Opel Shark Cult Spreads to New Astra Sports Tourer
While the interior of most Opel models, such as the award-winning Mokka-e and Corsa-e, somewhere conceals one shark, the newest generation of the compact estate hosts several – one near the front, another towards the rear and others in more unusual places (but even Opel sharks must get their energy from somewhere). Exploring the new Astra Sports Tourer in search of sharks – for example as plug-in hybrid (WLTP combined fuel consumption1: 1.2-1.1 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 27-25 g/km) – is almost as much fun as driving it.
“The little sharks hidden in the new Opel Astra and Sports Tourer show our designers’ love for the tiniest of details”, said Design Director Karim Giordimaina. “Our customers can feel this passion and in the meantime Opel’s sharks have become a cult. This also demonstrates how approachable the Opel brand is.”
From idea to cult: The Opel sharks story began in 2004
But how do miniature sharks come to be hiding in Opel cars? One Sunday afternoon in 2004, designer Dietmar Finger was at home working on a sketch for a new Corsa. He was designing the ordinary outer panel of the glove box, which is mostly invisible because it is hidden by the closed passenger door. However, when the glove box is opened, this panel must ensure stability – which it does with ribs integrated in the plastic surface. Finger was designing the ribs when his son looked at the sketch and said, “Why don’t you just draw a shark?” “Why not!” thought the designer and gave the ribs their characteristic shape!
The Corsa Chief Designer at the time, Niels Loeb, was immediately sold on the idea. The shark in the glove box went into series production and the “Opel Shark Story” began. Next came the Zafira, where Karim Giordimaina, then in charge of the interior design, hid three sharks in the compact van’s cockpit. More followed, first in the Opel ADAM, then the Astra and other cars such as the Crossland and the Grandland SUV flagship.
In the meantime, every interior chief designer has placed a shark or two inside a new Opel model. The exact location always remains secret, even from Design top management. The fish therefore stay hidden until the launch, which makes for an interesting search for shark lovers both inside and outside the company.
The shark cult is set to continue with future Opel models. Exactly where they will be hiding in the car remains a mystery, but customers can already look forward to having fun looking for them.
