Opel Olympia Rekord - American recipes for success on local roads

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Opel Olympia Rekord - American recipes for success on local roads

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Created on August 3, 2016

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

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Bruno von Rotz

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GM Corporation / Opel

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Archiv Opel / General Motors

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - a pretty two-door car for five people

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - with modern pontoon shape

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - all two-tone, the Olympia Rekord at the front, the Rekord P1 in the middle, the Rekord P2 at the back

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - the further development of the design language is clearly visible

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - the shape changed from model series to model series, on the left Olympia Rekord, on the right the successor Rekord P1, in the middle Rekord P2

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Opel Rekord P1 "Ascona" (1959) - the P1 in the middle between its predecessor (Olympia Rekord, right) and successor P2 (left)

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - over time, the record became longer and flatter

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - together with its successors, the brown Rekord P1 and the gray Rekord P2

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - together with its successors Rekord P2 and P1

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - there is a certain family resemblance

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - they also all wore chrome

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - they were all popular, including the successors Rekord P1 (center) and Rekord P2 (right)

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - those who stepped up from the Beetle got a much more comfortable car

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - Space for five people and some luggage

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - the two-tone paint job cost extra, but looks good on it

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - the decorations and details changed from year to year

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - the radiator grille of the 56 model

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - the front seat was designed as a bench seat

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - elegant steering wheel

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - shifting was done by hand on the steering wheel, three gears had to suffice

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - for the first time, the 1956 Rekord had an ignition switch that also started the engine

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - moon-shaped speedometer and displays for water temperature and fuel level

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - it could hardly be clearer

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - despite its size, the speedometer is not really easy to read

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - even inside you never forget which car you're sitting in

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - the loudspeaker for music enjoyment

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - the mechanically wound clock with eight-day movement

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - for particularly comfortable access to the rear of the train

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - 45 DIN horsepower had to be enough for the 920 kg weight

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - well-behaved 1.5-liter engine with four cylinders

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - the engine sits longitudinally and low in the front

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - the chassis badge from GM Biel

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - Only the more expensive models were allowed to call themselves records

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - the Rekord lettering on the flank

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - still with the Zeppelin on the bow

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - the Rekord lettering on the hood

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - it was already moving towards panoramic windscreens and the triangular windows were not missing either

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - the rear window also offered an almost unrestricted view, the Beetle still had a small oval window at the time

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - Opel lettering in the C-pillar

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - filigree rear lights

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - elegant door openers

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - Zeppelin and record sign on the boot lid

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1953) - Presentation at the Frankfurt Motor Show

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1953) - International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt 1953 - Front view with Edward E. Zdunek

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1953) - with pontoon body

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1953) - on a test drive

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Opel Olympia Cabriolet (1954) - new body version for Switzerland - Geneva Motor Show 1954

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Opel Olympia Rekord Caravan (1954) - the faithful traveling companion

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Opel Olympia Rekord Caravan (1954) - what doesn't fit in the trunk goes on the roof

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1953) - as a station wagon Caravan

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1953) - Caravan, i.e. station wagon versions, are loaded together with two-door cars

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1954) - Front section of the 1955 model

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1954) - Modifications to the rear for the 1955 model

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1953) - in advertising - Road holding is safety

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1953) - in advertising in Germany

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1954) - Advertising - an Opel in any case

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1955) - in the advertisement - the new Olympia Rekord 1956

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1955) - in advertising - most driven, because most built

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - in the advertisement - the new Olympia Rekord 1957

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - in advertising - Have a good trip, even in winter!

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - a photo for the family album (Advertising)

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - in the advertisement - Record and progress are one!

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1957) - in the advertisement - Beauty that heralds progress (Rekord 57)

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Opel Olympia (1953) - this limousine was 115 km/h fast back then - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2014

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - windshield and rear window were curved

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Opel Olympia Rekord (1956) - pleasing interior with American influences

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Summary

The 1953 Olympia Rekord was not only Opel's first major new design, it also made the middle class affordable for a much larger proportion of the population, making it a great success. Not only in Germany, but also in Switzerland and other countries, it appeared high up on the registration hit parade. It was carefully designed without superfluous innovations and lasted longer than many competitor vehicles. Sensible and reliable, and beautifully shaped to boot - what more could anyone want in the 1950s? This vehicle report describes the development and history of the Olympia Rekord and shows it in many historical and modern illustrations, as well as in the advertising images of the time.

This article contains the following chapters

The first new Opel development after the war
A pretty car for little money
Is cheap also good?
Annual revisions
Proven
At the steering wheel of the "reliable"
Further information

Estimated reading time: 13min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The competition was shocked when the new Opel Olympia Rekord was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in March 1953, not so much because of its modern pontoon shape, but mainly because of its competitive price, which was only slightly higher than the VW Beetle. For a car that was positioned at least one class higher. The post-war period was not an easy one for car manufacturers in Germany; Opel, too, mainly produced cars that had already rolled off the production line in the 1930s, and the Beetle was also a pre-war invention. However, customers were becoming more demanding and also more numerous. In 1953, Germany was still completely under-motorized compared to other countries; there were 37 inhabitants per car in West Germany, 21 in Switzerland, 15 in Great Britain and just three in the United States. No wonder, then, that American ideas were to do the trick for Opel in Germany and the Olympia Rekord presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1953 was a big hit.

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