When one of the greats of automotive history turns 80, it's time to celebrate. The Opel Kapitän began its career in 1938 and remained the brand's flagship for 42 years. To mark the birthday party, 25 Captains in tip-top condition met up for an anniversary tour from the Opel headquarters in Rüsselsheim to the Darmstadt-Kranichstein Railway Museum. The wonderful purring of the captains' six-cylinder in-line engines was accompanied by modern sounds: Three new Opel Insignia cars came to congratulate their grandfathers. From flagship to flagship. Then as now, the largest Opel model rolls off the production line at the Rüsselsheim plant - just the right place for a birthday stand: "Happy birthday, Mr. Captain!"
80 years ago: Birth of the Opel Kapitän
One year after the introduction of the Admiral, Opel expands its model range by another size. As a representative of the upper middle class, the Opel Kapitän joined the ranks of the popular Kadett and the prestigious upper class Admiral in Art Deco style in 1938. With its self-supporting all-steel body and modern drive technology, the Kapitän, which was offered as a two- and four-door saloon and a four-seater convertible, played a pioneering role in this car class. The innovative 2.5 liter, 55 hp ohv inline six-cylinder engine became the hallmark of the big Opel.
Ten years later, the first post-war Kapitän leaves the factory in Rüsselsheim in 1948, which still corresponds to the original model except for a few details. During the economic miracle, the Opel Kapitän then became synonymous with progress, prosperity and reliability with its American design language and six-cylinder comfort. Opel - the reliable one! In the 1960s, the Rüsselsheim model was one of the best-selling six-cylinder cars in Germany. It was not until the spring of 1970 that production of the successful six-cylinder model ended with the Kapitän B, then the entry-level model of the Opel upper-class family consisting of the Kapitän, Admiral and Diplomat. The long history of the most famous large Opel came to an end after 42 years and 474,189 units.
The pre-war period: on the road with innovations
In 1938, the new Opel Kapitän bundles the technical expertise of Adam Opel AG. This included advanced engine technology and a modern body design. It cost ten million Reichsmarks to set up production at the company's headquarters in Rüsselsheim. The 2.5-liter ohv in-line six-cylinder engine, a "highway-proof short-stroke engine" whose overhead valves are actuated via a spur gear-driven camshaft, pushrods and rocker arms, produces 55 hp and accelerates the Kapitän to a top speed of 126 km/h. In addition, the Kapitän was the first representative of its vehicle class in Germany to have a self-supporting all-steel body without a frame - a design principle that is still valid today.
Independent suspension with a front stabilizer bar, hydraulic brakes and shock absorbers were standard, but were by no means a matter of course in automotive engineering in 1938. The modern shape with hexagonal headlights integrated into the fenders for the first time, an upward-opening, one-piece "alligator" hood and an implied hatchback with a trunk accessible from the outside followed the stylistic models of vehicles from the USA.
"A car that belongs to the world", Opel advertises its new mid-size representative, which is offered as a two- and four-door saloon as well as a two-door convertible with four seats and becomes an export hit. By the time production was discontinued due to the war, 25,374 units of the Kapitän had been built in just under nine months, including 4,563 convertibles and 248 chassis without bodywork. Around 13,000 of these vehicles are delivered abroad.
The new beginning: soon back on the road to success
On July 5, 1946, post-war production starts in Rüsselsheim, and from October 1948 the Kapitän is also produced again. The first major order is placed by the US government. From 1949, Opel also supplies export markets again. 13,036 units of the new Kapitän are produced by spring 1950.
In May 1950, the company announces "News from the Opel Kapitän": The Kapitän, which was now only available as a four-door sedan, differed from the pre-war model with a modern steering wheel gearshift as well as a revised interior and round headlights. In 1951, the body of the Kapitän undergoes further changes: the lines are more representative, the trunk has grown, and the more generously distributed chrome reflects the spirit of the times of new beginnings and incipient prosperity.
For the now 58 hp six-cylinder engine, which is also used in the Opel Blitz truck and guarantees it a special position on the truck market, all entry regulations are no longer applicable with immediate effect. The original Kapitän line was retained until 1953, when the successor (Kapitän '54) appeared with more power and a modern pontoon shape.
The present: The Insignia continues the tradition of the large Opel models.
Visit the Opel website for more information on the car manufacturer's past and present models.
