Adam Opel
| Adam Opel | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
9 May 1837 Rüsselsheim, Hesse, Prussia |
| Died | 8 September 1895 (aged 58) Rüsselsheim, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | Business |
| Known for | founder of Opel |
| Spouse(s) | Sophia |
| Children | Carl, Wilhelm, Heinrich, Friedrich, and Ludwig |
| Relatives |
Fritz von Opel grandson Rikky von Opel great-grandson |
Adam Opel (9 May 1837 – 8 September 1895) was the founder of the German automobile company Adam Opel AG.
Adam Opel was born on 9 May 1837 to Wilhelm, a locksmith, and his wife in Rüsselsheim. Adam studied with his father until the age of 20, when he received his travel pass. The pass enabled him to be an apprentice locksmith in Belgium, in Liege, Brussels, and then Paris, where he arrived in mid-1858. While in Paris, he took an interest in an innovation—the sewing machine. In 1859, he went to work for a maker of sewing machines to get a closer look. Adam's younger brother, George, also came to Paris to absorb this new technology. In 1862, Adam returned to Rüsselsheim.
Adam's uncle offered him an unused cow stall in Rüsselsheim to set up a workshop in which to build his own sewing machine. In 1863, George returned from France to help in the slow production of the machines. In April 1867, Adam was preparing to build a new two-story factory near the railroad station, when his father died. Adam attached a new home to his factory and married the daughter of a well-to-do family. Sophie brought with her a substantial dowry, which helped Opel expand the plant. In 1870 he introduced a new machine named the "Sophia" after his new wife.
In the 1880s, sewing machine production jumped ahead, with steady expansion of the plant, and by 1899 more than a half million machines had been made. The milestone of one million machines was reached in 1911, the same time a fire destroyed much of the plant. The Opel brothers decided to give up sewing machine production, which by this time was much more commodified, and thus commercially unrewarding, than when they had started in the business. Looking to move upmarket in their manufacturing efforts, they decided to try to produce the more profitable products of bicycles and automobiles.
Adam and Sophia had five sons (Carl, Wilhelm, Heinrich, Friedrich, and Ludwig), who took wholeheartedly to wheels, and who would pilot the Opel enterprises down the automotive path. Bicycles came into the picture when Adam's curiosity was stirred by a high-wheeled bicycle he saw in Paris. Intrigued, he ordered a set of parts from England. After putting together the bike Adam tried it with disastrous results. He decided he'd have nothing further to do with those "bone breakers." Two things changed his mind: he found them easy to sell, with a greater profit than he could earn with the sewing machines; and his sons begged him mercilessly for bicycles of their own.
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