Saturday morning, a car park on the M2 motorway between Minsk and Moscow. From the Opel Agila to the Opel Zafira, hundreds of vehicles with the Blitz on the radiator grille roll up in bright sunshine, including classics like the Opel Kapitän. It is the biggest Opel get-together since the brand’s return to Russia, featuring live music, test drives with the current model range – and a sea of beaming faces. The aim is to create an Opel Blitz with the vehicles that have arrived. On an area the size of four football fields.
So the proud owners meticulously park their Insignia, Astra and co. in formation, starting with the flash, then forming the circle. In the end, there are 536 Opel vehicles. Even if it’s not enough for the planned world record, the 1,500 fans who travelled to the event celebrated a huge Opel festival. “It was a very important event for the brand and it was fantastic to feel the people’s joy about the return of Opel to Russia,” says Senior Vice President Xavier Duchemin, Head of Eurasia Region.
The Opel brand returned to Russia at the end of 2019. The Russian plant in Kaluga now produces the Zafira Life family van, the Vivaro van and a Combo specifically for the Russian market. In addition, the Grandland X from the German plant in Eisenach and the Crossland from Zaragoza in Spain are imported to Russia.
“It is fantastic to feel
the people’s joy about the
return of Opel to Russia.”
Senior Vice President Xavier Duchemin, Head of Eurasia Region
Video: The Opel Blitz is created.
“I hope that this Opel fest
is the beginning of a
new annual tradition.”
Dmitry Abrosimov, Opel Club Russia
“We were all thrilled with
this get-together. People were
full of praise for the brand.”
Alexey Volodin, Managing Director of the Opel brand in Russia
“I would like to thank the Opel fans
from the bottom of my heart for the great atmosphere – it’s an an unforgettable day.”
Rafal Trojca, Managing Director of the PCMA Rus plant
October 2021