Checking the interior: Ramona sits down in the new Insignia.

“The headlights, the chrome roofline, the high-class interior – yes, it certainly does remind me of the Monza Concept.”

– Ramona about the new Insignia –

Geneva, 2017 – an Opel flagship showcasing everything a modern Opel should be takes center stage alongside an equally beautiful model. Scores of journalists fight for the best spots to take photographs with the new Insignia Grand Sport, the new Insignia Sports Tourer and Ramona. They capture the elegance of the latest addition to the Opel portfolio on camera and later publish these images in countless publications and websites from Norway to South Africa and from the United States to Australia. The flashlights illuminate the Opel stand even more brightly for several minutes and leave no doubt about the popularity of the newcomer from Rüsselsheim.

THE ORDER AND THE IMPRESSIVE RESULT

The successful world premieres of Opel’s latest show stars was almost four years in the making. The process started virtually immediately after the arrival of Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann as the new CEO. One of the first things he asked his team to deliver was a concept car that showcased all of the virtues a future Opel should have. It needed to be efficient, athletic, exciting and offer outstanding connectivity. The result was impressive and one of the stars of the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. Its name: The Monza Concept.

Many people were involved in the development and success of the Insignia and its visionary forebear – the designers, the engineers, management and obviously Ramona who can be considered as the concept car’s and thus the new Insignia’s lucky charm: She added her own stunning personality and elegance to that of the Monza Concept and helped bring the vision to life. Ramona, who starred alongside the concept car in the photoshoot and the video, remembers the day she first came face to face with the Monza Concept. “I loved it from the very first second I saw it. It was futuristic but at the same time linked to reality. It looked so light and elegant,” she said after gracing the stage with the new Insignia in Geneva.

“It is futuristic but at the same time
linked to reality.”

– Ramona about the Monza Concept –

Exciting: Mark Adams (left), Vice President Design Europe Opel/Vauxhall, and Ramona also present the Insignia Sports Tourer in Geneva.

Inspiring: Ramona poses with Prada and the heir to the Monza Concept, the new Insignia has a phenomenal aerodynamic value of 0.26.

However, Ramona never actually thought she would see her pride and joy go into production. “I was quite surprised and actually somewhat disappointed when they told me that they would not build the car – it seemed such a shame.” However, at this year’s Geneva Motor Show she found out the she hadn’t been told the full truth. Because, at the Palexpo, she helped unveil two direct descendants of the Monza Concept – the new Opel Insignia Grand Sport and Insignia Sports Tourer.

The great, the beautiful, the exciting! Check out the #Opel highlights at @GimsSwiss. #BestOf #GIMS2017 #Insignia pic.twitter.com/HudRESumga

— Stellantis Deutschland (@StellantisDE) March 7, 2017

And this time she was not only visible on screen as part of a video. During the official Opel press conference, she and greyhound Prada brought some additional classiness to the stage and helped Dr. Neumann unveil the Grand Sport and demonstrate the power tailgate of the Sports Tourer

BABY, YOU MADE IT

After the show had finished, Ramona was delighted to have played her part in bringing the Monza Concept to life. “It is great to see that so many elements from the car they said they would never build made it into the new Insignia. The headlights, the chrome roofline, the high-class interior – yes, it certainly does remind me of the Monza Concept. I admit that I am little bit proud that my baby did make to production in the end,” said Ramona before elegantly rushing off to pose for more photographs with Prada and the new Insignia variants on show.