Admired and sought after by collectors today. Capitaine embodied the german economic miracle the boom years of the 1950 s. And sixtys it was a car that said ive made it a top of the line model the appear to me of luxury. All models of the opal capitaine from 1938 to 970 are collected here this farm in northwestern germany owned by brothers yosef and. Is a treasure trove for local fans the brothers run a car dealership like their father before them and they collect opals preferably copy tanks as boys they had fun sitting at the wheel of a capital with wooden blocks under their feet so they could reach the pedals. But if i did it this one has fantastic upholstery just like new. York. All star wars. The brothers are fascinated by a car that was once the admiration of the automotive world the opel capitan was a showpiece of the west germanys Automotive Industry and a status symbol for its citizens as use of dignitaries it. I just it was always the dream of our boyhood and teenage years a car that our father could barely afford or only temporarily as a demonstration model we were gay and. It was the fantasy luxury car of the 1950 s. And sixtys. On. The all 8 capitaine model spending 33 years are lined up here from oldest to newest. You can pretend its because youre happy 10 offered the professional middle and upper classes the opportunity to own an executive class car or you know or all 3 should try they had 6 cylinder engines and smooth as silk lots of power and room and 4 doors on standard versions you had made on death row and that was for a price far below 10000. 00 marks in the 1950 s. And the mock competition was only building a limited numbers of 6 cylinder cars because they were so much more expensive. Capitaine qualities gave it an outstanding image and image was what car buyers wanted. With the help might go. To the left are competence from 1938 to 954 with lots of chrome and long codes like the big american cruisers. In 1954 the capitaine was given a point on or all enveloping body fully integrating the fenders and headlights opal developed its most famous model the p 26 piece stood for panoramic when cheap. On obama a panoramic windshield allowed broad visibility this trend spilled over from the United States the model acquired the nickname keyhole capitaine because the taillights looked like Old Fashioned keyholes and it wasnt a big success at the time because the rear seat was too cramped and the big captains of industry couldnt fit in with their hats on so within just 9 months opel built a new model that was easier to get into and out of the back and i was the best selling capitaine ever it was built from the 1959 to the 1963 almost every one of those years more new campaigns were registered than all the other german 6 cylinder models put together. The. In the history of the season. In the 1950 s. Most germans were still on foot the average wage earner could not afford a car. Under economics minister. West germanys economy was booming people wanted to show off their growing prosperity with a big car the opel capitaine was the right car in the right place at the right time. Todays collectors are every bit as a namrud with a capitaine among them is Marcus Lerner from southwestern germany his own capitaine is in the paint shop to stop the rust from taking hold marcos is having the capitaine fixed up its the one he and his wife rode in on their wedding day. The animal the father did for if you drove an opal kept saying it was Something Special but these were bakers butchers and Building Contractors for the. Big fish the 6 cylinders place discard the top of the range of. Marcuss capitaine is at christophes eltons paint shop work has already begun. I. Would live within your familys health and if i was for 3 more years than taking over knock em up no this really would. This isnt this is no distance an original part isnt that you did a good job and thats it look pretty bad because i was for them theres also for the last. Dozen years i had to polish everything out here. Theres still some way to go to restore the sudans former elegance but marcus manner is optimistic i make a many people walk on by would have noticed in the car on the way with new cars remembering what was happy to see a vintage car in them is like spotting a familiar face in the crowd these cars of character especially this one. He wants his competent painted a metallic blue marcus had to get hold of the original spray out cards and recipes from switzerland no cars were ever sold with metallic paint in west germany and with this and you have to realize right after the 2nd world war in germany nobody dared to order a car metallic paints it was expensive and made people jealous or drawers that take them off on skates also. Marcus hopes to pick up his wedding coach with a fresh coat of metallic blue and a few weeks. We were. Going to. All the versions of the mobile computing were designed at knoebels west german headquarters in whistles im. George galleon is a former designer for mobile the Parent CompanyGeneral Motors sent him to him from the United States and he settled in west germany George Gallion thoroughly enjoyed the ride in his fine 1956 capitaine for years the cars were assembled in this. Sierra la it rides very smoothly and quietly proceeding you can turn the big Steering Wheel with one finger. This golden capitaine is one of a kind the 2 millionth opal made the car maker made sure its jubilee car was a capitaine opals best model at the time it rolled off the Assembly Line in november 19th to. 6. In the 1950 s. The k. 40 home was thought to be the worlds most advanced automobile Production Facility and it was west germanys biggest industrial home now it stands empty im sure and and thats why i remember from rolls of almost a half finished car stood here. Thats where the seats were installed and the next step was to put almost wheels for the radiator. By the late 1950 s. 32000 people were working in production at the opel plant as a german subsidiary of General Motors focal enjoyed Great Success much of the credit goes to the capitaine it was the brands golden age. Local collectors mancini and yosef dagon or are currently on the lookout for a very special capital and not necessarily a gilded one. For. Us. I the family owns one of the largest private opel collections in europe its an expensive hobby considering that not even company tains in excellent condition fetch anywhere near the prices of other vintage automobiles even so these models counted together are worth millions of euros but to the brothers there sentimental value is immeasurable. This 954 capitaine has a regal history. Of this so this is a capitaine that we picked up on the French Riviera or town for a quarter of the. Point of. All the paint is worn dulled by the. The sounds of the sahara. This cars papers show it was originally delivered to the Moroccan Royal family. Should is this im for this its great that its completed it is complete with minor flaws you cant drive it in Northern Europe it was made from north africa and didnt have a heater for. The kind. You know its an engine puts out 68. 00 horsepower at the time that was king sized performance. Thank you miles from i think a moroccan king would probably also use a rolls royce for state occasions every day driving this could have been a royal limousine at the time. But i dont know for sure the moroccan teen wasnt as wealthy as other arab rulers before but i could imagine he was satisfied with a noble copy 10 and actually drove it i think its possible but we dont know for sure. In the brothers repair Shop Mechanic lars mclean manages to transform even rusty back into running Capital Gains is when theres another gas cap thats the gas cap weve just been talking about. But they were actually looking for the taillights of the capitaine p 26. 00 they call it. The courts see. It a court see for all they might find something here right away youre lucky but that doesnt happen very often. Let total of 145616 of the best selling p 2 sixes were built quite a lot for an executive sedan so there are still plenty of parts around. The hobby i gotta to have you know there are more. Was excited. Before long the mechanic is finished restoring yet another capitaine to 6 soon it will be back on the streets purring along smoothly and comfortably the familiar feel of a capitaine. Marcus linares wedding coach is also a 26 now the paint job is finished and its back home in its own garage. Thats got lots of. Tree yes or no boxes to. Learn or sun florian helps him put in a new rear seat they dont have to do a perfect job just make sure its comfortable and roadworthy load on. Its good to. Have some. Elk alone or has brought along an old photo album before. You went to life how would you like to compare the color to see if it really looks like all car adaline i know. This was the linares wedding coach when they got married in 2002. Or let me make a lot for you know. The capitaine has been part of the family ever since. And. This all isnt anything we set back on me and one of the headdress that had been removed so my beautiful bride could be seen and she could look straight ahead. The beginner brothers take a capitaine 51 out for a spin they like this model because it gained a certain notoriety as a gangster car it was the model of choice for the 1950 s. Gangsters who used it as a getaway car after robberies they knew full well the capitaine was ideally suited to the task. But its in the early postwar years the police were not nearly as well equipped as they are now wondering if these military vehicles that had just 18 horsepower and less competent had a good 58 horsepower. Thats the cuff i mean in the form of terms that was best place of curiosity a sickly the police or the powerless against gangsters driving this car what they do i stand a chance. I figured it out and i was in later years they tried lying in wait for the gangsters but then the gangsters parked trailer trucks on the highway they had ordering ramps and the gangsters would drive her capitaine up into the trailer. To close the tailgate but at least to know where the capitaine in the gangsters that got it got what it was like parasites walled them up and. Shot it out state or if this guy didnt damage the reputation of the cafeteria not just the opposite approved its better heres a fast time of the pentacle car so what is it although it would have been on the start i got most old. Gangster competence design borrowed heavily from american models that was another key factor in its popularity. In front of the opal house and whistles time retired designer george galleon inspects a row of capitaine in the 1950 s. West germans were crazy about everything that came from the United States opel took ideas from models by chevrolet buick and cadillac the Design Concept for the p 25 was no exception this is design here this design here is nearly identical to the design of the big chevrolet from 1958. Octane forms this month and you can see it here its got exactly the same windscreen and rear window as well. This is the 2 door version but the 4 door was no different and heres what they called a dog leg theres these record here you had to climb under this corner to get end of. The dog leg made it harder to get into the car and require the occupant to adopt a certain technique. They talk people to sit down 1st and then pull their legs in after thats no problem at all kind. Of george kelly and points out features that distinguish the various capitaine models. In 1954 they acquired what came to be known as a sharks mouth grill. 2 are in agreement hes a hes a bride to molly gaping maw for the grill opening was characteristic of opal is art from a cooler of the sharks mouth at 1st appeared in 1953 in the usa on the Chevrolet Corvette or in the us. Railroad of anger these are more or less adopted it for its larger models. And the capital. To make copy 10 was the model with the most distinctive version of this grill design our own crew to get their design. Markets linares p 26 is finally ready for him to pick up. It took some time and effort to make it roadworthy again this is his 1st trip in the newly restored better when it was built in 1962 making it exactly the same age as its driver. Marcus lerner fell in love with the opel capitaine as a small boy and has never fallen out of luck. The engine runs very very quietly to find sewing machine. The machine. But it guzzles 11. 00 leaders of gas per 100 kilometers it puts out 90 horsepower in 3 speeds with a steering column mounted gear shift. And its all the decisive factor is the number of cylinders a car with 6 cylinders is going to drive a lot more smoothly than one with just 4 cylinders. You can get up to speed for 3rd gear and then accelerate on up to 165 Kilometers Per Hour but ive done that if thats how before. Marcus never has a special purpose for his 1st trip in his newly restored capitaine hes going to pick up some wine from his favorite vineyard. Its on the opposite side of the rhine the capitaine boards the car ferry for crossing. Marcus almost waxes and astounded when he looks back at the capitaine some long history. The fly in the inner neighborhood a cup of sun and later an opel admiral or opel diplomats were Something Special. Driving one didnt make you snobby fancy. There were days youd say drive in the cup that sun is understated. Just a bit before. It had its prime but 964. 00 marks the start of a long slow decline for the capitaine the new model of the opel capitaine a was boxy and no longer the solo star on stage. This is the 1st of the big 3 of the company 10 the 1st in a completely new opel line that will soon be lending mistreats their characteristic accent oh i hope it is the hood of the admiral sports the new symbol elegantly tamed power by the diplomat being retains the same profile but underscores its higher position with a vinyl roof that lends the elegance of its exterior a touch of sportiness. Sharp turns not just for fun tried and true safety when you needed. Me 10 the admiral the diplomat v 8 the big 3 by opal. The once proud capitaine was suddenly just one of a team now it was just a matter of time in 1970 opel halted production of the capitaine germans were no longer impressed by cars that looked like big american boats especially not gas guzzlers. Caught in it was like was it in the executive class a cars image is very important for your t. V. So i think its and some points were missing here it was those final touches the capitaine was affordable so it was a bit more cheaply built than the other top range cars and that didnt help things out in just the time. Composed a poem as a farewell to this motoring legend. Into iowa over its long years 33. They donned 8 ropes gracefully for their 1st the long and pointed nose at the 1930 s. Close as 4 then came the sleek pantani body force bigger engine hale and hearty. By then calling the buyers will capitaine with sharks mouth will pick up between the capitaine got current panoramic windshield in frys even panoramic and back now its really got the knack. To 6 took the fast lane it was the best selling capitaine these around this one id be willing as a 6 cylinder captain king. In flight soon after came the big 3 i think happy 10 was all at sea with admiral and diplomat the capitaine just took his hat. Meanwhile the capitaine 26 driven by Marcus Lerner has almost arrived at the vineyard. The lady of chateau vester house is Countess Ivana function book shes the great granddaughter of opals founder adam opel. And law. And says nice weather i have to drive it myself. There you drive yourself thats wonderful got there and im picking up the one myself this time to. Oh thats fantastic. With the right time yes and its in the beautiful condition. Of the crew and that they can do up to 160 kilometers an hour. Ok a very brief well yes quick for. The capitaine the one time top of opals range has a special place in the countesss heart. As its magnificent and its got 50 years on it and its an outstanding condition that it makes me really happy to see it if we also ridden it to our wedding that was a while ago but it was a very special moment this moment. The trunk by the way holds 406 leaders very generous for a german car of that time Marcus Lerner makes good use of it that im glad. I as and he enjoys every single kilometer in his a pope will capitaine a genuine motoring legend. In mombasa bomb. The last. Big. Bomb to morrow to stop. Boutiques are gradually opening up again shopping is finally possible without the internet. So we decided to check out the big designers and ask them which styles are in demand which colors are the most popular and what are the fashion trends for this summer. Euro max. Coming up on w. To give hope to those who have been cast aside. For henry james to do just that with her a few g. s. Their children of ro hinge or refugee means can get an education. They are often denied this opportunity because malaysia excludes them to this day. 3000. And 30 minutes on d w. What do they dream of at night living. As cleaners and they see the face of horror. Their job censoring for the social media industry. 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This is news and these are our top stories in germany the Coronavirus Infection rate has risen over the critical value of one that means that every 10 patients are infecting 11 other people on average the jump comes after reports of new infection clusters. British Prime MinisterBoris Johnson has outlined a cautious relaxation of his countrys coronavirus lockdown schools and shops will begin reopening from june britain has europes highest coronavirus death tolls