What does it actually mean to keep Opel’s history alive? Is it an entry in the archive? A sketch from the development department? A production figure in a statistic? Or is it the moment when an 87-year-old Opel Olympia drives through a snowstorm at minus 18 degrees – on exactly the same route as in 1939? The Monte Carlo Tribute 1939 project wanted to find out exactly that. For Sławomir Poros, it was never just a classic car ride. The Polish automotive historian has been intensively involved with his country’s pre-war motorsport history for years – and thus also with the role that Opel played in it.

The deeper he delved into archives, photos and newspaper reports, the clearer it became to him: The history of the Opel Olympia of 1939 and its reliability demonstrated in endurance racing were more than a side note. They were a symbol of courage, engineering and European connections in an eventful time. „At that time, people wanted to impress the world – not with words, but with deeds,“ says Poros.


This thought gave rise to a decision: If you want to show what the sum of origin, attitude and memory really means, you must make it tangible. This is precisely why the automotive historian decided not only to research or document the 1939 drive, but to actually repeat it – following the same route, under conditions that were as similar as possible and with an almost original Opel Olympia.

An Opel with a history

The chosen car, an Opel Olympia OL38, is about 90 percent preserved in its original condition. No modern upgrades, no comfort improvements. No optimised seats, no modified suspension. „There is a difference between ‚ready to ride‘ and ‚ready for a challenge‘,“ Poros explains.

Together with the team of „Sniadanie & Gablota Classic“ – first and foremost his father, Sławomir Poros Senior, as chief mechanic – the vehicle was meticulously prepared. Instruments, windshield wipers, brakes, engine, chassis: every detail was checked, revised, understood. After all, anyone who really knows a historic car also knows where its limits lie – and how to repair it at the roadside at minus 20 degrees in an emergency.

The Olympia bears the name ‘Hans’, named after a former owner who was so attached to the car that he travelled to Tallinn from Sweden to witness the start. „On the one hand, Hans is a family member for us,“ says Poros Junior. „On the other hand, he’s a machine – a bit of a challenger and a great memory maker.“

On January 27, the journey began where the Monte Carlo Rally started in 1939: in front of the main portal of the Estonian National Opera in Tallinn. Thanks to local supporters, the Olympia was allowed to start at this historic location. The route was also consistently based on the original. All control stations at that time were approached again – based on a press release from 1939. History has not been interpreted. It has been reconstructed.

Winter stress test for man and machine

The most difficult phase awaited in Lithuania and Latvia. Snowstorms, icy roads, minus 18 degrees, limited visibility – for two days. A petrol station attendant in Bauska spoke of the harshest winter in years. Conditions that must have come very close to those of 1939. The Olympia proved its worth. After 87 years, the car showed its robustness. Only two minor incidents – an adjustment in the ignition distributor and a problem with the needle valve in the carburettor – interrupted the journey for a short time.

„After 87 years, this car is still great,“ says Poros with palpable respect. Later, the mountains near Grenoble and almost 300 kilometres of heavy rain on the way to Nice demanded full concentration again – especially with a mechanical windshield wiper system from the 1930s.

The most emotional moment

The most moving moment did not come in the snow or in the mountains – but at the finish line. When the Olympia arrived in Monte Carlo on February 6, during the 28th Monte Carlo Historique Rally, his father was standing at the side of the road. „When I saw the joy in his eyes, that was my most emotional moment,“ says Poros Junior. „He bore full responsibility for the car. Drivers are important – but no one goes anywhere without reliable technology.“ The reception by the Automobile Club de Monaco felt like a time machine for the team, with 1939 and 2026 suddenly only a bonnet length apart.

A European history

Along the route, the team experienced enormous support – from classic car enthusiasts in Estonia to a reception at Rīgas Motormuzejs and spontaneous offers of help in Lithuania and Poland. This trip was not only a tribute to Tadeusz „Tadek“ Marek and Witold Pajewski. It was also proof of the European spirit that shaped Opel as early as the 1930s: developed in Rüsselsheim, assembled in Warsaw, launched in Tallinn, celebrated in Monaco. Throughout the journey, Poros asked himself the same question over and over again: „What do you think Marek and Pajewski were talking about in the car back then?“ Maybe about the road in front of them. Maybe about the technology. Maybe about the future.

The Opel Olympia was a courageous car – technically visionary, internationally present and ready for challenges. In 1939 it drove from Tallinn to Monte Carlo. In 2026 it did it again. And thanks to Sławomir Poros, a historical entry in the archive became a living brand history on four wheels. The automotive historian would like to express his thanks to all the participants of the 1939 Monte Carlo Tribute, the Sniadanie & Gablota Classic team: Sławomir Poros Sr., Marian Stoch, Rafał Pilch, Szymon Wolny, Maciej Jasinski, Paweł Szymula, Damian Górniak and Krzysztof Stasiak – without whose passion, commitment and team spirit this extraordinary project would not have been possible.

And we thank Sławomir Poros Junior for sharing the beautiful story with us and the readers of the Opel Post!