As early as 1936, Opel was the first manufacturer to launch a family-friendly and, above all, affordable compact car for customers - the Opel Kadett. Even then, it was a pioneer with a self-supporting all-steel body and low weight. But the real ancestor of today's modern compact class was launched in 1962 with the Opel Kadett A. A large trunk and plenty of space for four people as well as a new, high revving engine and low maintenance costs were the recipe for success. Just the right car for the German "economic miracle years". Opel built almost 650,000 cars from 1962 to 1965. 60 years ago, the manufacturer entered a new era with the Kadett A - just like today with the pioneering sixth Astra generation.
The new Opel Astra and Astra Sports Tourer also set standards in the compact class segment - with clear, bold design, top technologies such as the fully digital Pure Panel cockpit, and of course with their proven practicality. The Astra is also electrified for the first time. With all these innovations, the latest Astra generation continues Opel's decades-long tradition of successful compact class models, which began under the name "Kadett", to mark the company's 160th anniversary.
Opel Kadett A - a car for the economic miracle
Opel reorganized its vehicle range in the 1950s and 1960s. During the economic miracle, practical, compact and affordable cars were in high demand. The high demand had to be met. In 1962, Opel built a completely new production facility in Bochum specifically for the production of the Kadett A. And so, after prototypes had covered over 1.5 million test kilometers all over the world, the first economic miracle Kadett rolled off the assembly line in October 1962.
The new edition of Opel's bestseller is a thoroughly modern car that has virtually nothing in common with its predecessor apart from the name. The new Kadett is a prime example of lightweight construction. The saloon weighs just 670 kilograms, the caravan that followed shortly afterwards only 720 kilograms. Despite this, the body is stable and has exemplary rigidity. The Kadett was also extremely affordable: the price list started at 5075 Deutschmarks. Even when designing the model, which was as inexpensive as it was reliable, the engineers paid attention to keeping production as simple as possible: the body consisted of just twelve main parts, the side panels were made from a single sheet of steel. And the front axle forms an assembly unit with the steering - not yet a matter of course at the time. The Kadett A's low maintenance costs were also due to its design: thanks to maintenance-free joints on the chassis and steering, the car did not require grease nipples. The service and spare parts costs are calculated with a sharp pen. A 10,000-kilometer inspection including materials costs only around 30 marks. These are the best prerequisites for keeping the new compact class model affordable for everyone and making it a success.
Elegant, practical, innovative - and streets ahead of the competition
The Kadett offers all the advantages that make a vehicle from the 1960s desirable: elegant design, high flexibility, innovative technologies and practical features. The lines of the two-door notchback model are functional and modern. The beltline is low and the large glass surfaces ensure good visibility. A trim strip running along the entire side line emphasizes the elongated shape. The front fenders run into the headlights, while the rear ends are designed as "arrow corners". The space in the interior will amaze previous small car drivers; four people can travel comfortably in the saloon. The trunk is a real luggage compartment into which suitcases can be conveniently placed.
There was also a "little something" that was very important at the time and increased the feel-good factor enormously: the fuel filler cap was on the outside! An innovation that you would look in vain for from another manufacturer at the time. "You'll never have the smell of gasoline in the trunk," was the tongue-in-cheek greeting to Wolfsburg. Thanks to this design, the spacious load compartment is reserved exclusively for luggage. "Opel Kadett in a nutshell: O.K.," praise the advertising copywriters.
With new front engine and rear axle - driving pleasure with responsibility
With its modern, water-cooled front engine, the Kadett offered another design advantage over the Beetle: the 993 cm3 four-cylinder engine initially produced 40 hp and also powered the new Kadett Caravan from 1963. The one-liter short-stroke engine impressed contemporary testers with its spontaneous power delivery, good revving ability and elasticity. The basic engine accelerates the Kadett up to 120 km/h. The saloon thus achieved a similar speed to its larger model brother, the Rekord. And the 1.0-liter S engine, which was initially used in the new Coupé from 1963, even managed 130 km/h with its 48 hp.
Even back then, those responsible were already committed to driving pleasure with safety: "The Kadett stays unusually firmly in its lane when cornering and on bad pavement," reads the promise in a sales brochure. Once again, the ingenious design was responsible for this: the favorable weight distribution and the new toe and camber-resistant central-joint rear axle contributed to balanced, safe handling.
A car with space like a bus - the first caravan
Another advantage of the Kadett A generation: The platform with front engine and rear-wheel drive can be used to build an entire model family with sedan, coupé and caravan - highly flexible and always with the best use of space. At the 1963 Geneva Motor Show, around six months after the debut of the sedan, Opel presented the Kadett A Caravan, the first German compact station wagon. The practical load compartment can be extended by 1.5 meters by folding down the rear bench seat. A popular accessory is a children's bench seat, on which the offspring can be comfortably accommodated facing the rear. Thanks to the third row of seats, up to six people can be accommodated in the new Caravan. Opel quickly becomes the market leader in this body segment - by the mid-1960s, almost every second station wagon in Germany is an Opel. From then on, every new generation of the Kadett and Astra is practically a van - a "car a van".
Electrifying Astra - the latest compact class generation from Opel
This is still true today. The Kadett has now become the Astra, and the Caravan the equally practical Sports Tourer lifestyle estate. The new Astra generation proves how a compact class is fit for the future and inspires people. For the first time, the compact class bestseller with the Blitz is available as an electrified plug-in hybrid and, from 2023, also as a battery-electric variant. In addition, the new Astra five-door and Astra Sports Tourer not only offer top technologies, including the latest generation of adaptive, glare-free IntelliLux LED® Pixel light with a total of 168 LED elements. They are also a true design statement of the brand: more dynamic than ever before, with clear, exciting lines without superfluous flourishes and with the new brand face, the Opel Vizor. Inside, the driver and passengers are greeted by the fully digital and intuitive Pure Panel cockpit - a human-machine interface of the latest generation. With a new design and state-of-the-art technologies, Opel shows that the Astra and Astra Sports Tourer are entering a new era while continuing the tradition of making innovations affordable for everyone.
