Opel / General Motors Manufacturing Poland Car Plant in Gliwice
A passenger car plant built by General Motors in Gliwice, in the Gliwice sub-zone of the Katowice Special Economic Zone. Gliwice's efforts to secure a plant producing Opel-brand cars were finalised on 6 May 1996, and the ceremonial start of construction, attended by the President of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski, took place on 2 October 1996. It was one of the largest foreign investments in Poland at the time. General Motors declared an investment of around USD 360 million, about 2,000 jobs, and an initial production capacity of 150,000 cars a year. Twenty-two months passed between the symbolic ground-breaking and the start of production: on 31 August 1998 the first Opel Astra Classic I rolled off the line, and the model was produced until 27 June 2002. In total, General Motors invested around EUR 700 million in Gliwice (a cumulative figure across successive expansion phases). The plant, run by General Motors Manufacturing Poland (formerly Opel Polska), became part of the Stellantis group after Groupe PSA acquired Opel (2017) and FCA merged with Groupe PSA in 2021, and now operates as Stellantis Gliwice.
How it went
Assessment: settled, as of 25 Jul 2026. This is our reading, not a verdict, and we show it only where a quote from a source listed below stands behind it. Of the four, 2 carry no assessment yet, one has an assessment with no confirmed quote. How to read this section
Timeline
- Announced6 May 1996
- Construction start2 Oct 1996
- Delivery31 Aug 1998
Significance
The Opel plant in Gliwice was one of the largest foreign industrial investments in Poland in the 1990s and a flagship project of the Katowice Special Economic Zone, whose Gliwice sub-zone became the largest within the entire zone. Built in a record 22 months, the plant launched years of production of successive generations of the Opel Astra (as well as the Agila model), creating thousands of jobs in the region and a network of subcontractors. Following Groupe PSA's acquisition of Opel (2017) and the creation of the Stellantis group (2021), the plant continues operating as Stellantis Gliwice.
Sources 4 · 3 independent · 1 archived
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- Wikipedia (pl)StatusStage
Statusod chwili symbolicznego wbicia łopaty w październiku 1996 roku do uruchomienia produkcji w sierpniu 1998 roku minęły 22 miesiące
StagePierwszym produkowanym modelem był Opel Astra Classic I, który powstawał od 31 sierpnia 1998 do 27 czerwca 2002 roku
- gliwice.eu (Urząd Miejski w Gliwicach)AnnouncedConstruction startDelivery
AnnouncedKiedy 6 maja 1996 roku sfinalizowano starania Gliwic o budowę fabryki produkującej samochody marki Opel
Construction startUroczystość rozpoczęcia budowy gliwickiej fabryki Opla z udziałem prezydenta RP Aleksandra Kwaśniewskiego, 2 października 1996 r.
Deliveryjuż 31 sierpnia 1998 roku z taśmy zjechał pierwszy biały opel astra
- UPI Archives6 May 1996Cost
CostGM inks $360 million Polish investment
- Manufacturing JournalInvestorFunding
Investor · FundingGeneral Motors invested about EUR 700 million in General Motors Manufacturing Poland (formerly known as Opel Polska).