lap. “The visitors are really enthusiastic when they see our racing circuit and rallye legends. This show of pure joy is something that will serve as additional motivation back in the office. Our brand really has deep roots in the population. This is even more proof that our ambition of being approachable, exciting and German is absolutely right,” said Lohscheller.
The Opel racing cars from all eras reminded some of the visitors of their own youth when Opel cars made rallye and racing circuit history. The ‘Black Widow’, a Rekord C touring car with 150 hp, gave many a Porsche driver a fright in the 1960s when the middle class car, normally reserved for families, suddenly appeared in the rear view mirror. The Ascona A designed for the Rallye World Championship was also a real winner and gave Opel its first ever win in a world championship round; Le Mans winner Joachim Winkelhock was behind the wheel at the Oldie GP and showed that he still has the special touch. The black and yellow Kadett C GT/E Coupé driven by legendary duo Walter Röhrl and Jochen Berger when they finished fourth at the 1976 Rallye Monte Carlo was also present. The car was nicknamed the ‘moral winner’ because it could only be beaten by three Lancia Stratos racing prototypes.
The equally impressive 1914 Green Monster, the biggest racing car ever built by Opel with a 12.3-liter four-cylinder engine with four-valve technology, was the center of attention at the exhibition in the paddock. The ADAM R2, the latest successful example of Opel’s motorsports pedigree, was also on show. Three weeks ago, Emil Bergkvist and co-driver Joakim Sjöberg steered the 190 hp rallye version of the lifestyle pocket rocket to FIA ERC Junior glory.
The Opel motorsports legends thundered around the track during the traditional demonstration laps on Saturday. A total of 11 cars left the marquee set up in the new paddock and were treated to enthusiastic applause from the thousands of fans lining the Nürburgring Grand Prix track.
