Last Sunday I decided to book a last minute travel to the 2018 Opel Blitz Treffen, held on June 15, 16 and 17. Circa 40 minutes later I arrived at the scene, a camping site in the southeast of the Netherlands. A treffen is a gathering, a place where people meet. Usually to let the good times roll.
Frankly, I was a bit too late to the party, as many Blitz owners had already left or were getting ready to leave. Especially the ones from Germany, many of them had a long road trip ahead in their old vehicle. Never mind, plenty of classic Opels were still present to pose for a photo shoot.
From 1930 to 1975 the Blitz represented a whole range of light and medium duty truck chassis of the Opel brand. Essentially any body was possible, from a flatbed truck to a panel van and from a fire truck to a bus. Four generations were offered during said time frame. Only the fourth and last 1965-1975 generation was available with a diesel, a 2.1 liter Peugeot engine, which was optional from 1968 onwards.
The second generation, built from 1952 to 1960, is the best looking Blitz in my book. This generation was powered by a 2.5 liter inline-six engine with a maximum power output of 58 DIN-hp. Pictured a 1953 flatbed truck.
1951 flatbed truck with tall dropsides, first Blitz generation.
Mr. Janssen from Oploo uses this fourth gen 1972 Blitz for transporting oldtimers. Those are old vehicles, not elderly men.
1957 flatbed truck with dropsides.
This 1974 Blitz got a motorhome conversion at some point. My first thought is that it originally was a security truck for transporting valuables.
1956 flatbed truck with dropsides and a truck bed canopy.
1970 motorhome.
Simply wonderful, this 1959 flatbed truck with dropsides, towing a more recent Chateau travel trailer.
1952 fire truck.
The sun visor, wheel covers and front fog lamps are all period correct items on this 1974 Blitz truck.
Another beauty, a 1959 flatbed truck with dropsides and a truck bed canopy. The tailgate ladder was never a factory- or dealer option.
1973 motorhome.
Naturally Opel also built commercial vehicles prior to 1930, like this 1927 Opel 10/40 delivery truck with a payload capacity of 1.5 metric tons.
The Westerhorstmann bakery from Düsseldorf was founded in 1905.
This 1975 Blitz has a certain Don’t Mess With Me-attitude.
1970 car transporter.
1956 former fire truck, now a motorhome.
The event’s highlight, in my opinion, was a 1955 dump truck.
A multi-purpose vehicle for sure, since the dump bed has dropsides. Very common on dump trucks of yore, regardless the segment.
It just won’t get more basic than this.
In the center the differential, the standard transmission was a four-speed manual.
ADA, the Adolf Autor Kipperfabrik from Aachen, converted flatbed trucks into manually operated dump trucks.
A truly outstanding 1939 Opel Blitz coach.
A mobile banking center, based on a 1967 Blitz.
Heading back to Germany, a fourth gen Opel Blitz Pritsche mit Plane. That’s a flatbed truck with a canopy.
Other classic Opels showed up as well, like this Kadett B two-door sedan. Trim level L Super, with an automatic transmission.
1961 Opel Kapitän.
1959 Opel Kapitän.
More than 30 years after the introduction of the first gen Opel Blitz, the automaker’s famous Blitz (lightning) logo was launched.
Opel’s current commercial vehicles are either Fiat based (Opel Combo) or Renault based (Opel Vivaro and Movano). Oh well, at least there’s a Blitz on the grille.
Some definite GM family resemblance there. It looks as though the second-gen cab not only resembles the ’48-early ’55 Chevrolet/GMC truck cab, it *is* that cab with a few changes gained from two years’ experience.
The fourth has more of a nodding resemblance to the ’60-66 Chevy truck, but is much squarer with a shorter hood in keeping with Euro trends of the day and the fact the Chevy was already long in the tooth by the mid ’60s.
Yes, it appears that the gen2 Blitz cab was borrowed from the Chevy/GMC with a few minor local changes and of course a new front end. It may explain why I’ve always loved the “Advance” Chevy/GMC: I was exposed to them via the Blitz from a very early age.
The “Advance Design” also inspired others car makers besides Opel. The Renault Colorale seem to have borrowed design elements from Chevrolet/GMC “Advance Design”.
Let me be clear: the Opel Blitz cab is the same cab as the Chevy, with some minor changes. It’s not just “inspired” by it.
I’m glad you made it to the treffen, Johannes, as I’ve always been a fan of Opels, trucks and cars, from this era, especially the graceful gen2 truck. I remember them well from my years in Austria in the 50s, right down to the sound of their gasoline six cylinder engines, which was so quiet and smooth compared to the typical rough four cylinder diesels of the time, like the Steyr 380, the most comon truck in Austria at the time. The contrast was stark; as was probably the fuel consumption.
Nice Trucks Johannes. I really like these Blitzes, no matter which generation. In my childhood you didn´t see them very often anymore. I remember one 4th generation Blitz with a Kofferaufbau (box) on the streets here. It looked exactly like this on the photo. It was kind of exotic to me, like the use of gasoline engines in trucks. But I think it´s cool.
Funny is, we had a Opel dealer here back then, which called Blitz. So you could buy a Opel Blitz at Opel Blitz.
The trucks from the fifties look like the Bedford J-series (were they related given the Vauxhall/Opel/Bedford connection?) while the ones from the early seventies resemble a Mercedes van/light truck that was out around the same time.
The Bedford J was an update of the earlier A series and, windscreen and grille area detail apart, had a similar ‘Advance Chevy/GMC’ family look.
http://www.miniland.nl/Historie/legoautos/lego%20autos/253%20bedford%20truck/ASeriesBEdford.jpg
It’s interesting how the 1970s Blitz followed the grille styling of the late ’60s Kadett.
The ’50s models are Ford in front of the windshield, Chevy behind the windshield.
So evocative…….that 1939 bus is a piece of art. Thanks Johannes
+1
Is there a particular reason why firetrucks don’t have roofs over the driver?
Because fire fighters were already dressed for rain?
Given heat (and flames) rise, I would imagine fire fighters are very interested in what’s going on at the top of buildings. Leaving off the roof would give them a better view, and could also help with placement of the vehicle relative to the fire.
However, modern fire trucks don’t seem to have glass on the top of the cab roofs, so maybe the theory doesn’t apply.
As always Johannes great work. I especially love the photo of the fire truck converted into a camper, with the towels hanging on the outside mirrors to dry. I can’t tell you how many times I did that very thing when I was in the National Guard.
Just notice the 61 Kapitain looks so resemble to Mercedes W110 Fintail. I am not sure who had the original design idea.
Thanks yet again, Johannes, for sharing these photos of beautiful trucks I have never seen before. The motorhomes are in wonderful condition, and would look sharp in any campground.
How could GM have screwed up so badly with Opel?
The dump truck is indeed amazing. I have never heard of a manual tipper before. Such a simple, elegant-looking mechanism.
Great photos, as ever.
Thank you for those very interesting pictures.
I own a Blitz / 6 Cylinders / 1971 actually under restauration. One question: Anyone knows where to get those very specific 700×17″ tyres ?