The Blitz

History of the Blitz

The Blitz is OMC's newsletter/magazine. It has been in publication since 1980, covering 42 years, nearly 400 issues, and over 2,000 articles, an estimated 9,000 pages.

The earliest issues of The Blitz were typed and mimeographed letters. After a few years these morphed into small 18-page pamphlets which soon grew to full letter-size 16-20 page newsletters, but were still produced using early word processing software and dot-matrix printers. From there the page count gradually increased, cover designs became more elaborate, and the use of illustrations in the interior increased. Eventually color was added, but only for special issues and even then for only a few pages, usually the covers. Beginning in 1996 PDF versions of The Blitz were being offered as an alternative to print. The software, computers, and printers available by then were such that more complicated layouts and illustrations could be employed, and at this point the newsletter was well on its way to looking more like a magazine. The current format is very much like a magazine and between the Internet and the printing technologies available today it is possible to both print and mail a full-color, glossy, and bound newsletter for much less than it would cost to print it at home.

Through the years each editor left his or her mark on The Blitz, most notably in the cover designs. You can see a number of them all in one place here. If any one aspect speaks to the feel of the club at the time, and its evolution, it is the cover designs.

Naturally the interior design and content also reflect the editors' visions of the newsletter and their efforts to support OMC's members and encourage their participation. Consequently the evolution of the interior of The Blitz reflects the evolution of the Opel community itself.

The era when OMC was a southern California club, with frequent events and an annual picnic, is long behind us. However, as the club grew and drew in members from all around the country and abroad, and as regional chapters formed, the importance of The Blitz to OMC grew. It was the one thing that united us. Well, until the Internet came along.

Over the years, and for a number of reasons, OMC gradually scaled back its efforts to just publishing The Blitz, plus hosting the Opel Nationals every five years. Yet its mission has not changed. Through The Blitz it still works to encourage interest in and support for the classic Opels.

Today, OMC is clearly no longer the end-all and be-all concern for the classic Opels community in North America. Gary Farias' OpelGT.com forum is a major, and most would agree, more influential resource, and his Alt-Opel.US effort has the potential to unite us with the Opel communities in Europe. Where once The Blitz was the one and only source of news and support for our Opel passions, it is now but one such source. In response, each editor has worked to adapt The Blitz to this changing landscape. Tech-tips, for example, are more readily available on Gary's forum, so the editors have focused more on producing more in-depth articles when addressing technical matters. In addition, The Blitz is now more focused on the Opel lifestyle, meaning, things people are doing with their Opels, be that racing, going to shows, even attempting a personal Cannonball Run or some such creative, perhaps wackadoodle, undertaking.

The Blitz is still something you can come home to, find in your mail box, and spend the evening reading. Afterwards you can share it with friends, take it to car shows, leave it on the table in the reception area at the office. That, along with the depth of its articles and quality of its illustrations, is what, in this Internet age, makes The Blitz special, and why it is more than just 300+ newsletters. It's a big chunk of the history of the classic Opels community in North America.

Back Issues

Use the slider to select the year of publication, then click the cover image to download the issue. (Issues prior to 1996 and for 2001 are not available yet. Issues for 2023 were never produced.)

Publication Year:  1985

Blitz Index

The table below lists nearly every article ever published in The Blitz. To help you find the one you are interested in just click the column headers to sort the whole table, and/or use the search feature. (Hint: you can also use your browser's search feature.) When you find the article you are looking for double-click any cell in that row to bring up that issue. (The index is not complete. We are still working on it.)

  Search Column:  # Year Month Title Author Category Model   Text:   Reset