BETTER PARTSWartburg returns
Eisenach, April 1, 2015
Actually, the plan is still top secret. But it contains a real sensation: Opel is working on a low-level brand. Your name: Wartburg. And the design should be based on the former East German legend. We have exclusively all backgrounds of the comeback.
A name with tradition
Pull the old brand name, as recently demonstrated Borgward at the Geneva Motor Show. Against this background, Opel has preferred Wartburg - coup, was intended to be announced until at the IAA in September 2015. The relationship of Rüsselsheim to Wartburg is obvious: In March 1990, the automobile plant in Eisenach ( AWE) and Opel had contractually agreed to cooperate, since 1992 we have had local Opel plant. With the well-known names we want do in the former GDR, many customers of Dacia lure, but also operate internationally. That makes sense, because the well-known by Martin Luther Wartburg attracts true tourist flows to Eisenach.
The idea of 355
Soon to a new Wartburg with an affordable price to attract customers. The basis for this gave Arnold joke man. The late AWE engineer was involved in the project 355, a two-door hatchback, the 1968 was buried by the Politburo with the words, this is a car for Playboys. The widow of A. joke man has the construction plans of the still-modern-looking 355 now passed to Opel. In her words, her husband wanted to save the documents to 1970 around from the grasp of national security, because he heard that the plans for hard currency should be sold to the VW Group. ( When this failed, they resorted to the P - 603 Trabant project from which the Gulf was. )
Proven technology at an affordable price
Now for the new Opel wants Wartburg take up the concept of 4.10 meters long and 355 visually refine, and finally the current safety regulations must be met. There are also four instead of two doors. In favor of a low price ( the initial target of 8,000 euros ) Opel uses proven engine technology. It is the 1.4 - liter gasoline engine with 87 hp, which was available until 2013 at the Astra and is still incorporated into the Adam. That fits, finally, the Adam in Eisenach is built. Moreover, even had the original 355 a 1400 engine under the hood, then by Renault. The new Wartburg will be officially presented at the Leipzig AMI in April 2016 to specifically address the local tradition-conscious clientele. (rh)