13 replies to this topic

[HistoryFan]

Opel built GP cars in the first years of GP racing. In the 1908 French Grand Prix Carl Jörns was 6th place with a Opel, 1914 in the French Grand Prix 10th.

In the Gordon Bennett Cup Opel was also very fast, but not alive the whole distance.

I also read some rumours about possible comebacks for 1923 German GP and for the 30s (there is a old thread here about it).

Can anyone tell more details about the Opel GP cars?
The car for the 1914 French Grand Prix had only 935 kilos (all other cars were heavier) and had 80 to 90 hp.

[David Birchall]

There were at least one article on the Opel GP car in MotorSport in the seventies or early eighties. It was owned by Noel Mavrogodatto or similar spelling I recall in England. I was very inspired by reading about it! Sorry, I no longer have my MS collection.

[Allan Lupton]

There were at least one article on the Opel GP car in MotorSport in the seventies or early eighties. It was owned by Noel Mavrogodatto or similar spelling I recall in England. I was very inspired by reading about it! Sorry, I no longer have my MS collection.

I've still got my MS but haven't time to look for a bit.
I think I remember two GP Opels in the UK in the 1960s, one being the Mavrogordato car of course and I think someone I knew locally at the time told me he had one.

[Tim Murray]

Google throws up this auctioneer's history of the Mavrogordato car:

http://www.invaluabl...-1-c-3cczzdnwvx

[HistoryFan]

Nice link, thanks

[Duc-Man]

The car for the 1914 French Grand Prix had only 935 kilos (all other cars were heavier) and had 80 to 90 hp.

Just to scare you: the 1914 car 'green beast' had 12.3 litres and 260hp. Theoretical top speed was somewhere around/over 170mi/h. The car raced only once in 1914 but had a comeback from 1922-24.



I think this was the 1913 car:


I took this shots in 2008 at an event by the Opel factory in Rüsselsheim. They had three GP cars and all different variations of the GT there on display.
Later they had them running on the car-park.
The 1908 car:


AFAIK a 1913 GP car:


And the 'green beast' from 1914:

[Mark Ballard]

As far as I recall there were 2 1914 GP cars in the UK, the Mavrogordato car and the one Patrick Lindsay owned
Here is one of them

[Tim Murray]

EI 976 was the Mavrogordato car, according to the link in post 4.

[David McKinney]

The car subsequently owned by Mavrogordato was a two-seater, while the Lindsay family's was a single-seat version

[robert dick]

Opel 1908 GP/Dieppe:
155 x 160 mm = 12 litre, F-head, wheelbase 265 cm, track 135 cm

Opel team/Dieppe:
http://gallica.bnf.f...079f/f1.highres
Fritz Opel/Dieppe:
http://gallica.bnf.f...0781/f1.highres

1913 GP/Amiens:
90 x 156 mm = 4 litre, OHC-head, 270 cm, 135 cm

Joerns/Amiens:
http://gallica.bnf.f...182g/f1.highres

1914 GP/Lyon:
94 x 160 mm = 4,5 litre, 0HC-4-valve-head, 280 cm, 135 cm

Opel team/Lyon:
http://gallica.bnf.f...529w/f1.highres
Joerns/Lyon:
http://gallica.bnf.f...604d/f1.highres
Breckheimer/Lyon:
http://gallica.bnf.f...616m/f1.highres

[HistoryFan]

Thank you.

Who was responsible for the Opel GP team? Mercedes had Vischer as director.

[Duc-Man]

I'm pretty sure that Fritz (von) Opel and Carl Jörns were the driving forces behind the whole thing.

[taylov]

Tony

[Duc-Man]

Just found something on the Opel media page from 2007: unfortunately in german.