Adam Opel AG is a German automaker more commonly known as Opel, which is a subsidiary of the American giant General Motors Company. They design, engineer, manufacture and distribute passenger cars with the Opel branding throughout Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. In the United States, China, Mexico and Canada, Opel cars are branded as Buick, and in the UK they are known as Vauxhall.
Opel can trace its history way back to the Adam Opel GmbH sewing machine manufacturer in 1862, which also produced bicycles throughout the 1880's, before it made its first automobile in 1899. The company has been a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors since 1929.
Before World War II broke out, Opel, who were based in Russelsheim in Germany, had established itself as Europe's largest automobile manufacturer as the mixture and combination of German know-how with the powerful resources of the American General Motors led to excellent results. However, the war meant that 1945 was the only year in the company's history where not a single car was produced. Due to the company's American ties (which didn't let up during the battle), the plant in Russelsheim was never given a role in producing equipment for the German army. This was also the case for Ford's plant in Cologne, who were also not trusted with such responsibilities as their US connections meant they couldn't be trusted. However, as it became apparent that fighting would ensue for a long time, the Opel factory started modest war work, producing parts for aircraft and tanks.