German Economics Minister Michael Glos and Minister-President of the German State of Thuringia Dieter Althaus were present as actress Esther Schweins drove the ten-millionth Opel Corsa off the production lines at the plant in Eisenach.

The anniversary car is a Corsa ecoFLEX 1.3 CDTI, which emits an especially low 119 grams CO₂/km. Minister Glos highlighted the important contribution to employment and growth that Opel has brought to Eisenach with its production plant.

“The development of the automobile industry in the new German states has been highly successful, and Opel has played a major role in this success here in Eisenach."

State premier Althaus emphasized the fact that the Opel plant in Eisenach, with its highly efficient production processes, is one of the most important production sites in the state and a driving force behind the impressive resurgence of the automobile and supplier industry in Thuringia. “Thanks to this center in Eisenach, more than 18,000 people have a state-of-the-art workplace in Thuringia’s automotive industry today,” said Althaus.

Hans Demant, Managing Director of Opel, added his praise: “Thanks to excellent quality in all areas, the Opel plant in Thuringia is highly competitive in the global market. And the new Corsa ecoFLEX we’re building here is a pacesetter when it comes to environmental compatibility.”

The plant in Eisenach began production in 1992, with work on the current Corsa model beginning in August 2006 after a 150 million-euro investment in new manufacturing facilities. Together with the models produced at the Spanish plant in Zaragoza, around 550,000 new Corsas have been sold so far.
In 2007, it was the most successful supermini in Germany with 79,000 registrations. The Corsa also comes with a six-year warranty, which Opel recently introduced for its new vehicles. First presented at the IAA in September 2007, the Corsa ecoFLEX version boasts especially low fuel consumption and correspondingly low CO₂ emissions. It is the first car in the ecoFLEX variant range – the most economical and environmentally compatible versions in each Opel model line.