10 września 2025 | Sławomir Poros Jr.

Opel Olympia: Small in Size, Big in Legacy!

Opel Olympia is a small car that wrote a very significant chapter in the history of motoring. As part of the Monte Carlo Tribute 1939 project, we want to tell you all about it! Thanks to our collaboration with Opel Classic in Rüsselsheim and the kind support of the department head, Leif Rohwedder, we’ve gained access to Opel’s fascinating archive, which will enrich our publications on this topic.

The first series of Opel Olympia was designated as model 13237. The car made its debut in February 1935 at the International Motor and Motorcycle Show in Berlin. Mass production began two months later. The model name Olympia referred to the upcoming 11th Summer Olympic Games (1936) in Berlin. As a result, the new Opel incorporated many references to both the event and classical history. One notable detail was found on Olympia’s distinctive front grille: a rectangular yellow badge featuring a depiction of a discus thrower, inspired by the 5th-century BC sculpture by the Greek artist Myron. There were many more Olympic-themed associations. For example, in 1939, for every Opel Olympia sold in Finland, GM donated money to the Finnish Olympic Committee. To mark the Berlin Olympics, an event called the International Star Rally to Berlin was even created, finishing at the Avus race track – officially known as Rallye Automobile Olympia 1936.

A change in global philosophy

The Olympia was a very important car in the history of the automotive industry, as it introduced many innovations that became a permanent part of modern car production. Most notably, the Olympia was the first mass-produced German car to feature an all-steel unibody construction. This required a number of innovations. On June 26, 1935, Opel filed patent application no. 765 899 for the production of the Olympia, which to this day defines the method of car manufacturing.

The preassembled unibody, suspended on chains, was lowered onto the unit consisting of the engine, gearbox, and axles. This process is commonly referred to as the “marriage” (German: Hochzeit) and is still widely used in car production today. And Opel holds the patent for it.

One patent leads to another

The development of a new production process was driven not only by the design of the new Opel, but above all by a complete shift in the philosophy of car manufacturing. As early as autumn 1934, Opel filed patent application no. 745 079 for a space frame car body.

Thanks to this design, which was inspired by aviation, the unibody structure was able to absorb and reduce stress while maintaining rigidity. It became the new standard in car construction. Unfortunately, eliminating the traditional frame onto which the entire body was mounted marked the end of the golden era of coachbuilding. The breakthrough was so significant that, for the 1937 IAA motor show, a special car was prepared with a transparent body shell to fully showcase the technical sophistication of the new design.

Mass production

An innovative unibody design, a completely new production system, and eventually mass production — Opel was constantly accelerating to become the leader of the European market. From early 1935 to autumn 1937, a total of 81,661 units of the first Olympia series (13237) were produced. For comparison, between September 1935 and December 1937, 65,864 units of the Opel P4 were built. Opel was also the first German car manufacturer to produce as many as 102,293 vehicles in a single year (1935), surpassing the symbolic threshold of 100,000 cars annually. Just one year later, Opel became the largest car manufacturer in Europe.

Quality over price

The first series of the Olympia (13237) was equipped with a 1,288 cc side-valve engine producing 24 horsepower, paired with a three-speed gearbox. According to the catalogue, this setup allowed the small Opel to reach a top speed of 95 km/h, making it one of the fastest cars in its class. It was designed from the outset to be an affordable car for the people. The new Olympia cost around 2,500 Reichsmarks — about eleven times the average German monthly salary. For comparison, according to the Polish magazine Samochód (issue 3 / 1937), in Poland in 1937 the Olympia cost approximately 5,700 zlotys — more than thirty average Polish monthly wages. Looking at other small 4-cylinder cars of the time: a Fiat 508 cost 5,400 zlotys, an Adler Junior 6,800 zlotys, a Ford Popular 4,600 zlotys, the beautiful Škoda Popular 5,860 zlotys — while a Mercedes 170 came in at a hefty 9,950 zlotys. What set the Olympia apart from the competition was its attractive price combined with excellent build quality, on par with that of the BMW 315.

Based on the design of the Opel Olympia, production of the Vauxhall Ten (also known as the 10-4 or H-Type) began in 1937 at the Luton plant in the United Kingdom. It was the first British car with a unibody construction. It’s worth noting, however, that Vauxhall had already been owned by General Motors since 1925. While the Vauxhall differed slightly from the standard Olympia, licensed assembly of Opel vehicles began in 1937 at the Lilpop, Rau & Loewenstein plant in Warsaw. That year, 336 units of the Olympia were produced; in 1938, production increased to 576 units, and by 1939, it reached 960 units. It’s also worth mentioning that the smaller Opel Kadett was assembled at the Warsaw plant as well, with 240 units produced there in 1939. Although the central hub for Opel was the Rüsselsheim factory, GM assembly plants were also established in Denmark, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, and Poland.

The rally challenge!

As early as 1936, the Opel Olympia (13237) was put to the ultimate test in rallying when it was entered in the legendary Monte Carlo Rally. The team, starting with car number #78, consisted of Freddy Thellusson and Léon Narishkine, and they began the rally from Bucharest. Frédéric “Freddy” Eugène Théllusson was a Belgian racing driver who primarily competed in endurance races such as Le Mans and at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Narishkine — or more accurately, Prince Narishkine— was a Russian nobleman who had already participated in the Monte Carlo Rally in 1933, driving a Fiat 508 Balilla.

The Opel team finished 38th overall out of 72 classified crews. It was the only Opel entered in that year’s rally. What’s more, the small Olympia won first prize in the comfort competition in the closed car category (Voitures Fermées).

It was quite an interesting rally indeed

The 1936 Monte Carlo Rally was a particularly fascinating edition — as were all the pre-war versions of the event. It was in this very year that Zdeněk Pohl and Jaroslav Hausman, driving a Škoda Popular Roadster, achieved a sensational second place in their class (up to 1500cc). To celebrate their success, Škoda created what is widely regarded as the most beautiful model in its history — the Popular Sport Monte Carlo.

The lineup also included the famous Hellé Nice, a true celebrity of her time and associated with the Bugatti team. She was photographed in Warsaw alongside her rally partner, Marie-Jeanne Marinovitch. This duo, starting from Tallinn, went on to win the 1936 Ladies’ Prize.

We must also mention the only Polish participant in the 1936 Monte Carlo Rally — Major Marian Gaweł. After ending his military career in 1922, Gaweł settled in Lwów and devoted himself to motoring. He took part in numerous rallies and races and served on the Sports Commission of the Małopolska Automobile Club. He also held the position of sales director for the Warsaw district at Polski Fiat. It was in a Polski Fiat 508 that he entered the Monte Carlo Rally, accompanied by a certain Prandi — an Italian driver and employee of Polski Fiat. Just like engineers Marek and Pajewski would do three years later, the #64 team chose Tallinn as their starting point. Gaweł and Prandi completed the rally, finishing in 62nd place overall. Unfortunately, this story does not have a happy ending. On November 16, 1937, Major Gaweł tragically took his own life for unknown reasons, shooting himself in the head with a revolver in his Warsaw apartment.

In the January/February 1936 issue of the monthly Auto i Technika Samochodowa, we read:

„The brave performance of the Pole, driving one of the smallest cars and easily competing with professional Monte Carlo drivers, drew general admiration and recognition. It was difficult to talk longer with Major Gaweł, as his friends immediately took him home to allow him to take advantage of a few precious hours of much-needed sleep. After completing the formalities, the competitors were invited to a meal and presented with cigarettes, vodka, and promotional-tourist literature about Poland. They then went straight to sleep in a specially secured dormitory, protected from intruders. One particularly pleasant female driver was especially appreciated by the motorists — she drank the gifted bottle of vodka at a record pace, perfectly in line with the rally’s overall tempo. At this point, I must mention that Polish vodka and cigarettes were valued so highly by the participants (the author of these words confirmed this while taking part in last year’s Rallye) that even in Monte Carlo, one bottle of vodka was traded for a bottle of champagne, and a pack of Egipskie cigarettes for two packs of the finest Abdulla.„