“It is the Hungarian Government’s duty and responsibility to provide all conditions necessary to assure that Opel’s new owner has an interest in expanding and developing its Hungarian activities”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said at the Opel factory in Szentgotthárd at an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the beginning of production.
The Foreign Minister pointed out that the Government had introduced several measures that should make the further development of the Szentgotthárd factory attractive to the PSA Group, including reducing the level of corporation tax, providing tax benefits for research & development, and a favourable investment promotion system.
Mr. Szijjártó praised the fact that Opel had played a major role in making Hungary one of the bastions of the European automotive industry. “Hungary’s automotive industry achieved a production value of 7874 billion forints (EUR 25.4bn) last year, 92 percent of which went to export”, he said.
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President and CEO of Opel/Vauxhall Karl-Thomas Neumann said the merger of PSA and Opel/Vauxhall was an opportunity that could lead to the birth of a new European Champion., adding that growth would be best served by keeping Opel a true German brand.
The event was linked to the Hungarian launch of Opel’s latest model, the new Insignia. The model is fitted with a 1.5 litre turbocharged petrol engine, which is manufactured in Szentgotthárd.
In his speech, Mr. Szijjártó called the past 25 years of the Szentgotthárd plant a joint success story for Opel and Hungary; a level of performance that is a testament to the manufacturing skills, creativity and diligence of the Hungarian people. He commended those who were already working in the factory twenty-five years ago, when the first Opel Astra rolled off the production line.
Mr, Szijjártó recalled that during the years of assembly 85 thousand Astra and Vectra cars were produced in Opel’s factory in Szentgotthárd, and that during the past quarter of a century the plant has manufactured a total of 9 million engines and 2 million cylinder heads.
He said the people of Hungary had come to love the Opel brand, as proven by the fact that 500 thousand Opel motor vehicles had been registered in Hungary, 415 thousand of which were sold in Hungarian dealerships, and Opel was still in third place on the sales list.
He also said that the owner of the Szentgotthárd plant had invested a total of 1.4 billion forints, had realised major developments and constructed Europe’s most modern flexible engine manufacturing capacity in three steps.
“The engine plant realised a record year in 2016, manufacturing 629 thousand 199 engines, more than ever before, and today its plant in Szentgotthárd is one of determining parts of the Opel Group”, he added.
The Hungarian Foreign Minister stressed that the Hungarian Government is as much as possible continuing to strive to shape conditions and the environment in such a way that Opel’s new owner not only wants to keep up the factory, but also to further develop it.
As an example, he pointed out that the Government had reduced the level of corporation tax to the lowest rate in the European Union.
Mr. Szijjártó also announced that the construction of the road between the border crossing point of Rábafüzes and Körmend would begin in 2018.
In his celebratory speech, President and CEO of Opel/Vauxhall Karl-Thomas Neumann recalled, amongst others, the fact that on 13 March 1992 Hungarian Prime Minister József Antall drove the first ever 1.1 litre, petrol-driven, five-door Opel Astra off the production line, the price of which at the time was less than 1 million forints (EUR 3200). The car was later donated to the Hungarian Museum of Transport, but had been brought back to Szentgotthárd today for the jubilee celebrations.
25 years ago, Opel realised Hungary’s first automotive industry investment, and four months after the launch of the assembly plant, the company also opened its engine factory, which was followed in 2013 by the Flex engine plant, he highlighted.
Mr. Neumann also mentioned that in 2016 Car of the Year the Opel Astra there also “beats a heart” that was manufactured in Szentgotthárd, and the brand’s new flagship model, the Insignia, which recently made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, will also be powered by an engine that was manufactured in Szentgotthárd.
The company is planning to launch 29 new models by 2020, seven of which will be introduced this year, he added.
He also spoke about the merger with PSA, explaining that it was important for Opel to remain a German brand, but that the companies’ engineers could also work together on developing a new European Champion brand. The company hopes to already achieve success in the very short term, for instance with its SUVs, the CEO said.
Managing Director of the Szentgotthárd plant Greg Buchal thanked the factory’s 1200 workers, and especially the 167 colleagues who have been working for Opel since the very beginning.
According to Mr. Buchal, the plant not only has a past, but also has a present and a future, and will continue to require the knowledge, diligence, enthusiasm and professionalism of the people who work there.
The connection between past, present and future was symbolised by the fact that Péter Szijjártó, Karl-Thomas Neumann and Greg Buchal arrived in the production hall that was the setting for the jubilee celebrations in the first ever Opel Astra manufactured 25 years ago, but left the plant in a new Opel Insignia, which they themselves unveiled during the event.
(MTI/Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
