The occasion is unspectacular. A test alarm sends employees from the Adam Opel House outside. While you wait for the all-clear, your eyes wander across the parking lot. There is a Kadett D between Astra, Grandland and Mokka. A rare sight. Year of manufacture in the early eighties, so a good four decades old.
Those in the know know what this model means. The Kadett D comes onto the market in 1979. By 1984, 2.1 million units had rolled off the assembly lines in Bochum and Ellesmere Port in the UK. It marked a turning point in Opel’s history: the first compact car with front-wheel drive and a transverse engine, plus a hatchback design that was new at the time.
2,500 kilometers of travel – and then no “Opel Museum”?
44 years old and fully operational: This Opel shows that a well-maintained classic can still cover long distances today.
Compact on the outside, spacious on the inside: The Kadett D carries four adults and their luggage all the way to Rüsselsheim.
Objective, clear, reduced to the essentials: The cockpit of the Kadett D follows the clear logic of its time.
The height-adjustable headrest is part of the contemporary safety equipment of the Kadett D.
Proven technology under the hood: The engine compartment – proof of solid engineering work.
The license plate reveals another special feature: “KEU-536”. Finland. A classic that traveled the long way from the north on its own? A short exchange later makes it clear: the Mustonen family from Kajaani, a town in the heart of Finland, is standing in front of the building. Father Jukka and his three sons Patrik, Kasper and Kalle drove to Rüsselsheim with their Kadett D, built in 1982.
Enthusiasm for Opel has a tradition in the family. “My father is an Opel fan, he got that from my grandfather,” says 17-year-old Kasper. The cadet used to belong to a customer who took it over from his father. A car like from your own youth. And then the idea: drive to where Opel has its origins. The sons are there immediately.
The disappointment only lasts for a short time – then a door opens.
Brand history you can touch: Jukka Mustonen takes a seat in the Ascona 400.
Opel Classic expert Jens Cooper (right) opened the gates for the well-traveled guests.
Finnish visitors are particularly impressed by the exhibits of motorsport history.
Souvenir photos are taken at the Opel Diplomat.
The guests also don’t miss out on a test drive in the Opel GT.
They have already covered more than 2,500 kilometers. Start in Kajaani, then Helsinki. By ferry to Tallinn, then through the Baltics, Poland and the Czech Republic to Germany. The goal is clear: the Opel Museum. But that doesn’t exist in this form. The historical collection of Opel Classic on the Rüsselsheim factory premises is not open to the public. The disappointment is great. The journey has been made – now what?
But the journey doesn’t end at the factory gate. A short exchange, a call – and then a door opens: Opel Classic expert Jens Cooper has a busy schedule, but doesn’t want to disappoint the well-traveled fans. He invites you to a spontaneous tour through the history of the brand. The four Finns immerse themselves in Opel history for two hours. You’ll see classics from all eras, as well as bicycles, motorcycles, Frigidaire household appliances and historical documents. A journey through more than 160 years of curated industry and brand history.
Brand history comes to life when it is shared – the Mustonens in the Opel collection.
Road trip with a happy ending: Father Jukka and his sons Patrik, Kasper and Kalle discover an Opel Kadett D in the Rüsselsheim collection.
The early models are particularly impressive: Lutzmann, the doctor’s car, the legendary “Green Monster”. But the sporty ones are also remembered – the GT, successful racing vehicles like the Calibra V6 or the 440 hp Astra OPC study “X-treme”.
After the tour, the Mustonens happily head back. It leads back to Finland via Denmark and Sweden. In the end there are 5,740 additional kilometers on the clock. The cadet masters it confidently. “We only have to top up some coolant in the last few kilometers; the cylinder head gasket isn’t completely tight,” says Kasper.
In everyday life, the classic is moved much more gently. Shopping, short trips, mostly only in summer. The cadet hasn’t experienced a tour like this for decades. Many memories remain. And the certainty: This Kadett D doesn’t belong in a museum for a long time.
January 2026
Text: Eric Scherer, photos: Andreas Liebschner