Opel is celebrating its 100th birthday, and there can only be one “cover boy”: the company founder himself. Otherwise in the July 1962 issue: anecdotes, legends, celebrations and financial matters.
The complete issue for download: The Opel Post from July 1962
memory of the sons
The Opel brothers (from left): Wilhelm, Fritz, Ludwig, Karl and Heinrich.
Unfortunately, Ludwig Opel did not survive the First World War. Karl von Opel was happy to provide his employees with his own car as a wedding carriage. And the spirited Heinrich von Opel, as head of the sales department, ranted from time to time, but never held grudges. Fritz Opel was not at all angry when a plant security employee once instructed him not to smoke in the factory – he even rewarded his courage with a gift of money. And Wilhelm von Opel not only had the idea of introducing an old-age provision, there were a number of anecdotes circulating about the privy councillor. He once took a young peasant boy, who didn’t recognize him, with him in his “Laubfrosch”. And when he got out, he insisted on paying for the driver’s service with a mark. His reasoning: “If you drive an Opel, you need your money.”
Sure, the names of the five Opel brothers are known, but the July 1962 issue of the Opel Post offers the opportunity to get to know four of them through short stories. Nice.
Visiting a legend
Carls Jörns together with his sister Katchen.
The former racing driver still drives himself.
Finding out what former Opel employees do after retirement has a long tradition in the Opel Post editorial team. And for the issue celebrating the company’s 100th birthday, it can’t just be one of the greats, it has to be one of the greats: Carl Jörns, the first great racing driver legend that Opel brought forth. Between 1903 and 1926 “Carlo”, who was employed as a driving instructor and driver in 1902, won a total of 288 races for his brand. His most important success was “only” a third place: he secured that as the best German in 1907 in the Kaiserpreis race in the Taunus, which earned Opel the prestigious title of “imperial court supplier for automobiles”.
After leaving the company in 1945, Carlo Jörns, aged 86, enjoyed his retirement in 1962 with his sister Katchen at his home in Wiesbaden. He drives to Rüsselsheim once or twice a week – of course still personally behind the wheel – to see what’s new at the plant. And he, who was a cyclist at the time and got to know Adam Opel personally, is delighted that he can celebrate his company’s 100th birthday.
However, the wish of the Opel editorial team to congratulate him on his 100th birthday was not fulfilled: Carl Jörns died in 1969 at the age of 93 in the Rüsselsheim city hospital.
This is how the 100th was celebrated
How was the company’s 100th birthday celebrated 60 years ago? This can also be read in the Opel Post issue: On the morning of August 14, 1962, General Manager Nelson J. Stork first laid a wreath at Adam Opel’s grave. At 10:30 a.m., an official ceremony started in building K62, which was also broadcast in the dining rooms. In addition to Stork, the list of speakers also included the Chairman of the Works Council, Paul Lorenz, the Mayor of Rüsselsheim, Walter Köbel, the Prime Minister of Hesse, Georg August Zinn, and, last but not least, Ludwig Erhard, Federal Minister of Economics and the father of the German “economic miracle”.
On August 17th, a celebratory and choral concert was scheduled in the local stadium, to which the company orchestra played and the combined Rüsselsheim male choirs raised their voices – hopefully it was a little more informal than at the ceremony. After the “Big Tattoo” a brilliant firework display closed the 100-year celebration.
When Opel printed money
This Opel emergency money note for a hundred million marks was in circulation in 1923.
In addition, the Opel Post editorial team looks a little further back in history – and recalls the “Opel money” of the years 1922/23. As? Has Opel ever printed real banknotes? To a certain extent yes: during these years of inflation, local authorities and industrial companies were allowed to produce their own “emergency money” at times in order to meet their wage and salary obligations. That’s why there was an “Opel mark” at times, but also a hundred million mark note. And the company’s authorized signatories had to sign all the banknotes personally. It definitely wasn’t fun.
June 2022
Text: Eric Scherer, photos: archive