Opel Russelheim 1928

1928 Opel Russelheim bicycle

"The large fire at the factory in 1911 brought about the end of sewing machine production. Production of bicycles, however, expanded. By 1923, Opel had become the largest manufacturer of bicycles in the world. Over 15,000 stores were selling bicycles made at Rüsselsheim. At the height of bicycle production and after the introduction of the assembly line in the middle of the 1920s, one bicycle left the factory every seven seconds.

As the market leader, Opel even had its own racing squad and a plant riding team. Riders on the yellow and black racing bikes were among the favorites to win all the big races. Even three-time winner of the Tour de France, Philippe Thys from Belgium, relied on bicycles from Rüsselsheim in his victories. Opel’s future, however, did not lie in bicycles but in cars. On February 15, 1937, the last bicycle left the assembly line. One year before the company’s 75th anniversary and after 2.6 million bicycles had been manufactured, the company sold its bicycle production division to the German bicycle and car manufacturer NSU and turned its attention fully to cars. " (from opelpost.com)