Do you remember the 80's and 90's? I was around then. It was fun. It was also a time when people in Ireland thought that we had a few car manufacturers of our own. We thought Henry Ford was alive and well and living in Cork, and we thought that Opel was more Irish than the Irish themselves. Opel's Irish-ness came about thanks to a brilliant marketing move between the FAI and the MD of Opel at the time. They graced the Irish soccer jersey between 1986 and 2002. Their logo may not have been on the jersey during actual World Cups, but it was on the vast majority of replica jerseys which were being worn by the masses of fans at the time.
The sponsorship deal was put together by one Arnold O'Byrne and it was a genius move by the then Opel boss. The Ringsend-born man managed to sketch the brand's name into the minds and hearts of the nation and it placed them into the top-three best-selling manufacturers in the country at the time.
Recently I visited their factory in Russelheim and it was a real nostalgic trip to me. I saw machines which brought me back to a pre-Celtic Tiger Ireland. The same machines, like the Ascona, the Commadore and the Kadette, stand vividly in my imagination. The factory itself was open to journalists and invited guests to celebrate the fact that Opel have had their own design studio for 50 years now. What was special about this is that they were among the first manufacturers to have a studio of this ilk. For the first time in fifty years they opened the doors of their design studio in building N10 to the press. Never before have journalists been invited in and asked to take photos of any and everything. Of course they made sure to only show certain things to people present - I would guess that they made sure that all new and future plans were hid for the celebration period.
The design studio itself is stunning and we were lucky enough to be given a grand tour through the entire process of designing a car. They showed us the most up-to-date materials and computer programmes they use while creating the concepts and future vehicles. One thing which I found to be pleasantly surprising is that technology hasn't gone so far as to abandon some of the old design techniques. Artists and craftsmen are still trained-in on how to mould and sculpture the design of these machines using clay. Another thing I learned was the importance of the simplest things, like masking tape - this stuff can be a game changer, because when they're mulling over the moulded models they use tape to indicate design changes they have in mind and things are re-moulded based on where the tape is put.
Looking at some of the cars from Opel's past reminds of just how fashionable these guys were, and their current range and future concept cars show just how fashionable they can be. With that said though I am of the opinion that they went through quite a boring era with the earlier Astras, Corsas and Vectras. Their older range is a testament to the capabilities of the design teams from the past. Look at the amazing machines they conceived, like the 1964/65 Opel GT. This was the first concept car to come from the Opel design studio, and it was so pleasing to the eye that the powers that be just decided that the public deserved this car. Look at the classy, massive and almost regal Senator and the powerful presence it had. Of course they are by no means on their own when it comes to a design history. To be fair about it I would have to say that pretty much every brand has some gems from the past and that most brands have stunning concepts for the future.
As part of the tour of the N10 building we got to meet with some of the designers of the past. These same designers showed us the design process they used to use to create these vehicles. Their method was more of a craft and more of a skill. I'm not trying to belittle the work of the more current designers who work with up-to-date computer programmes, they do a great job and there is no doubting that what they do is a skill. But the designer of the past didn't have the luxury of computer programmes. They had their team, many pencils, rulers, sharpeners, paper and coffee - and most importantly they had their competitors. I spied while looking at the sample work they had laid out that on the design table was the dimensions of what the nearest competitors models offered in terms of legroom, head-height, etc; and their job was to make the next Opel model better than the nearest equivalent the competitor was offering. It all makes sense.
The guys who use the computer programmes do amazing work too. All you have to do is look at the recent Monza Concept? This will show you just how brilliant the most modern of technology is and it'll show you what modern computer programmes and some very intelligent people can design.
While in Russelheim we got a chance to drive from a range of older-generation cars. It was great to experience what I call "real driving" again. I sat in a car for the first time in my life that had an "8 Track" player - I thought these things were a myth and only spoken about in American movies. I enjoyed the fact that I was driving cars with manual chokes and only one wing-mirror. I like the great interiors of the past too - there was a lot of brown in use in the 70's and 80's. Most of all I love the sound of the engines and the way that in terms of style these vehicles look even better with age.
I've been on many trips with car companies over the years, but this to me has to be among the ones I enjoyed the most. It's probably because of the familiarity I have as an Irish person with the Opel brand. I was talking to Laura Condron, Opel Ireland's Senior Brand & PR Manager, about the association Irish people still have with the Opel brand. We talked about how some people in Ireland still think that Opel is an Irish brand on account of the connection with Jack and Mick's army during our European and World Cup campaigns.
Opel appear to be going down the grassroots road again with their current sponsorship deals with the GPA and the GAA. Their current Managing Director, Dave Sheeran, seems to be taking a leaf out of Arnold O'Byrne's book in terms of marketing. He's finding an "in" in something that Irish people really care about. The question is though, was what O'Byrne achieved, through one of the best marketing deals at a very opportunistic time, just a one-off phenomena which has been achieved by very few companies except for maybe Arnott's who gained massive brand recognition through their long-term sponsorship of the Dublin football team? Or is it something that can again be replicated into the future?
Answers on a post card.....
- Daragh Ó Tuama
