Roshake 77 found and posted a truck that is extremely familiar to me: an Opel Blitz, from the years 1952-1959. These were of course common in Austria during my formative years, and it quite explains why the Chevy Advance Design trucks are my all-time favorite light/medium truck design.
Obviously Opel revised the front end some, to update it given its 1952 introduction in Germany. And it soldiered along looking like this through 1959. It also sounded just like a Chevy, given its Opel inline six.
Just like the Chevys in the US, these were the best selling trucks in their weight range (1.75 – 1.9 metric tons), medium sized trucks in American parlance. No pickups; those jobs were handled by much smaller trucks like the VW Transporter pickup and such.
Here’s some other body styles I found on the web:
The Blitz was very popular as fire trucks, and this van style was commonly used as by fire companies to haul men and additional equipment. Or this one may have had some other institutional use.
The Opel six from the Kapitan started out as a 58 hp 2.5L, and later versions had an enlarged 2.6L, so a fair bit smaller than the Chevy six.
Several coach builders used the Blitz as a basis for buses. This on looks to have been used in the tourist trade, with its panoramic windows and roof rack. I saw buses lined up like this and others in front of the Hofburg in Innsbruck, while they disgorged their tourist occupants to run around and see the sights of the Altstadt.
And finally here’s a shot of a tow truck, the German Tow Mater.
Like it, very similar to the A & J series Bedfords we got here in large numbers 1-6 tonnes 6 cylinder 214 cubes a British Chevrolet but full pressure crankshaft which coneniently bolt into old Chevy cars and give an extra 1000rpm without mods.Later J series pictured
Surprisingly that J series, very clearly based on the 1953 A series, also derived from the Advance Design, was produced up to 1998 for export.
They were pretty much the default British truck when I was a kid.
Interesting that the Opel managed with an engine so much smaller.
The smallest engines were in the 1/2 ton JOs, the same 2.6L six used in the Velox/Cresta, but the heaviest versions went up to 8 tons GVW. The pick-up version is possibly one of the most American-looking Commercials produced in Britain:
http://www.classiccarweekly.net/2018/04/25/1961-bedford-jo-pickup/
Don’t ever recall seeing such a pick-up though. Plenty of the cabs on Ambulances, WHSmith luton vans (in ’70s orange and brown) and the larger version cab on flatbed coal lorries, etc.
That color scheme instantly gave me a déjà vu experience. And then I remembered the Opel Blitz show I visited in June 2018.
The other participants:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-global-2018-opel-blitz-treffen-the-opel-commercial-vehicles-of-yore-and-some-classic-sedans-to-boot/
One of those vehicles like the Studebaker Dictator and Scotsman which has an inappropriate name…
Blitz just means “flash”.
Oh yes, that again. You do know that the first Opel Blitz dates back to 1930 and that it simply means “lightning”? Look at the truck’s nose and Opel’s official logo since 1963.
Yes yes, but it DOES always strike me as a bit odd that a word associated with civilian death and destruction only 400-odd miles from Russelheim continued in use for a common truck series after the war (albeit only on home territory).
Meet the post-war Tiger II.
Ah! Just so.
It’s also really easy to forget that the world in 1952 or so had nothing like the connections of today.
We – I, anyway – forget that we are living through one of the great revolutions of history, that being the internet/connectivity upheaval of the past mere 10-15 years. It’s not only already changed the world forever, it is only the beginning. Just knowing which way is up becomes an unclear thing in such times, especially if you’re no longer young!
Why would some German of 1952 even know that the Brits called the attack upon London “The Blitz”?
They likely would not, ofcourse.
Why would some German of 1952 even know that the Brits called the attack upon London “The Blitz”?
They likely would not, of course.
I can assure you they did. The world was actually much more connected than you think, before the internet. It was the telegraph that really shrunk the world, and the radio.
As a kid in Austria in the 50s, I was quite aware of how the term “Blitz” was used in the war.
But I was also aware that “Blitz” was used by Opel going way back, and that “Blitz” is a term that is also widely associated with so many other things, like lightning, flash bulbs, and just anything that’s very quick and speedy.
It’s not like it was called the Opel Adolf or Opel Dachau.
…not to mention the Königstiger.
As above, only with Royal prefixing!
Does the Packard Patrician qualify for that category, or is that simply an “aspirational” moniker.
The Opel Blitz has been a little late ever since Stalingrad.
Though I probably shouldn’t, I will pay that one. Hehe!
Upon my first look I too thought “Bedford” .
Nice looking trucks, I bet they were stout and hard workers too .
-Nate
Doesn’t seem too pleased to be arriving late, the Blitz. Quite the gormless sadsack of a face.