The coming premiere of Opel’s new compact wagon, the Astra Sports Tourer, is a good opportunity to remember the sensation Opel created in Europe when it launched the Olympia Rekord Caravan in 1953. For nearly six decades, Opel has made station wagons successful in Europe, where the Kadett and Astra Caravan have consistently been top sellers throughout the continent.

When the small US automotive company Hudson introduced its new Terraplane Station Wagon in December 1936, few people guessed that this new kind of vehicle would change the way society travelled. At the time, it was seen as one of the many hybrid design attempts straddling the proportions of a sedan and delivery vehicle. The idea never achieved any success until after the Second World War.

That changed in the mid-1940s with the rise of a middle-class who needed vehicles for business but couldn’t afford a separate car for their family. The small manufacturers built the special station wagon bodies in wood or a combination of wood and steel.

When demand for such versatile vehicles began to rise steadily, major US manufacturers took over the production with an all-steel construction – often panelled with imitation wood, which helped to visually differentiate them from pure delivery vans.

In Europe, the distinction between a delivery vehicle and a passenger car began to blur with the arrival of integral body construction.

Station wagons could serve as a workhorse during the week and a family car on weekends. Opel was the first German manufacturer who identified this trend and offered such a flexible car. In 1953 Opel presented the first true European station wagon: The Olympia Rekord, with its boxy rear end featuring side windows was shown alongside the sedan version.