Difference Between Opel and Vauxhall

The main difference between Opel and Vauxhall is purely one of origin. Opel produced its first car in 1899, but Vauxhall did not produce its first car until 1903. Both brands were well-liked at home, and Opel attracted the interest of American manufacturer General Motors due to its large market share in Germany.

Vauxhall is called Opel in Europe since the cars are made there. While Vauxhall will make a few changes here and there, the general design will remain the same. Although Vauxhall is a British brand, the car itself is German.

What Is Opel?

Opel is a German car manufacturer that designs and sells vehicles under the Opel brand; the sideways lightning bolt symbol is instantly recognizable. Opel manufactures vehicles that are marketed under several brand names in different regions of the globe. For example, in North America and China, its vehicles are marketed under the Buick brand, but in Australia, it is known as Holden.

Opel has been the German brand of American manufacturer General Motors since 1929. Rüsselsheim, Germany, is the company's headquarters. Other factories in Germany are located at Eisenach and Kaiserslautern. Opel vehicles are known as Vauxhall in the United Kingdom. Opel would subsequently design vehicles for GMDAT and continues to do so for GM Korea.

From 2007 to 2009, three Opel vehicles (Astra, Antara, and Vectra) were offered under the Saturn brand in the United States. Buick was in charge of importing Opel cars once Saturn was discontinued. The Enclave CUV and the full-size LaCrosse sedan are the only Buick vehicles that are not Opels. PSA, which owns Citroen and Peugeot, acquired Opel and its sister brand Vauxhall in March 2017.

What Is Vauxhall?

Vauxhall is one of the great brands in British automotive, with a history dating back more than a century. It has created some of the most popular automobiles in the UK, including the Cavalier, Victor, and Corsa, as well as the Bedford van. The first Vauxhall car was produced in 1903, even though the firm that created it was founded in 1857.

Vauxhall Motors became a completely owned subsidiary of America's giant General Motors Corporation in December 1925. The shift resulted in a significant increase in output, which was only approximately 1,400 automobiles from a staff of roughly 1,800 in 1925.

Vauxhall-branded cars are built at Opel plants in Germany, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Former Vauxhall production vehicles include the Viva, Victor, Chevette, and Cavalier.

Differences Between Opel and Vauxhall

History

During the 1970s, General Motors started integrating the Opel and Vauxhall product lines. This was mostly done in favor of Opel cars, thus, by the end of the 1970s, most Vauxhalls were nothing more than rebadged Opels, but several models still utilized engines developed and constructed by the British brand.

This pattern lasted throughout the 1980s. The original Astra, introduced in 1980, was a rebadged Opel Kadett; however, you could still purchase the Opel Kadett from dealers in the UK at the time. Until 1981, dealerships in the United Kingdom and Ireland offered both Opel and Vauxhall vehicles, but by 1988, Opel-badged vehicles were no longer available in the United Kingdom.

Logo

The Opel logo represents cars that are so rapid that you hardly notice them. The emblem's glitter and metal represent the brand's cars' power and speed. The sign referred to current technology that aid in driving. The name of the company appears at the bottom. It is composed of block letters that are spaced far apart.

For a long time, Vauxhall has used a griffin from Sir Falkes de Breaute's ancient coat of arms. The mythical creature had an eagle's head and the body of a lion. The new logo is the result of rebranding the whole Opel/Vauxhall business. It became flat (two-dimensional) and straightforward. Shadows, gray, and black hues were deleted by the designers. They also changed the image's emphasis by including a part of the griffin's back (right) and hiding the flagpole (left). Furthermore, the designers redrew the lettering to make it smoother, slimmer, and straighter.

Brand

Since the early 1980s, Vauxhall vehicles have been similar to Opel vehicles but labeled differently. Many Vauxhall cars marketed in the UK are built at Opel's German, Spanish, and Polish factories and branded with the British banner. A large majority of British models are sold abroad and rebadged as Opel. GM has retained Vauxhall in the UK because it is intertwined into the fabric of British motoring heritage.

Sponsorships

From 1986 until 1998, Vauxhall Motors sponsored the Football Conference, England's highest non-league level. It took over from Gola and remained affiliated with the league for twelve years. Vauxhall became the major sponsor of the home countries' national football teams in 2011 (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales).

Opel presently maintains relationships with the Bundesliga team Borussia Dortmund. Opel is collaborating with TotalEnergies, a French oil, and gas corporation, on plans for a battery cell facility. Opel collaborated with Milan from 1994 to 2006, Fiorentina from 1983 to 1986, Paris Saint-Germain from 1995 to 2002, and Feyenoord Rotterdam from 2013 to 2017.

Comparison Chart: Opel Vs Vauxhall

FAQ

Conclusion

Following the Second World War, Vauxhall's prospects deteriorated. To safeguard the company's survival, General Motors opted to incorporate Opel's ideas into British Vauxhalls. The final British Vauxhall was constructed in 1972, and all designs after that came via Opel, with improved build quality and performance, bringing Vauxhall back on track.

PSA acquired Opel, Vauxhall, and the European auto lending business from General Motors for €2 billion in March 2017, making the French manufacturer the second largest in Europe behind Volkswagen.