Opel was founded in Germany back in 1862 as a sewing machine manufacturer, but the company soon diversified, first into bicycles and then cars and vans. By the mid-1950s, Opel had established itself as a major European auto manufacturer. At this time, Opel and its sister company Vauxhall came under the ownership of General Motors. The Opel company is now part of the Stellantis group.