Bernd Franta worked as a paramedic for the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) for over four decades. An incredibly intense time with experiences that are burned deeply into your memory. But also a deep feeling of togetherness. To the Red Cross and its many helpers, with whom he fought together to save countless lives. Often just seconds decided between life and death. The teams also had to be able to rely one hundred percent on their vehicles and their on-board equipment.
A special relationship developed with some of them. And a particularly heartfelt one. The man from Nuremberg remembers: “I was behind the wheel of a fourth-generation Opel Blitz. It was an ideal car for our purposes. Spacious inside, so it was easy to work in, but also with excellent driving characteristics.” He remembers every detail as if he had just gotten out of the car yesterday: “Ivory-colored, water-cooled six-cylinder in-line engine, throttled to 80 hp. Illuminated Red Cross emblem above the windshield, our emergency number 555777 on the sides. We had four of them.
“An ideal car for our purposes. Spacious inside, but also with excellent driving characteristics.”
At the end of the 1960s, ambulances were introduced at the BRK in Nuremberg.
Between 1971 and 1980, four Opel Blitz ambulances were in use in Nuremberg.
The paramedics appreciated the model because of the spacious patient room.
And also because of the engine power of the water-cooled 6-cylinder in-line engine.
The RTW worked tirelessly, especially after the introduction of the emergency doctor service in 1974.
From 1974, the trained telecommunications craftsman worked full-time for the BRK Nuremberg. Traffic safety on the roads was different than it is today. There were significantly more serious car accidents, which required the rapid intervention of lifesavers. And Bernd Franta counted on his Opel Blitz. “Each driver was assigned a specific vehicle. Our workshop team took care of the maintenance work, but I was responsible for the condition of the car.” He drove several other ambulances over the decades, but there was no one else he felt as close to as the Opel Blitz.
Bernd Franta was active for the BRK until 2015 and has been working on a voluntary basis at the Nuremberg Red Cross Museum since 2001. Created in 1984 from the private collection of volunteer column leader Gerhard Gebuhr, the facility with its 500 square meters of exhibition space in seven themed rooms is now one of the largest of its kind in Germany. The vehicle collection includes, among other things, a rescue carriage from 1918, a DKW express truck from 1955 and an Opel Rekord C ambulance from the seventies.
The old trust in the brand was immediately back: Bernd Franta got behind the wheel and covered the 500 kilometers.
In 2006, Bernd Franta came across an offer from a collector and didn’t hesitate for long: he financed the purchase of the Opel Blitz out of his own pocket.
What Bernd Franta missed from the collection right from the start: an Opel Blitz from back then. In 2006 he came across an offer from the collector Uwe Schildkamp from Münster. He offered to buy an Opel Blitz ambulance (RTW). Date of first commissioning: 1974. Since the volunteer-run museum hardly has any funds of its own for such purchases, the full-blooded BRK member financed the purchase out of his own pocket, supported by a few friends.
Franta drove to Münster and made the deal clear. The Blitz was only in moderately good condition, but the new owner was delighted: “It is an absolutely identical model to my Opel Blitz.” And the old trust in the brand was immediately back. Bernd Franta got behind the wheel and drove the 500 kilometers between Münster and Nuremberg – like in the good old days.
They are committed to rebuilding the Opel Blitz ambulance and making it drivable (from left): the former rescue driver Bernd Franta, the project manager Markus Jessberger and museum director Günther Herold.
In 2018 he officially handed over his acquisition to the Red Cross Museum. A restoration project has been running there for some time now, led by volunteer Markus Jessberger. It is extremely complex, as it is not just the ravages of time that have gnawed at the model. Put into service in 1974 for the DRK Dieburg district association, it was converted again in 1985 to become a four-stretcher ambulance for disaster control. But the Red Cross helpers want to restore the RTW to its original condition.
The initial work has already been successfully completed, thanks to the museum keepers’ good network with specialists who have the same nostalgic passion for classic vehicles as they do. But there is still a lot to do. “A new paint job alone will cost around 20,000 euros,” estimates Markus Jessberger. In addition, some attachments are still missing. The museum people have a few ideas about where to get them – “but we are always grateful for tips from knowledgeable Opel fans.” They would even prefer monetary donations.
For the 50th year of its entry into service, the Opel Blitz ambulance should be presented in top condition.
Some work has already been done: the classic car restorer René Stolze in Neusitz did the sheet metal and body work.
Bernd Franta is looking forward to driving the Opel Blitz, which will hopefully be fully restored, to celebrations next year.
Special knowledge is required: The Martin compressor fanfare system was completely overhauled by Wolfgang Sütterlin in Schliengen.
Robert Lohr in Leutkirch, an expert in signaling devices, procured very special parts to restore the special signaling system and the technology in the patient room.
The reliable one: This fourth generation Opel Blitz was registered in 1974 and then converted into an ambulance.
And time is running. There are a few birthdays coming up in 2024, which the Red Cross Museum would like to celebrate with a well-restored Opel Blitz RTW. The museum itself is 40 years old, the Opel Blitz is celebrating the 50th year of its entry into service as an ambulance, and the BRK emergency medical service is also 50 years old. “We are happy about any donation that helps to get the historic vehicle rolling again in its former glory,” says museum director Günther Herold. To celebrate, the lightning bolt is supposed to drive up on its own axis. Who will then be behind the wheel? Nobody will ask that question seriously.
Donors wanted
The museum helpers would be interested in the following parts. Or tips on where they might be available.
a new windshield
all door and sealing rubbers
Rubber floor in the cab
Rubber parts in the engine compartment, such as hoses and cables
a complete set of tires
Exterior mirror, small version left/right
several small parts
December 2023
Text: Eric Scherer, photos: Lena Willgalis, BRK Nuremberg