The Opel Regent was Opel’s attempt at a German luxury car, introduced in November 1928 as a four-door limousine and two-door coupé. General Motors, which bought 80 per cent of Opel in March 1929, ended it, bought back the cars and had them scrapped, so no Regent survives.
Opel Regent at a glance
| Maker | Adam Opel AG, Rüsselsheim |
|---|---|
| Introduced | November 1928 |
| Official name | Opel 24/110 |
| Bodies | four-door limousine and two-door coupé |
| Length | 5,400 mm |
| Engine | eight cylinders, 6 litres |
| Top speed | 130 km/h |
| Price | from 25,000 Reichsmark |
| Rivals | Rolls-Royce, Bugatti, Mercedes-Benz |
| Ended | after General Motors bought 80 per cent of Opel in March 1929 |
| Survivors | none; the blueprints are preserved |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Opel Regent. Every Regent was scrapped, so no photograph of the car exists; the entry keeps its earlier picture.
History of the Opel Regent
Opel’s most luxurious car
The Regent was introduced in November 1928 and offered as a four-door limousine and a two-door coupé. Its official name was the Opel 24/110, in the German fashion that put tax horsepower first and nominal power second: 24 Steuer-PS and 110 PS. The car was 5,400 mm long, cost from 25,000 Reichsmark and used an eight-cylinder engine of six litres that gave a top speed of 130 km/h. It was Opel’s most luxurious vehicle and was meant to compete with Rolls-Royce, Bugatti and Mercedes-Benz.
The end
In March 1929 General Motors bought 80 per cent of the share capital of Adam Opel AG. Fearing too much competition with the top models of its own brands, Cadillac and Buick, GM discontinued the Regent. It then bought back every car that had been sold and had them scrapped, an event that automotive historians have described as unique. The result is that no Regent has survived, although the car’s blueprints are preserved.
The name after 1929
The Regent name came back in 1932 on the all-steel-bodied versions of the Opel 1.8 Litre. That car was much smaller and less powerful than the original and was never seen as its true successor. Opel did not return to the luxury market until 1937, when the Opel Admiral appeared. Between those two points the name survived only in the memory of the 1928 car and in the documents that GM kept.
Design and features
- Eight cylinders: a six-litre engine giving 130 km/h in 1928.
- Luxury at 25,000 Marks: built to take on Rolls-Royce, Bugatti and Mercedes-Benz.
- A unique ending: bought back and scrapped by its new American owner.
- A name reused: the 1932 Regent bodies of the 1.8 Litre.
Opel Regent versions
- Regent limousine: the four-door body.
- Regent coupé: the two-door body.
- Regent 1.8 Litre (1932): all-steel saloons of a much smaller car, using the same name.
The Regent was Opel’s first luxury car; the company returned to the class with the Admiral in 1937. More cars are in the Opel collection.
Sources
- Opel Regent, English Wikipedia: engine, bodies, price, the GM decision
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