German Officer Posing with Opel Olympia Car, Summer 1939

October 19, 2025 - Reading time: 3 minutes

German Wehrmacht officer posing with an Opel Olympia car bearing Hamburg plates, summer 1939.

Pre-WWII photo showing a German Wehrmacht officer posing beside an Opel Olympia passenger car with Hamburg plates, summer 1939.

This pre-World War II photograph shows a German Wehrmacht officer posing proudly beside a civilian Opel Olympia passenger car, bearing the license plates of Hansestadt Hamburg. Although registered as a civilian vehicle, the car carries the painted letters “WH” (Wehrmacht-Heer) on the fender — marking it as property of the German Army.

The Opel Olympia, introduced in 1935, was one of the most advanced and affordable cars of its era, notable for its all-steel unitized body construction. By 1939, many civilian Olympias had been requisitioned by the Wehrmacht for use as staff and liaison vehicles. Compact, reliable, and easy to maintain, the model became a common sight across occupied Europe once the war began.

This image, taken in Germany during the summer of 1939 — just months before the invasion of Poland — captures the calm and confidence of the pre-war period, when the Wehrmacht was at the height of its modernization and expansion.

Technical photo data:

📍 Location: Germany
📅 Date: Summer 1939
📝 Event: Wehrmacht officer posing with Opel Olympia passenger car
📷 Author: Unknown German photographer