Wilhelm Albert von Opel, also known as Wilhelm von Opel, was a German industrialist born on May 15, 1871, and died on May 2, 1948. He was the majority owner of the German car company Opel. Opel is most famous for bringing the assembly line to the German automobile industry.

Early life and education

Opel was born on May 15, 1871, in Rüsselsheim, Grand Duchy of Hesse (now part of Germany). He was the second of five children, with parents named Adam Opel and Sophie Marie Opel (born Scheller). His siblings included:

His father started a family business that first made sewing machines and later began producing bicycles. His mother came from a farming family in Dornholzhausen, Rhineland-Palatinate. In 1869, Opel’s maternal grandfather, Friedrich Scheller, won 100,000 Talers (equivalent to $3–4 million in 2025). He divided the money equally among his nine children, which helped the Opel family buy new machines for their business.

Opel studied engineering at Darmstadt Technical University and earned his doctorate in 1912 from the same institution.

Career

After Adam died in 1895, his wife and five sons took over the company. In 1898, Wilhelm and his brother Fritz bought the small Lutzmann automobile factory in Dessau, which helped Opel enter the automobile industry.

Personal life

On September 14, 1897, Opel married Charlotte Luisa Lina Bade, the daughter of Hermann Bade and Minna Bade (née König) from Hildesheim, Lower Saxony. They had three children:

• Friedrich Adam Opel, also known as Fritz von Opel (1899–1971), married first to Margot Löwenstein (1902–1993) and later to Emma Herrán Olozaga (1913–1967). They had two children, including Rikky von Opel (born 1947) and Marie Christine von Opel (1951–2006).
• Martha Wilhelma Opel (1904–1907), who died in childbirth.
• Elinor Sigrid Else Opel, also known as Eleonore von Opel (1908–2001), married first to Wilhelm "Willy" Josef Sachs (1896–1958) and later to Carlo Kirchner. She had two sons, including Gunter Sachs (1932–2011).

In 1917, Wilhelm and his brother Heinrich were given the title of nobility in the Grand Duchy of Hesse. Their brother Carl received the same title the following year. Since then, those family lines have used the prefix "von" before their original family name.

In 1933, Opel joined the Nazi Party and became an active supporter. He provided financial support to the SS and was awarded the title of Patron. In January 1947, a denazification court found him guilty and required him to pay a large fine. He died the following year.