Opel Cars from Eisenach: Foundation Stone of the Plant Laid 35 Years ago

• Success story: Opel was one of the first car manufacturers to be active in the then new federal states after German reunification
• Continuous development: Eisenach plant synonymous for precision ‘made in Germany’
• Top quality from Thuringia today: New Opel Grandland is produced in Eisenach

Combined values for Opel Grandland Electric Long Range according to WLTP¹: energy consumption 18.6 kWh/100 km, CO₂ emissions 0 g/km; CO₂ label: A.

Combined values for Opel Grandland Electric AWD according to WLTP¹: Energy consumption 17.9 kWh/100 km, CO₂ emissions 0 g/km; CO₂ label: A.

Combined values for Opel Grandland Plug-in Hybrid according to WLTP¹: Energy consumption weighted 14.5 kWh electricity/100 km plus 2.6 l petrol/100 km; CO₂ emissions 59 g/km; CO₂ label B. When the battery is discharged: fuel consumption 6.3 l/100 km; CO₂ label E.

Combined values for Opel Grandland Hybrid according to WLTP¹: Fuel consumption 5.6 l/100 km, CO₂ emissions 126 g/km; CO₂ label: D.

Anniversary in Thuringia: At the site where the new Opel Grandland currently drives off the assembly line, everything was still under construction in the early 1990s. 35 years ago – exactly on February 7, 1991 – the foundation stone for one of the most modern automobile plants in Europe was laid in Eisenach. In this way, those responsible back then created the basis for the production of numerous successful Opel models in the middle of the newly reunified Germany. Since last year, the Grandland, which is electrified in every variant, has been leaving the production halls – making it not only a top-quality SUV ‘made in Germany’, but also a true Eisenacher.

Opel and Eisenach: Solidarity based on tradition

Opel’s connection to Eisenach goes back much longer than 35 years. Opel made its first appearance on site 125 years ago: Wilhelm Opel, the second oldest son of Adam Opel, was a founding member of the Association of German Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (VDMI), which was founded in Eisenach in January 1901 and eventually became today’s Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA).

Another similarity that connects the traditional automotive location in Thuringia and Opel in Rüsselsheim early on: The former Eisenach automobile plant and Opel are pioneers of motor vehicle manufacturing in Germany. In both companies, the first ‘motor cars’ were built as early as in the late 1890s.

In this respect, the brand’s direct involvement in Eisenach in 1990, the year of reunification, was only logical. In March 1990, the Opel-AWE-Planungs-Gesellschaft was founded to develop the cooperation between the former automobile plant Eisenach (AWE) and Opel; only two days after the official reunification, on October 5, 1990, to be precise, the first Opel Vectra rolled off the production line in an AWE factory. Four months later, on February 7, 1991, the foundation stone was laid for the new factory.

Over the past decades, bestsellers such as Opel Corsa and Opel Astra have left the Eisenach production halls. Meanwhile, the site has continuously developed, and the plant was named the most modern and productive automotive production facility in Europe.

Positioned for the future: Top SUV Grandland in all variants from Eisenach

For the new Opel Grandland, further investments of €130 million have been made in recent years. The plant underwent the biggest transformation in its history before the launch of the new Grandland. Thanks to the latest modernisation and further development, a wide variety of state-of-the-art and resource-saving drivetrains can be produced on the same production line. Today, all variants of the multi-award-winning SUV, from the Grandland Hybrid and Grandland Plug-in Hybrid to the battery-electric Grandland Electric Long Range and the first all-electric all-wheel-drive Opel, the Grandland Electric AWD are produced here.

^[1] A vehicle’s values not only depend on the vehicle’s efficient use of fuel, but are also influenced by driving behaviour and other non-technical factors.