Opel Motoclub, 150 years ago its designer was born | FormulaPassion.it

Exactly a century and a half has passed since the birth of Ernst Neumann-Neander, what Opel calls a universal genius. Racing driver and engineer, he is considered to all intents and purposes the father of the Motoclub, the brilliant motorcycle that the Russelsheim brand produced from 1928 to 1930. We are talking about a two-wheeler that stood out due to the innovative pressed steel frame, a technological innovation that allowed Opel to reduce the traditional assembly time of a motorcycle from 15-25 hours to about 4 hours.

The designer of this motorcycle was Ernst Neumann-Neander, a man who has always had a passion for two wheels: his first motorcycle, which he built by himself, appeared in 1904, and he used it to tackle uphill and endurance races such as the Paris-Rome-Paris. In the early 1920s he created a few models for various coachbuilders, including the Kruck from Hesse which collaborated with Opel. After the First World War, however, he concentrated on the design and production of motorcycles with the name “Neander”, characterized by elegant design, lightness, good comfort and unusual technical solutions. His talent was also recognized in an inventor competition held in 1924 in Stuttgart, during which the designer of the Motoclub won the award in all categories for excellent motorcycle improvements.

FP | Andrea Trezza

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