Oldie becomes a sight to see Opel rust bucket hasn't been washed for 60 years
Don't wash it - this Opel is an experiment.
Image: dpa
The classic car had to be re-parked because parking spaces are dwindling in the neighborhood. Its new location is almost opposite the old one.
Image: dpa
Don't wash it - this Opel is an experiment.
Image: dpa
The classic car had to be re-parked because parking spaces are dwindling in the neighborhood. Its new location is almost opposite the old one.
Image: dpa
A Berlin professor hasn't wanted his Opel Olympia Caravan washed for almost 50 years. The oldie has become a Kreuzberg landmark. Now it has had to move.
18.10.2025, 19:05
18.10.2025, 23:43
dpa
It rusts, but it drives: Hanns-Lüdecke Rodewald's Opel Olympia Caravan has long been more than just an old car. The car, built in 1956, has been parked in Berlin's Graefekiez district for many years and has become an eye-catcher, an urban experiment. Now it has had to move. The neighborhood is changing. There is now a building site at its old location.
"As part of the traffic turnaround, a section of the Graefekiez is being converted into a car-free zone. Cars will no longer be allowed to drive or park here," says owner Hanns-Lüdecke Rodewald. Now his car is no longer parked in front of a café, but diagonally opposite a pizzeria. The "Tagesspiegel" reported on the classic car's relocation.
Giving up car washing as a sustainable long-term project
Rodewald is a professor emeritus at a Berlin university and an expert in vehicle safety. He sees the Opel, which many people in Berlin already know, as a sustainable long-term project. Since 1977, it has no longer been washed or maintained, but observed. The research question: "How long can a car run if only the most essential repairs are carried out?" Rodewald's interim result is: "It lasts a very long time!" According to the owner, the car still has its MOT.
Only the bare essentials are done
"A complete restoration is not necessary if you just want to drive the car," says Rodewald. Only the bare essentials are repaired or replaced: tires, spark plugs, battery, brake pads. The environmental zone was a problem for a long time. Without a green sticker, the car was not actually allowed to be parked there
, but Rodewald says he obtained an exemption - because the Opel is used for tourist purposes and is booked for filming. "The permit allows non-low-emission vehicles to drive in the Berlin low emission zone. It therefore also applies to this parking lot," explains the car owner.
