Opel “Laubfrosch” went out of production 100 years ago.

The Opel is celebrating the centenary of the start of mass production with assembly line technology, and the production of the historic “Laubfrosch”, the first model to come off an assembly line in Germany. Always in green color, the Opel 4/12 PS quickly gained the name “Laubfrosch”, the German word that describes a small frog, revolutionizing the automotive industry in Germany. Thanks to its highly efficient production, prices dropped and individual mobility on four wheels became, for the first time, accessible to the majority. Sales reached unprecedented levels, with around 120,000 units of the Opel 4 PS being produced between May 1924 and June 1931. In addition, the “Laubfrosch” brought with it many innovations, including a four-cylinder engine with direct flange gearbox, removable cylinder heads, oil pump lubrication, steel multi-disc clutch, adjustable windshield, and steel wheels. Like these, the vehicle frame was also pressed steel, with the remaining bodywork in steel and wood. Its one-liter inline four-cylinder engine allowed the small car to accelerate up to a maximum speed of 60 km/h and reach an impressive 50 km/h in third gear.The vehicle’s gear lever, for right-hand drive, was no longer mounted on the outside, becoming easily accessible in the center of the vehicle, a very modern solution for the time.

Initially proposed as a two-seater vehicle and later as an extended three-seater vehicle, the Opel “Laubfrosch” measured 3.20 meters in length, 1.35 meters in width, and 1.65 meters in height, featuring a foldable roof for protection against the weather and even an integrated trunk behind the seat, in the protruding rear.

The Opel was advertised at the time as the “car for everyone”, as it had a price of 4500 Rentenmark at the beginning of production, little compared to other vehicles, but still as expensive as a private house.

It later became the “Volks”-Opel (Opel for everyone) because its selling price decreased from year to year, thanks to the continuous development of assembly line technology.

Assembly line production reduced production times to minimum values, and Opel hoped to achieve a daily production of 25 vehicles in the spring of 1924, by the end of the year 100 cars were already being produced and, just a few months later, 125 units of the “Laubfrosch” were coming off the production lines every day. 

Thus, in 1930, the Opel 4/20 PS was available as a simple two-seater vehicle for only 1990 Reichsmark. With over 100,000 units produced by then, it had already established itself as an ideal and affordable car for professionals such as regional doctors, architects, and sales representatives, making the model a milestone for the German automotive industry.