Sunny and warm weather, many nice guests, a great location, a relaxed atmosphere – “It couldn’t have been nicer,” says David Heib about the day in June when he and his wife Silvia said “yes” to each other and at the same time Daughter Amelie Elin received her first sacrament in church. It was a dreamlike “eaves”, a fusion of “marriage” and “baptism”. And the wedding car also contributed to the perfect day – the eleventh generation of the Opel compact class model, the new Astra L.
The Astra Sport Tourer shines as a plug-in hybrid in cobalt blue together with the bridal couple on the official wedding photos. “It wasn’t easy to organize this model,” admits the colleague, “after all, it’s only just been rolling off the production line in Rüsselsheim.” Preparations for the big day. Because he has not only been connected to the compact class model since he was part of the marketing team as Brand Product Manager that positioned the latest generation and brought it onto the market. “In my family,” he says, “the Kadett and the Astra have a long tradition; for us it’s simply the car.”
“The Kadett and the Astra have a long tradition in my family.”
Also emission-free: As a surprise for his wife and daughter, David Heib organized a second wedding carriage.
It is a tradition that goes back to the fifth generation of the model series: the 34-year-old grew up in the Astra predecessor, a red Kadett E Caravan. The Kadett was later traded in for what is still the best-selling model today, an Astra F, also in red and in the station wagon version. When David Heib got his driver’s license, he drove either his mother’s Astra G Sports Tourer or the Astra H as a hatchback, which his father, also an Opel employee, immediately bought when it came onto the market in 2004. The industrial engineer has been the proud owner of an Astra K Sports Tourer in black since 2018, and his wife drives the identical five-door model. “And being able to drive up to my wedding day in a new Astra Sports Tourer from the launch fleet,” he emphasizes, “was the icing on the cake on a perfect day.”
tradition is continued
As a surprise for his wife and daughter, the brand manager organized another wedding carriage. After the wedding in the evangelical church in the district of Bauschheim, a stately pair of horses was waiting in front of the door. The family then drove to the location where the celebrations were taking place – also emission-free – in the sports station wagon in the electrified plug-in hybrid version. And it wasn’t just the Opel colleagues among the wedding guests who extensively inspected the brand new model that was parked in front of the location in Rüsselsheim Königstädten. “The reactions were all positive. The new Astra is simply a beautiful car,” says David Heib. And the Astra tradition in the family? Of course it will continue. And twice that: “My mother decided on a five-door car in cardio red with a black roof. And I have already configured a Sports Tourer as a plug-in hybrid in arctic white with Black Pack and Ultimate equipment.”
“Being able to pull up in the Astra was the icing on the cake on a perfect day.”
Proud Opel employee: The man from Rüsselsheim has been working at Opel since 2015. Currently, as Brand Product Manager, he is part of the marketing team that positioned and launched the new Astra.
For everyone who dares
For anyone who wants to do the same as their colleagues, there is a special offer from the Opel Motor Pool. There, Opel employees can borrow a model with a lightning bolt for their wedding celebrations. And that for free. A note from colleagues from the Opel Motorpool to anyone who dares: The earlier you register, the greater the chance of getting hold of the model you want. Interested parties can contact motorpool@opel.com directly.
Photos: Morayma Becher