Since January 16, 2021, Opel Automobile GmbH, also simply known as Opel, has been a division of Stellantis, a German automaker. It was owned by the PSA Group before it merged with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to establish Stellantis in 2021, and by American carmaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017. Since the 1980s, the majority of the Opel range has been sold in the UK under the Vauxhall name. A few Opel models were badge-engineered under the Holden brand in Australia until 2020, the Buick, Saturn (until 2010), and Cadillac brands in North America and China, and the Chevrolet brand in South America.
The company’s headquarters are still in Rüsselsheim am Main. Together with its British sibling brand Vauxhall, the firm creates, engineers, produces and sells light commercial vehicles, passenger cars, and vehicle parts under the Opel name. Together, they are active in more than 60 countries worldwide.
▶History of the Opel Logo 🌞
1862–1910
The red oval with the brown decorative sign inside was the original logotype. The oval’s inner portion resembled the number “8” because of its thicker borders on the sides.
1888–1889
A grey plate with circles around the edges was originally used by them. The founder’s name was written at the top of the plate in a thin serif typeface. The brand designers created a coat of arms with two lines extending from what appears to be a throne with a crown on top in the center. They wrote the company’s address underneath.
1889–1893
The emblem was changed to a grey oval with a vertical twist in 1889. The thick black “Opel” word, in huge, serif type, was set on a diagonal bar at the centre of the oval. The founder’s name appears in the upper portion of the oval. The address was at the bottom. Triangular embellishments adorned the oval’s up and down sides.
1893-1899
Opel’s second logo was an oval badge with much darker hues. The oval’s text and images were designed to match its engravings. They included a drawing of a guy riding a bicycle and an angelic figure in the centre of the insignia. The founders’ names hung out at the top and bottom of the oval. The address and name of the company were now displayed on the oval’s top and lower extensions.
1899
They adopted a grey shield emblem with a grey outline and a double white background in 1899. The address was printed in a light serif font with large uppercase letters, and the name, “Motorwagenfabrik,” was written in a unique slender serif type. The words were colored in black.
1899–1902
They drew a thick, circular, crimson line that was curved. It has the name written in a wavy serif font like an inscription on parchment. There were numerous brilliant green curvature lines all along the red line. We can see the year this emblem first appeared—1899—above the text. The word “Fahrrader,” written by hand with each letter isolated from the others, was positioned beneath the entire design.
1902–1906
The next logo was an oval with an eye-like shape. It comprised one big frame line colored red and white inner section. They drew the inscription “Motorfabrik Russelheim” in a thin serif script there. Additionally, there was another red oval inside of which the firm name was written in an elongated, straight red font.
1906–1909
The 1906 logo consisted of a round-topped, brown and black rectangle. There was ornamentation on this rectangle that resembled stone writings from Ancient Egypt. The corporate name was written in a bold, angular style with huge letters in the center. The words “A. Opel Russelsheim A/M” in brown were placed beneath a black stripe at the bottom of the rectangle.
1909–1910
A straightforward gold script wordmark served as the 1909 logo. The “Opel” nameplate was positioned somewhat diagonally and featured an elongated “L” tail to emphasise the entire word.
1910–1921
In 1910, the rugby forms returned to the Opel visual identity, where they remained for nearly thirty years. These days, the emblem’s distinctive, instantly recognizable typography is reminiscent of ancient Greece. The medallion’s color scheme is blue and light gold, while the writing is white. The framing contains a laurel leaves motif.
1921–1928
Another oval was colored yellow and black. They wrote the name on the inner portion of the oval, which was colored yellow. The typeface was thick, pointed, and angular, with huge, thick black letters. Once more, ornamental symbols were drawn on the right and left sides; these were two large black triangles with smaller triangles inside. The yellow zone had a black edge and was enclosed in a black area.
1928
An alternative design featured the name printed on two levels on a beige square. The characters “O” and “L” were rendered in white. The letters “P” and “E” were shown on two tiny white squares and had a beige coloring. The sans-serif font employed for the inscription was straight and clean in appearance.
1928–1937
At the end of 1928, the Greek “eye” emblem was positioned inside a circle and the color palette was modified to brilliant red with yellow outlines. Opel joined General Motors a year later, in 1929, but retained this emblem until 1930.
1930
When the oval was first debuted in 1930, it had several black rectangles that served as top and bottom outlines. They were divided into numerous triangles. They created black-colored double outlines around the edges. The thick serif typed words “Blitz Rad” were prominently displayed in the center of the oval. The writing style used for these words was circular.
1930–1936
When Opel began producing its Blitz trucks in 1930, it created a unique emblem just for them. The eye shape is still there, but the “Blitz” text now includes two shapes that represent lightning emerging from it in different directions. The color scheme of the new insignia is black and silver.
1936
The 1936 logo consisted of a single line that read “Opel Blitz.” It was written in uppercase and used a contemporary, smooth sans-serif typeface with large black letters and rounded edges. A Z-shaped flashing sign, which began at the first “O” and ended at the last “Z,” joined the two parts of the wordmark and cut the logotype along its length.
1936–1952
The Blitz logo was redesigned and made simpler in 1936. The symbol was swapped out for a white, two-level wordmark that was positioned diagonally. The inscription was set on a light grey background.
1937–1950
An oval made of yellow and white that had been divided vertically into two equal halves was the subject of another 1937 logo, which was topped with large black “Opel” letters. Massive serifs in an exceptionally thick serif typeface were used for the uppercase of the inscription.
1937–1947
In 1937, a completely new design was created that featured a grey rocket that was launched out of the yellow ring in a horizontal manner. It was a unique and intriguing development for Opel. There was no wordmark inserted.
1937–1938
A grey circle eventually took the place of the yellow one. The zeppelin also altered its hue. One side was painted white with a grey edge, and the other half was vivid grey.
1938–1947
The circle and zeppelin both took on much darker hues. There were three lines that formed the ring that the zeppelin passed through. The zeppelin itself broke into six sectors, but it changed to a whole grey palette.
1947–1954
The shapes and color palette of the previous logo were revised in 1947. It looked really fashionable and attractive because of the thinner lines and the combination of light grey and white.
1950–1970
In 1950, the brand’s logo—a vertical oval in white and yellow—returned. However, it acquired a yellow outline for the white portion and a white outline for the yellow half. The entire logo was outlined in black.
1951–1953
Opel needed a new emblem since the airship period was coming to an end, and an airplane took the place of the zeppelin. Its form was long and thin. It had a grey color scheme with a white outline. Two thin lines that were spaced apart formed the circle.
1952–1964
The Blitz emblem returned to the Opel visual identity in 1952. The new logo consisted solely of the torch with grey gradients. It appeared contemporary and sharp when set against a basic background without any extra typography or framing, conveying a sense of development and advancement.
1953–1956
In 1953, a second plane in a circle was seen. The aircraft was completely grey and had a white line dividing it into two sections. The aircraft passed through a two-lined, grey circle.
1954–1963
They unveiled the bronze-colored variety shortly after the grey watermark appeared. A name in a circle with a bold, angular typography was also present. The spaces between the sans-serif letters were wider.
1956
The 1956 revamp of the Opel logo included removing the letters from the composition, narrowing the upper wing of the rocket, and substituting two thicker, longer white lines for the original three thin ones. The rocket appeared larger because the frame-ring shrank.
1956–1957
The 1956 redesign once more experimented with the Opel rocket’s shape and color. The color became somewhat chilly, narrowing in on shades of green, while the rocket’s Jody grew longer and thinner, more closely approximating the 1954 design but with more uniform element thickness.
1957–1959
1957 saw yet another improvement to the badge. The primary line of the design was outlined in white and gold, and the ring grew thicker. Regarding the rocket itself, it was redrawn, with full gold at the bottom and a white and gold outline in the upper half. For just less than two years, the brand has stuck with this new idea.
1959–1963
The most understated of all the Opel rocket models was the golden one, which debuted in 1959. The wing has no white strokes, the body is bolder and shorter, and the lines are clean. Additionally, the ring was produced using a very basic technique: just one medium-thick line. This marked the end of the lengthy golden-rocket badge period.
1963–1964
The shape of the sleek and smooth rocket is swapped out for an abstract, pointed object that has a whole different vibe from the original idea. The logo’s execution in black and silver gives the image more strength and ferocity.
1964–1970
A year later, they reduced the size of the watermark, filled it in with all-black, and positioned it beneath a narrow, black rectangular frame. Above it, in big black sans serif letters, there was written the name of the company. The bolt’s form was also altered. It has been a z-like sign since 1964.
1964–1968
The company watermark has resurfaced as the circle with the bolt over it. There were a few modifications, though. Initially, the color scheme was now all white and bright grey, just like the zeppelin logotypes from the 1940s and 1950s. The bolt received a twofold contour in grey and white. The circle’s inner and outer edges both acquired faint white and grey borders.
1968–1970
The circular design underwent renovations. Two equally thin white lines were covering a tiny grey line. It was all arranged between two striking grey rings. Compared to before, the lightning bolt above the circle had a far more oblate shape. Throughout the entire emblem, there was a white outline that was obscured from the outside by a number of distinct lines.
1970–1978
The design of that logo used a soft orange hue. In reference to the Blitz truck—German for “lightning”—which aided in the company’s post-World War II rebirth, Opel initially adopted the lightning sign in 1970. When the insignia was first designed, it was grey. Before long, the brand designers reduced its size and made the watermark bold black. They typed the name below in a bold, angular font with noticeable serifs. It was the same as the variations between 1937 and 1950.
1978–1987
The business redesigned the symbol in the 1980s, adding a unique Opel wording and making it black. The term was written in bold sans serif characters set in expanded black font. The logo was encased in a narrow black border. The frame itself was set inside a vivid yellow rectangle with a strong black outline around it.
1987
Once more, they set the watermark to that circle and z symbol. They altered its color once more. It was now black and outlined on white.
1987–2002
The light yellow hue was reintroduced into the carmaker’s visual identity in 1987 and remained there until the start of the 2000s. The blitz badge is set on a yellow backdrop and has a thin black outline around a white square. The 1978 logo’s message is rendered in the same font and style, but with larger letters this time around.
1991–1995
In 1991, the entire blitz and a narrow ring are positioned inside a full black circle. It was an extremely strong and manly symbol that represented the company’s growth and dominance.
1995–2002
During the 1995 redesign of the logotype, no rectangles or frames were used. The name was underneath the recognizable “z over a circle” logo.
2002–2007
In 2002, the logo took on three dimensions. It is made of light silver metal and has a vivid yellow wordmark underneath it. The new color scheme gives the visual identity a sharp, new look that inspires enjoyment and commitment.
2007–2009
The Opel Company’s brand design team created a new logo in 2007. It was a gradient insignia with additional silver and white hues. The name below appeared three-dimensional due to its gradient yellow color and black outline.
2009–2017
Beneath the symbol was the golden Opel name. The logo, which debuted in 2009, is a horizontal lightning bolt embedded in a circle made of black and silver with the brand’s name at the centre. It is sophisticated yet powerful and pointed.
Although there were large spaces between the characters, the name’s font was comparable to the 1995 form.
2016–2021
The logo’s lighting was altered to be much darker. The letters became smaller. The ring and bolt narrowed.
2017–2020
Opel underwent its next makeover in 2017, following its acquisition by the PSA Group. The new logo is a straightforward black circle with a black flash set against a white background. Nothing else, the lettering is taken out. The uncomplicated Opel logo and its recognizable symbol portray the business as forward-thinking and creative, one that cherishes history and customs while simultaneously seeking to expand into new markets.
2020–2023
The 2020 makeover thinned and delicately redesigned the Opel emblem’s parts. Another significant alteration to the design was the placement of the uppercase sans-serif logotype beneath the symbol in a sophisticated bespoke typeface featuring a diagonal cut of the horizontal bar that forms the ‘L’.
2023-Present
The 2023 redesign split the Opel lighting bolt insignia into two equal pieces, becoming a trapezium. The lines became longer and had jagged edges. The symbol is put on a transparent background with a medium-thick circular frame, overlaid by the lines of the “Z”. The lettering under the graphical element hasn’t altered significantly since the last Opel logo version.