The Olympia Rally '72 Revival will be held in Germany from August 8–13, and the Opel Classic will be there. One hundred and ninety-seven teams from nine countries will participate in six stages between Kiel in the north and Munich in the south, spanning 2,252 kilometers. Walter Röhrl, a rallying legend and two-time world champion began his career in the inaugural Olympia Rally, which is being commemorated this year.
"We are happy to be able to present actual gems in this wonderful reenactment, including models such as the 1971 Rallye Kadett and the Opel Commodore GS/E Coupé. In view of the rally's name, the Opel Olympia is also a prerequisite. The latest iteration of the Opel Astra, a plug-in hybrid, will also be available. "This striking model, with its clear and strong design and pioneering technologies, will be utilized as a pilot vehicle and transport vehicle for teams," stated Harald Hamprecht, Vice President, Communications.
Opel Classics director Leif Rohwedder remarked, "The 1972 Olympia Rally was remarkable, and its restoration will arouse the fans' emotions." The sight of our renowned Opel automobiles will undoubtedly spark many fond memories for both competitors and onlookers.
Walter Röhrl, piloting an Opel Commodore GS/E and an Opel Ascona 400. According to Walter Röhrl, "the rally of the century, after which nothing was the same as before," occurred at the 1972 Olympia Rally. Soon after, he committed to his first professional team, the Opel factory squad. During this time, I worked with Opel tuner Günter Irmscher in preparation for my maiden Monte Carlo Rally and the fantastic 1973 season with new co-driver Jochen Berger. Later, in 1974, driving an Opel Ascona A for the factory, the Bavarian won the European Rally Championship. He repeated the feat in 1982, driving an Opel Ascona 400 for his second European Rally Championship victory.
On Thursday, August 11, Walter Röhrl will begin the rally with the Opel Commodore GS/E donated by Opel Classic. Röhrl and Berger made their debut in the 1973 Monte Carlo Rally for Irmscher/Opel in this very car. Röhrl will then drive the second stage with Pferdsfeld in the Opel Ascona 400-the kind of success he has had, including a victory at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1982. The day's finish line may be found in front of the Technical Museum in Speyer, which features Europe's greatest collection of airplanes and spacecraft.
The Olympia Rally '72 Revival will include a special Opel Kadett B driven by ADAC sports president Hermann Tomczyk and motorsport veteran Günther Holzer, in addition to vintage Opel vehicles driven by Walter Röhrl. The Swedish duo of Anders Kulläng and Bruno Berglund, who competed in the Rallye Kadett in the 1970s, will be driving it together.
It isn't easy to imagine the Olympia Rally without the Opel Olympia. This year's restoration will include the 1967 Olympia 1100 SR. This Opel car has an 1100 SR engine that produces 44 kW (60 HP). The more powerful Opel Olympia 1900 could reach top speeds of 170 km/h, which was the stuff of sports cars at the time.
