Opel targets No 2 spot in Europe

Adam Opel, the European brand of General Motors, is targeting second place in deliveries in the region in the coming years as new models attract buyers.

“We’re working on the biggest comeback story in the European auto industry,” Karl-Thomas Neumann, Opel chief executive, said in a speech at the manufacturer’s plant in Eisenach, Germany. “We’ve set ourselves clear goals. We want to profitably become the No 2 in Europe.”

Opel is the third-largest brand in the region, behind VW and Ford, according to data from the ACEA trade group. The Ruesselsheim-based nameplate’s first-quarter market share rose to 6.8% from 6.7%. Volkswagen’s namesake brand’s share in the period stood at 11.8%, while Ford had 7.5%.