Opel Corsa 40th Anniversary: a very special edition for 1,982 lucky owners

Opel is celebrating, because the Opel Corsa turns 40. 2022 is not only a milestone for the brand’s city car, but in parallel it also marks the anniversary of one of its most important factories, the Zaragoza plant of Figueruelas.

In 1982, the Opel factory opened its doors on Spanish soil to begin manufacturing what was then the brand’s great bet for the urban segment: the Opel Corsa A.

After four decades of uninterrupted production, no less than 14.5 million units of the Opel Corsa have rolled off its assembly lines. Just as Opel vehicles have changed over the last 40 years, the Figueruelas factory has evolved in a spectacular way.

A walk through its facilities is all it takes: intelligent robotic assembly lines, autonomous transport vehicles moving parts between stations, and perfect synchronisation in every process create an efficient and high-tech atmosphere. Thanks to all this, the Aragonese factory has a production capacity of 54 cars per hour.

Another truly important step in Figueruelas’ growth was the expansion in January 2021 to host the battery assembly division of Stellantis. In just over a year and a half of existence, more than 60,000 batteries destined for the Corsa e and the Citroën e-C4 produced in Madrid have left its facilities. With all this, Figueruelas has become not only a fundamental factory in Opel’s strategy, but also a key piece of the Spanish economy, employing more than 5,000 people.

A forty-year-old with six generations

The first generation of the Opel Corsa, internally designated “A”, began production at the Zaragoza plant in 1982 and continued until 1992. In those 10 years of commercial life, no less than 3,105,339 units left the plant, with versions that remain memorable such as the legendary GSI and the distinction of being the first model on the market to feature ABS as standard.

In 1992, the brand’s model began production of the Corsa B, the model’s second generation, with a total of 2,931,574 units produced. Its rounder shapes, greater safety equipment and comprehensive features welcomed the 21st century, with more than four million units sold.

It was precisely in 2000 that the third instalment of the Corsa, the C, began to be manufactured at the Figueruelas plant. The model continued its particular growth, as this generation was already 20 cm longer than the first. A engine line-up led by its sophisticated ECOTEC petrol engines and efficient direct-injection turbodiesel engines convinced 2.5 million buyers.

In 2006, the Opel Corsa D made its starring debut with a design that broke away from the soft styling of the previous generations, adopting a sportier line that was even more pronounced in the three-door variant. This generation already featured technologies previously reserved for higher segments, such as the Start/Stop system. Special mention goes to the souped-up OPC which, thanks to its powerful 1.6 Turbo engine, produced 192 CV and accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.2 seconds.

The fifth generation of the Opel Corsa, launched in 2014, was the first to exceed four metres in length, with the aim of offering unprecedented comfort to its occupants. The Corsa E ushered the model into a new technological era thanks to features such as its IntelliLink multimedia system compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, front camera with distance indicator, traffic sign recognition and lane keeping assist. All this allowed it to continue the successful path of previous generations, with a total of 1.3 million units sold.

In 2019 the Opel Corsa F arrived, the sixth generation of the model that would fully enter the electric era. Thanks to its efficient petrol engines and its 100% electric variant with up to 353 km of range, this is the most complete and modern generation of the brand’s compact. Not only that, but it also introduced numerous cutting-edge driver assistance systems such as Forward Collision Alert with Automatic Emergency Braking and pedestrian detection, or Adaptive Cruise Control based on radar.

Opel Corsa 40th Anniversary: 1,982 units with a unique design

There is no better way to celebrate 40 years of a model as important to Opel as the Corsa than to present a new limited edition. Based on the GS trim, the sportiest and most dynamic in its range, the new Opel Corsa 40th Anniversary arrives to satisfy the wishes of the 1,982 lucky buyers who can get their hands on one of these exclusive units.

To make this limited series unique, all units are painted in the attractive and sporty “Rekord Red” colour, combined with a roof and several decorative elements in gloss black. Not only that, the Opel Corsa 40th Anniversary debuts a new wheel design specific to gloss black with grey inserts, tartan upholstery that pays homage to that of the first units that left the Figueruelas factory 40 years ago and, most special of all, an identification plate on the dashboard showing the serial number of each unit – in our case, we managed to get our hands on unit 208.

This very special edition for Opel will be available both in its fully electric version, the Corsa e, and with the 1.0 Turbo 100 CV petrol engine. The price of these 1,982 units starts at €21,440, €1,290 more than an equivalent Corsa GS Line, a trivial extra cost considering that, by acquiring one of these units, we become part of the 40-year history of the Opel Corsa.