Opel's boss and his love of tradition
09/17/2015
Opel's CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann acknowledges the tradition of the Opel brand.
During an interview with Neumann in the magazine Blick, the tradition of the Opel brand was also discussed. Neumann generally finds classic cars fascinating because they have always and everywhere presented brand history.
However, he is particularly proud of his personal green Opel Diplomat A V8 Coupé from 1966. At 206 km/h, this coupé was the fastest production car in its class in Germany at the time and was only built 347 times. It is therefore one of the most sought-after Opel classic cars. His car was acquired by chance in perfect condition in Holland.
Neumann also likes to do his own work, whether on bicycles, boats or classic cars. For larger repairs, however, he loves to rely on the expert support of his "Opel Classic" guys.
These guys from "Opel Classic" (Jens Cooper) are just as enthusiastic about their top boss: "There were times when we had no internal support and classic cars were not cared for at Opel - which is why our collection is missing some vehicles such as the Kadett C Caravan. Today, however, we thankfully have an internal lobby, all the way to the top!"
Neumann also likes to show up at historic events from time to time, so this year he took part in the classic rally from Hamburg to Berlin with his second classic car, a 1973 Opel GT.
Dr. Karl-Heinz Neumann was born on April 1, 1961 in Twistringen (Germany), studied electrical engineering in Dortmund and worked in management positions at Motorola, VW, Continental and, until mid-2012, again at the VW Group, where he was most recently responsible for the China business. Neumann has been Opel CEO and President GM Europe since March 2013. Neumann is married, father of three sons and a passionate marathon runner, sailor, biker and classic car fan.
