Adam Opel founds Opel
- When
- 1867
- Where
- Rüsselsheim
- Episodes
- 1
Adam Opel, a German entrepreneur born in Rüsselsheim am Main, founded his manufacturing company in 1862. Initially producing sewing machines, the venture later expanded to bicycles. The legacy date of 21 January 1863 is corrected to 1862 based on source evidence.
Episodes
- Factory Preparation
Opel prepared to build a new factory in 1867, coinciding with his father's death.
Background and detail
Background. Adam Opel was born in Rüsselsheim am Main in 1837 to a locksmith father. He established his manufacturing venture in this city, which is the largest in the Groß-Gerau district. The company initially focused on sewing machines before expanding its product line.
Expansion. The company expanded its operations in 1866 by starting to produce bicycles. In April 1867, Opel was preparing to build a new two-story factory near the railroad station when his father died. This period marks the transition from sewing machines to broader manufacturing.
People involved
- Adam Opel · Founder
- George · Early collaborator who returned from France in 1863 to help with machine production; relationship to Adam Opel not specified in sources
- Wilhelm Opel · Father
Sources
- Adam Opel Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-30
- Opel Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-29
- Rüsselsheim am Main Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-30
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.