The history of car manufacturing
The founding years and the DIXI era
3 December 1896 – The vehicle factory Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach A.G. is founded by the industrial magnate and Privy Building Councillor Heinrich Ehrhardt. His son, the engineer and automotive pioneer Gustav Ehrhardt, is appointed factory director
17 September 1898 – Presentation of the first Wartburg motor car after the signing of the license agreement with the French company Decauville on 12 September 1898. The first cars are delivered as early as December 1898 and Wartburg racing cars take part in the competition from 1899 onwards
March 1900 – Seven motor cars drive up to the Wartburg Castle to demonstrate the high performance of Wartburg motor cars. By 1900, 150 Wartburg motor cars have been produced and sold
March 1904 – The Ehrhardts leave Eisenach. Production of the vehicles continues under the new DIXI brand with special innovative designs
1909 – Expansion of the motor vehicle department. Presentation of a DIXI aircraft and airship engine at the International Air Show in Berlin and a DIXI boat engine at the International Motorboat Exhibition in Berlin in 1910
1914 – Conversion of the entire civil production to military trucks and armaments including gun carriages, limbers and minethrowers
1919 – Production of pre-war truck and passenger car models resumes, now under the brand name DIXI with its mythical Greek centaur
21 May 1921 – Fusion with the Gotha wagon factory Gothaer Waggonfabrik during the period of inflation. This caused the vehicle factory Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach A.G. to lose its independence. Production was then split up: cars were produced in Eisenach whereas stationary engines, fire engines and bus bodies were built in Gotha
1927 – Acquisition of the license for the English small car Austin Seven. Conversion of production to large-scale production according to the American method
1928 – Start of production of the small car DIXI 3/15 PS DA 1. However, the vehicle would come too late to save the factory financially
BMW in Eisenach
14 November 1928 – The Bayrische Motorenwerke München AG buys the DIXI Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach A.G. This is BMW’s first ever foray into car manufacturing
The BMW 3/15 HP type DA 2 is the first car to bear the blue-and-white BMW trademark. Like its predecessor, it is based on the small English car Austin Seven. On 9 July 1929, it is available from BMW dealers in both versions (sedan and touring car). On the same day, it is presented to the press as the BMW 3/15 to mark the opening of the new Berlin branch of BMW
1930 – Production of the first BMW sports car of the type Wartburg DA 3 with an 18 HP engine, a vehicle which would soon became a popular and successful competition car
11 February 1933 – The BMW 303 is presented at the International Automobile Exhibition in Berlin in 1933, with series production beginning in April of that year. It is the first car to sport the typical BMW feature, the kidney-shaped radiator grille, and it is also the first BMW to be equipped with a six-cylinder engine
14 June 1936 – At the premiere of the 2-liter sports car BMW 328 in the Eifel race held at the Nürburgring racecourse, Ernst Henne wins with a legendary start-to-finish victory. After this initial success, the BMW 328 continues its winning streak on all racecourses until 1940 and becomes the most successful racing sports car of its time
February 1936 – Start of production of the BMW 326. With 15,936 cars built, it would become the most successful BMW passenger car of the pre-war period
13 October 1938 – Presentation of the last Eisenach BMW model type 335 with 90 hp and a displacement of 3.5 l. BMW’s passenger car production comes to an end in mid-September 1941 with only 415 cars produced
May 1942 – Production of the all-terrain sidecar motorcycle R 75 is relocated from Munich to Eisenach
July 1944 to early 1945 – Eisenach suffers four heavy bombing raids. Approx. 65% of the factory is destroyed. Production finally comes to a standstill on 31 March 1945
4 July 1945 – Confiscation of the entire BMW company assets in Eisenach by the Soviet military administration pursuant to Allied resolutions
Nachkriegsära - Produktion in der Planwirtschaft
13 October 1945 – Order no. 93 from Marshall Zhukow, Supreme Commander of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany: “Start of automobile and motorcycle production at the former BMW factory in Eisenach”
1 November 1945 – Start of post-war passenger car and motorcycle production: 14 BMW 321 cars and 16 BMW R 35 motorcycles are produced in the first month
13 August 1946 – Takeover of the Eisenach BMW factory as the “car factory of the Soviet joint-stock company AWTOWELO, Eisenach BMW factory“
April 1948 – Presentation of the prototype of the first new post-war development from Eisenach – the BMW 340 – based on components of the pre-war Eisenach model BMW 326
7 October 1949 – Start of series production of the BMW 340 sedan. An ambulance and a station wagon version are also produced
5 June 1952 – Spin-off of the factory from the Soviet joint stock company Awtowelo. From now on, it is a state-owned enterprise with the new factory name VEB IFA Automobilfabrik EMW Eisenach (Eisenacher Motorenwerk)
5 March 1953 – Start of series production of the IFA F 9 with a 900 cm3 three-cylinder two-stroke engine
October 1955 – Model change: start of series production of the EMW / Wartburg 311
22 December 1955 – The company name is changed to VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach (AWE)
1 September 1965 – Start of series production of the Wartburg 312 with a new coil-sprung chassis, but retaining the 311 body
1 July 1966 – Start of series production of the Wartburg 353 with a coil-sprung chassis and a new body
3 March 1975 – Start of series production of the Wartburg 353 W with disc brakes and numerous improvements
29 July 1977 – Groundbreaking ceremony for the Eisenach-West factory of the AWE
21 July 1980 – Commissioning of the first production line in the press shop of the Eisenach–West factory
1 October 1985 – Production of the one millionth Wartburg 353/353W
12 October 1988 – Start of series production of the Wartburg 1.3 with a Volkswagen engine
10 April 1991 – Passenger car production ends with the last Wartburg 1.3 produced at the car factory Automobilwerk Eisenach. This marks the end of a more than ninety-year-old tradition of independent car manufacturing
A new start with Opel in Eisenach
11 March 1990 – Signing of the agreement to establish the planning company OPEL-AWE-Planungs-GmbH on the occasion of the Leipzig Spring Fair
5 October 1990 – Start of assembly production of the Opel Vectra 1.6i GL at the Eisenach-West factory
7 February 1991 – Laying of the foundation stone for the new Opel plant in the Eisenach-West factory of AWE
23 September 1992 – Opening of the new Opel factory. Start of production of the Opel Astra in Eisenach
3 June 1993 – Start of production of the Opel Corsa B
10 November 1999 – The one millionth Opel made in Eisenach rolls off the production line – an Opel Corsa B Edition 100
28 August 2000 – Start of production of the Opel Corsa C
21 August 2006 – Start of production of the Opel Corsa D
12 January 2007 – Production of the two millionth Opel made in Eisenach
From 10 January 2013 – Start of production of the newly developed Opel ADAM small car in parallel with the Opel Corsa D
28 October 2013 – As a result of a merger, the Opel Eisenach GmbH becomes Adam Opel AG – Werk Eisenach
23. April 2014 – Produktion des dreimillionsten Opel made in Eisenach, ein weißer Opel ADAM
1 August 2015 – Start of production of the Opel Corsa
1 January 2017 – Change from Adam Opel AG – Werk Eisenach to Opel Automobile GmbH – Werk Eisenach
1 August 2017 – The French automotive group PSA takes over Opel and Vauxhall from General Motors, including the Eisenach site
28 August 2019 – Start of production of the Opel GRANDLAND SUV
2 March 2020 – Start of production of the Grandland X Hybrid 4, marking the company’s entry into e-mobility
