Opel is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Kadett E, marking its 40th anniversary in automotive production. Launched in the autumn of 1984, this model brought great success to Opel engineers. The Kadett E was the last compact model offered by Opel at the time to carry the Kadett name. Later, the new model that replaced the Kadett began to carry the name “Astra” and continued this success in the compact class steadily. Today, the new Astra generation offers modern driving pleasure to users with the sense of responsibility inherited from the past. The new Opel Astra is on the road with hybrid and internal combustion engines as well as a fully electric version.
The development story of the fifth generation Kadett model, considered the ancestor of the Astra model family, actually began in 1979. From the moment Opel's first front-wheel drive model, the Opel Kadett D, was introduced to the market, ideas about the model that would follow it began to be formed. Numerous engineers, technicians and designers working in product development and production in Rüsselsheim became part of the "Kadett E" project. Over a five-year period, 1,5 billion German marks were spent on the development of the Kadett E. Before being ready for series production, the prototypes covered a total distance of approximately 6,5 million kilometers in test centers, on race tracks, in desert regions in Northern Europe and the USA, and under difficult weather conditions. Following the completion of intensive tests, the Kadett E, also featuring front-wheel drive, was introduced to the market in the fall of 1984. It quickly reached authorized dealers with a unique model variety.
The latest generation of the Kadett was available as a three- and five-door hatchback and as the class-leading three- and five-door Kadett Estate with a boot volume of around 520 litres. Just one year later, the range was completed with the four-door notchback body type. From 1987 onwards, nature lovers more than lived up to their expectations with the Kadett E model. The man responsible for the new Kadett Convertible was the renowned Italian designer Nuccio Bertone. Featuring a wealth of standard equipment, from sports seats for the driver and front passenger to individually foldable rear seats and tinted side windows, the stylish “Topless Kadett” was designed in close collaboration with the design team in Rüsselsheim at the factory in northern Italy.
When developing the Kadett E, engineers and designers focused on the strong Opel-specific features without regard to the respective body type. These included an exciting design and proven top-level efficiency combined with suitability for everyday use, as well as an affordable price for a very wide audience. This recipe for success brought numerous awards to the fifth generation of the Kadett E, the best-seller in the compact class. In addition to the "Golden Steering Wheel 1984" award, the Kadett E also won the title of "European Car of the Year 1985".
In 1989, Opel launched a revised Kadett E model, and in 1991 the Opel Astra name was announced in Europe.
Despite the name change from Kadett to Astra, Opel continues its generation naming in the compact class, and therefore the new generation Astra bears the name “L“. However, the brand has continued its successful story in the compact class since 2021. The current Astra model stands out as the third generation to receive the “Golden Steering Wheel” award in a row.
