GM's Adam Opel to Enter Poland's Minicar Market

10/23/96

Reuters has reported that GM's German subsidiary will launch production at its Polish plant with a small family car, which it will follow up with the launch of a new mini car.

The Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita cited Opel's chief executive David Herman as saying that Opel wanted to launch a new model that would be smaller and 20 percent cheaper than the Corsa sub-compact. He said the new minicar would compete with Fiat's Cinquecento.

"We want to attack Poland's Cinquecento market," Herman said. "Cars that sell the best in Poland are the small and cheap ones and we are working on such cars right now."

Herman said Opel planned to export its new models to other East and Central European countries, as well as selling them within its own borders.

Opel began constructing its 470-million mark Polish plant last month. The first family cars, which are based on the company's current Astra model, are slated to roll off the assembly lines in 1998.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel