Just a few days ago, it was probably Thursday and I was on my way to the Škoda Rapid Opel “ÄDÄM” left out. Less about the car itself, more about the stupid choice of names for the equipment lines. I visualize how you order an Opel Adam Slam (pronounced German) from an Opel dealership in the country.
But how long will Opel car dealerships remain in the country?
I started the article about the grotesque choice of name with:
It must be the naked despair that appears in the morning in the offices of the Rüsselsheim car maker for work.
I didn’t know then how right I was with this “despair”. 24 hours later it is clear: desperation has given way and will no longer travel to the offices in Rüsselsheim in the future. A bang in the automotive industry and from my colleague “Jens Rad-ab Stratmann” also blogged promptly.
While Jens, who is very close to this Blitz brand, tries to pack the process as objectively as possible as a message - I can't help but say:
Karl Friedrich Stracke is tired of it!
And I can understand him well. While the press releases are full of indications that Stracke has not been released, but is still reporting to GM boss Anderson for special tasks - I'm pretty sure what really happened here.
Opel bosses Stracke did not have an easy job. With the nasty stepmother behind him and very limited freedom of action, he nevertheless tried to manage the Opel brand as a German brand. To convey respect and recognition to his employees and to act in a socially responsible manner. And now there are a few statements in the recent past from Karl-Friedrich Stracke that he will not be able to keep.
I can't say whether it was the impending loss of face or whether he had simply had enough of US amateurism, but we will definitely read in about 4 weeks that Stracke is leaving the GM Group. Stracke came to the top of Opel as a “GM understander”.
Some media reports that Stracke had to go because the numbers are wrong and sales have to accept brutal declines, I think that is judged to be short-sighted. The man was only 15 months at the top of the Opel, the reasons are more in one future planning - who even GM understanders Stracke did not want to communicate and lead.
Too bad. Opel could, could, would be ...