At 10 o’clock sharp, the barrier at Portal 60 rises. Hundreds of visitors – some of whom had been waiting for over an hour ago – flock to the Rüsselsheim factory premises. Leading the charge is André Müller. Just ten minutes later, the family man has finalised the eagerly awaited purchase contract – for an Astra Plug-in Hybrid. “I tried all week – online everything was gone immediately.” Now he has done it. Pick-up: early June. The former Opel employee beams. There is a 45 per cent discount at the final event of the Spring WOW Week. The sprint was worth it.

The big factory party on Saturday transforms the Rüsselsheim factory premises into a stage for innovation, technology, diversity and community. And it brings back memories. Leaning on his walking stick, Egon Bornwasser looks around. The brick facades, the gateway to the bodyshop – “it’s nice to be back,” he says. He was at Opel for over four decades and trained as a toolmaker. Together with the most famous Opel trainee: Norbert Blüm. The later Minister of Labour began his training in 1949, Bornwasser a year later. “We always shared a workplace – because neither of us were the tallest.”

Children paint a Mokka, climb the pirate slide, circle go-karts around the track. Fun for young and old. The Rüsselsheim plant manager Pieter Ruts grabs the hammer tests his strength in the strongman game. Today, his factory team is also demonstrating its effectiveness with the gates to production areas open to provide fascinating insights into production in one of the most modern automotive plants.

In the body shop, robots perform programmed movements. Nils Karst observes how they produce a body from individual pressed parts. Spot welding, gluing, flanging – 31 robot types are in use, 646 in total. “Today I can show my family what I usually only talk about,” says the colleague in Process Quality. His wife and children are amazed.

The finale of the spring WOW week has begun: In the event hall K48, the queue at the counter of “Sales to Employees” is growing. New car buyers get blue wristbands, those interested in leasing green. All of them bargain hunters who emulate André Müller, the sprinting first buyer of the day. In the large area next door, not only Opel models are on display, but other Stellantis brands are also presented. There will be lectures on e-mobility and plenty of information.

At first a little hesitantly, the colleague in the Opel shirt approaches the Fiat 600. When she takes a seat behind the wheel, she beams: “Our colleagues in the group can also build beautiful cars.” Elsewhere, the new Opel Frontera is surrounded immediately. Smartphone pockets in the backrests, Intelli-Seats, ample load capacity – no feature remains unexplored. “With the Frontera, we have obviously hit a nerve with customers,” says Özgecan Özdemir. She is Brand Marketing Manager for the new SUV model, knows every detail, and provides charming advice.

In the photo box, a father-daughter moment: Sandrino Hardt grabs sunglasses, his daughter Freyja wears a red feather boa. “I assemble door modules in K170. My daughter has wanted to see my workplace for so long – the open door day is the perfect opportunity.” Freyja may only be nine years old, but her father is already taking her to the Opel vocational training – better safe than sorry. How do they like the cooperative training – business administration and industrial clerk? “Very good!”, answer Katharina Frey and Katharina Alles in unison. They rave about the good atmosphere, the great team, the trainers.

Large crowds also form outside with interested visitors jostling for a test drive with models of various Stellantis brands. Iqbal Barakzai steps from one foot to the other. “I’ve been looking forward to it for days,” he says. A cousin at Opel gave him the tip. Finally he holds the key in his hand, heads for the Opel Grandland, circles it examining. Radiant. “Love it! The most beautiful car on the road at the moment,” he says – and gets in. 650 times on this day, the employees of the “Sales to Employees” hand over a key for test drives.

At the end of the day, there are more than 8,000 visitors who experience the fascination of production and the variety of brands. And the is music: The band “Roof Rabbits” with Opel colleagues on the instruments rocks the stage. Ralph Wangemann, Opel’s Managing Director Human Resources, sums it up: “Innovation and team spirit – both are noticeable today.”

Opel CEO and Managing Director Stellantis Germany Florian Huettl also mingles with the guests. The factory party is more than just a weekend highlight. “The entire week is a lively outlook on Opel’s sustainable, innovative and electric future within the large Stellantis family,” says Huettl. After all, the celebration marks the end of a week under the motto ‘Connect – The Power of Stellantis’, which was attended by employees from all brands and divisions as well as thousands of investors, trade and business partners. For an exciting look ahead – into an electric future with diversity and passion.