Opel Blitz

An Opel Blitz from around 1960. Note the similarity of cab styling to the 1948-54 Chevrolet/GMC trucks.

Last model 1965-1975

Opel Blitz was the name given to various German light and middle-weight trucks built by Opel between 1930 and 1975.

During the years preceding the Second World War Opel was Germany's largest truck producer. The Blitz name (German for lightning) was first applied to an Opel truck in 1930 and by 1934 there were four base versions offered of the 1 tonne model along with fourteen versions of the larger 2/2½ tonne trucks.

A Military LKW Opel Blitz, Italy, 1944.

Opel Maultier towing an artillery piece onto or off an Me-323.

From 1939 onwards the 3-ton version was used frequently throughout World War II, among other things as service vehicle for the Messerschmitt Me 323.

A half-tracked version, using tracks and suspension based on that used on the Universal Carrier, was also produced as the Opel Maultier (mule). In Europe this truck was considered General Motors contribution to German successes.^[1][2] It is also argued that Opel, a subsidiary of GM, used forced labor to reap unprecedented profits.^[3] However, to what degree GM controlled Opel at the time can be argued, but it is clear that GM did in fact play a role in giving Nazi Germany the Opel Blitz truck.^[4]

From 1973 to 1987 a successor vehicle produced by Bedford Vehicles of Luton, and based on the Bedford CF, was sold in some markets as the "Bedford Blitz".

External links

• Opel Blitz Pictures

This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the German Wikipedia.

1. ^ http://media.gm.com/content/media/intl/en/history/1920-1929.brand_opel.html
2. ^ http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=QfsPuodL3xIC&oi=fnd&pg=PA3&dq=Opel+and+GM&ots=k9UKRWLNDP&sig=qv9uCQ_tLm00JGICk-KaL4S987Y#v=onepage&q=Opel%20and%20GM&f=false
3. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=fHYh1QxFnFwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Opel+and+GM&lr=&source=gbs_similarbooks_s&cad=1#v=onepage&q=Opel%20and%20GM&f=false
4. ^ http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ij7xEul8FDEC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=Opel+and+GM&ots=aTkzsQ0Rnp&sig=Z35lKb7feE71eweTQafSME05wEE#v=onepage&q=Opel%20and%20GM&f=false