Admired and sought after by collectors today. The capitaine embodied the german economic miracle the boom years of the 1950 s. And sixtys it was a car that said ive made it a top of the line model the a pit of me of luxury. All models of the opal capitaine from 1938 to 970 are collected here this farm in northwestern germany owned by brothers yosef and. Is a treasure trove for local fans the brothers run a car dealership like their father before them and they collect opals preferably capitaine. As boys they had fun sitting at the wheel of a capitaine with wooden blocks under their feet so they could reach the pedals. For. It if i did it this one has fantastic upholstery just like new. York asphalt starwood or. The brothers are fascinated by a car that was once the admiration of the automotive world the opel capitan was a showpiece of the west germanys Automotive Industry and a status symbol for its citizens as use of dignitaries it. I just it was always the dream of our boyhood in teenage years a car that our father could barely afford or only temporarily as a demonstration model and. It was the fantasy luxury car of the 1950 s. And sixtys. On the all 8 capitaine model spending 33 years are lined up here from oldest to newest. You can pretend its because youre happy 10 offered the professional middle and upper classes the opportunity to own an executive class car or you know or all through they had 6 cylinder engines and smooth as silk lots of power and room and 4 doors on standard versions you had macys on death row and that was for a price far below 10000. 00 marks in the 1950 s. Dollars and the mock competition was only building a limited numbers of 6 cylinder cars side because they were so much more expensive. Capitaine qualities gave it an outstanding image and mentors what car buyers want to. Do with the help make a call. To the left are competence from 1938 to 954 with lots of chrome and long codes like the big american cruisers. In 1954 the capitaine was given a point on or all enveloping body fully integrating the fenders and headlights open developed its most famous model the p 26 piece stood for panoramic when she went. On obamas panoramic windshield allowed broad visibility this trend spilled over from the United States to the model acquired the nickname keyhole capitaine because the taillights looked like Old Fashioned keyholes yabby and it wasnt a big success at the time because the rear seat was too cramped and the big captains of industry couldnt fit in with their hats on so within just 9 months opel built a new model that was easier to get into and out of the back and i was the best selling carpeting of every i was built from the 1959 to the 1963 almost every one of those years more new campaigns were registered than all the other german 6 cylinder models put together. The. In the history of the slum. In the 1950 s. Most germans were still on foot the average wage earner could not afford a car. Under economics minister knew big west germanys economy was booming people wanted to show off their growing prosperity with a big car the opel capitaine was the right car in the right place at the right time. Todays collectors are every bit as a namrud with a capitaine among them is Marcus Lerner from southwestern germany his own capitaine is in the paint shop to stop the rust from taking hold marcos is having the capitaine fixed up its the one he and his wife rode in on their wedding day. The animal the father did for if you drove an opal kept saying it was Something Special but these were bakers butchers and Building Contractors for the. Big fish the 6 cylinders place to start at the top of the range. Marcuss capitaine is at christophes opens paint shop work has already begun. I. Well you know within your familys health and. Or through here and they can always knock em up no this really is below the. Gift from god because theres no distance in the original part isnt that you did a good job and not make it look pretty bad because i was one of those also for the last. Dozen years i had to polish everything out here. Theres still some way to go to restore the sedans former elegance but marcus minor is optimistic and i think many people walk on by would have noticed in the car that way with new cars remembering what was happy to see a vintage car in them ings like spotting a familiar face in the crowd these cars of character especially this one. He wants his capitaine painted a metallic blue marcus had to get hold of the original spray out cards and recipes from switzerland no cars were ever sold with metallic paint in west germany and with this and you have to realize right after the 2nd world war in germany nobody dared to order a car metallic paint it was expensive and made people jealous last night on going to also. Marcus hopes to pick up his wedding coach with a fresh coat of metallic blue and a few weeks. With. All the versions of the noble cup attain were designed at knoebels west german headquarters in whistles im. George galleon is a former designer for opal the Parent CompanyGeneral Motors sent him to little time from the United States and he settled in west germany George Gallion thoroughly enjoyed the ride in his fine 1956 capitaine for years the cars were assembled in this all. Survived writes very smoothly and quietly proceeding for a you can turn the big Steering Wheel with one finger. This golden capitaine is one of a kind the 2 millionth opal made the car maker made sure its jubilee car was a capitaine opals best model at the time it rolled off the Assembly Line in november 19th to. 6. In the 1950 s. The k. 40 home was thought to be the worlds most advanced automobile Production Facility and it was west germanys biggest industrial home now it stands empty on me sure enough i remember seeing him for rolls of almost a half finished car stood here. Thats where the seats were installed and the next step was to put almost wheels for the raider. By the late 1950 s. 32000 people were working in production at the plant as a german subsidiary of General Motors local enjoyed Great Success much of the credit goes to the capitaine it was the brands golden age. Local collectors mancini dagon or are currently on the lookout for a very special capitaine not necessarily a gilded one. Says. I the family owns one of the largest private opel collections in europe its an expensive hobby considering that not even company tains in excellent condition fetch anywhere near the prices of other vintage automobiles even so these models counted together are worth millions of euros but to the brothers there sentimental value is in measurable. This 954 capitaine has a regal history. Of this so this is a capitaine that we picked up on the French Riviera or town for or does the. Point of. I dont know if you know it. Off the paint is worn dull by the. Sounds of the sahara. This cars papers show it was originally delivered to the Moroccan Royal family. Services and from the company it is its great that its completed it is complete with minor flaws you cant drive it in Northern Europe it was made from north africa and didnt have a heater. Kind of. Its engine puts out 68. 00 horsepower at the time that was king sized performance. If they go miles from i think a moroccan king would probably also use a rolls royce for state occasion for every day driving this could have been a royal limousine at the time. But i dont know for sure the moroccan king wasnt as wealthy as other arab rulers before but i could imagine he was satisfied with an opel copy 10 and actually drove it i think its possible but we dont know for sure. In the brothers repair Shop Mechanic lars make link manages to transform even rusty back into running Capital Gains is when theres another gas cap thats the gas cap weve just been talking about the examples for us of but they were actually looking for the taillights of the capitaine p 26. 00 they called. The quad c. They call it c. For auto combed all of them i find something here right away youre lucky but that doesnt happen very often. Like total of 145616 of the best selling p 2 sixes were built quite a lot for an executive sedan so there are still plenty of parts around. The hobby i got him to hack you know there are primeau. Was excited. Before long the mechanic is finished restoring yet another capitaine to 6 soon it will be back on the streets purring along smoothly and comfortably the familiar feel of a capitaine. Marcus linares wedding coach is also a 26 now the paint job is finished and its back home in its own garage. Thats got a lot of office. Oh. Yes. Or no office you know. Lerner son florian helps him put in a new rear seat they dont have to do a perfect job just make sure its comfortable and roadworthy low on the. List. I dont have some. Elk alone or has brought along an old photo album. For. What would you like to compare the color to see if it really looks like a adaline. This was the lerners wedding coach when they got married in 2002. Or not it was only made a lot for you know. The capitaine has been part of the family ever since. And. Its all been in resetting back on me and one of the headdress that been removed so my beautiful bride could be seen and she could look straight ahead. But taking your brothers take a capitaine 51 out for a spin they like this model because its gained a certain notoriety as a gangster car it was the model of choice for the 1950 s. Gangsters who used it as a getaway car after robberies they knew full well the capitaine was ideally suited to the task. But its in the early postwar years the police were not nearly as well equipped as they are now at these military vehicles that had just 18 horsepower and less competent had a good 58 horsepower. Just the cuff i mean you know what performance terms it was vastly superior to the size sickly the police or the powerless against gang stress driving this car what they did i stand a chance. I was in later years they tried lying in wait for the gangsters but then the gangsters parked trailer trucks on the highway they had gotten ramps and the gangsters would drive their temper 10 up into the trailer. To close the tailgate but at least to know where the capitaine in the gangster as it got it got what it was like the earths wall demopolis. Shot it out stiff or just got out didnt damage the reputation of the cafeteria not just the opposite approved its better here so fast and i defended the car so on its a good although it would have been on the start to get almost old. Gangster competence design borrowed heavily from american models that was another key factor in its popularity. In front of the opal house and time retired designer george galleon inspects a row of capitaine in the 1950 s. West germans were crazy about everything that came from the United States opel took ideas from models by chevrolet buick and cadillac the Design Concept for the p 25 was no exception this is design here this design here is nearly identical to the design of the big chevrolet from 1958. From auckland forms this month you can see it here its got exactly the same windscreen and rear window as well. This is the 2 door version but the 4 door was no different and heres what they called a dogleg these. Are here you had to climb under this corner to get end of. The dog leg made it harder to get into the car and require the occupant to adopt a certain technique. They talk people to sit down 1st and then pull their legs then after thats no problem at all current problem of George County and points out features that distinguish the various capitaine models. In 1954 they acquired what came to be known as a sharks mouth grill. 2 are in agreement these are hes a bride to molly gaping maw for the grill opening was characteristic of opal is art from a cooler of the sharks mouth that 1st appeared in 1953 in the usa on the Chevrolet Corvette or. Railroad of anger these are rich from more or less adopted it for its larger models. Then the copy 10 was the model with the most distinctive version of this grill design these are who to get their design. Markets linares p 26 is finally ready for him to pick up. It took some time and effort to make it roadworthy again this is his 1st trip in the newly restored better it was built in 1962 making it exactly the same age as its driver. Marcus lerner fell in love with the opel capitaine as a small boy and has never fallen out of love. No fear the engine runs very very quietly like a fine sewing machine. But it guzzles 11. 00 leaders of gas per 100 kilometers it puts out 90 horsepower in 3 speeds with a steering column mounted gear shift. And its although the decisive factor is the number of cylinders a car with 6 cylinders is going to drive a lot more smoothly than one with just 4 cylinders. You can get up to speed for 3rd gear and then accelerate on up to 165 Kilometers Per Hour but ive done that if thats how before. Marcus mynor has a special purpose for his 1st trip in his newly restored capitaine hes going to pick up some wine from his favorite vineyard its on the opposite side of the rhine the capitaine boards the car ferry crossing. Marcus almost waxes an astrology when he looks back at the capitaine long history. Of what you know in a neighborhood of a cup at cern and later an opal admiral or opal diplomats were Something Special. Driving one didnt make you snap fancy. There were days youd say drive in the cup at cern is understated but. Its not just a bit before. It had its prime but 964. 00 marks the start of a long slow decline for the capitaine the new model of the. Ople capitaine a was boxy and no longer the solo star on stage. This is the 1st of the big 3 and the company 10 the 1st in a completely new opel line that will soon be lending mistreats their characteristic accent oh the hood of the admiral sports the new symbol elegantly tamed power by the diplomat v. 8 retains the same profile but underscores its higher position with a vinyl roof that lends the elegance of its exterior a touch of sportiness. Sharp turns not just for fun tried and true safety when you needed. Me 10 the admiral the diplomat v 8 the big 3 by opal. The once proud capitaine was suddenly just one of a team now it was just a matter of time in 1970 opel halted production of the capitaine germans were no longer impressed by cars that looked like big american boats especially not gas guzzlers. Caught in it was like was it in the executive class or cars images very important. So i had to give him some points for missing here it was those final touches to capitaine was affordable it was a bit more cheaply built than the other top range cars and that didnt help things out here for. Yourself day ignorant composed a poem as a farewell to this motoring legend. Into iowa over its long years 33. They donned 8 ropes gracefully for their 1st the long and pointed nose at the 1930 s. Close as 4 then came the sleek pantani body for stacks bigger engine hale and hearty. By then qualifying the buyers will capitaine with sharks mouth grill a cup of tea and the capitaine got current panoramic windshield in frys even panoramic and back now its really got the knack. To 6 took the fast lane it was the best selling capitaine these around this one id be willing as a 6 cylinder captain king could inflate soon after came the big 3 i think happy 10 was all at sea with admiral and diplomat the capitaine just took his hat. Meanwhile the capitaine 26 driven by Marcus Lerner has almost arrived at the vineyard. That. The lady of chateau vester house is countess ivanna function book shes the great granddaughter of opals founder adam opel. And says nice weather i had to drive it myself. He drove yourself thats wonderful and im picking up the one myself this time to. Untasty. With your great time and its in peugeot full condition. For you to take and you can do up to 160 kilometers an hour. Ok very brief mile yes with. The capitaine the one time top of opals range has a special place in the countesss heart. As its not an efficient its got 50 years on it and its an outstanding condition and it makes me really happy to see it we also ridden it to all wedding that was a while ago but it was a very special moment is home and. The trunk by the way holds 406 liters very generous for a german car of that time Marcus Lerner makes good use of it thats our lobby. And he enjoys every single kilometer in his a pople cup attain a genuine motoring legend. In mombasa. And. Bob tomorrow. After. How do you want to live. Discover the bauhaus code of what happens when design becomes the universal term for what we called life the visionaries of modernism developed a formula for time with design. 100 years of bauhaus our documentary how house world card won the code. 15 minutes on t w. Didnt what do they dream of at night. As cleaners they see the face of horror. Their job since room for the social media industry. 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Exposing injustice global news that matters g. W. Made for mines mum. Played. Played this is your news live from berlin and british Prime MinisterBoris Johnson to address the nation after 7 weeks of lockdown but if anyone was expecting a rapid end to restrictions p. L. T. Disappointed with the 2nd highest death toll in the world john since plant is caution experts in germany keeps a close eye on infection rates amid lucinda lockdown measures while newly recorded outbreaks in slaughterhouses put the spotlight on Living Conditions for contract workers from eastern europe