Sunny and warm weather, many nice guests, a great location, an exuberant atmosphere – “it couldn’t have been nicer”, says David Heib about the day in June when he and his wife Silvia said “I do” and at the same time their little daughter Amelie Elin received her first sacrament in the church. And the wedding car also contributed to the perfect day – the eleventh generation of the Opel compact class model, the new Astra L.

The Astra Sport Tourer as a plug-in hybrid in cobalt blue shines together with the bride and groom in the official wedding photos. “This model was not so easy to organise,” admits the colleague, “after all, it has only recently been coming off the production line in Rüsselsheim.” But for the native of Rüsselsheim, the wedding carriage with bolt was high on the to-do list of preparations for the big day. After all, he hasn’t just been associated with the compact class model since he became part of the marketing team that positioned and launched the latest generation as Brand Product Manager. “In my family,” he tells us, “the Kadett and the Astra have a long tradition, it’s simply the car for us.”

It is a tradition that goes back to the fifth generation of the model series: the 34-year-old grew up in the Astra predecessor, a red Kadett E Caravan. Later, the Kadett was traded in for what is still the best-selling model, an Astra F, also in red and in the estate version. When David Heib got his driving licence, he drove either his mother’s Astra G Sports Tourer or the Astra H as a hatchback, which his father, also an Opelaner, immediately bought when it came onto the market in 2004. Since 2018, the industrial engineer himself has been the proud owner of an Astra K Sports Tourer in black, while his wife drives the identical model as a five-door model. “And the fact that I was able to drive up on my wedding day in a new Astra Sports Tourer from the launch fleet,” he emphasises, “was the icing on the cake of a perfect day.”

Tradition will be continued

As a surprise for his wife and daughter, the brand manager had organised another wedding carriage. After the wedding ceremony in the church in Bauschheim, a stately carriage was waiting outside the door. However, the family then drove to the location where the celebration took place – also emission-free – in the sports estate in the electrified plug-in hybrid version. And it was not only the Opel colleagues among the wedding guests who extensively examined the brand new model parked in front of the location in Rüsselsheim Königstädten. “The reactions were positive without exception. The new Astra is simply a beautiful car,” says David Heib. And the Astra tradition in the family? It will be continued, of course. And doubly so: “My mother has opted for a five-door in red with a black roof. And I have already configured a Sports Tourer as a plug-in hybrid in Arctic White with Black Pack and Ultimate equipment.”

Special offer

For all those who are getting married, there is a special offer from the Opel Motorpool. Employees can borrow a Opel model for their wedding celebrations. And it’s free of charge. The colleagues from the Opel Motorpool would like to give a hint to all: The earlier you register, the greater the chance of getting hold of the model of your choice. Interested? You can reach the Motorpool colleagues by e-mail at motorpool@opel.com.

July 2022