Easter Egg Hunt the Opel Way: Find the Sharks in the New Grandland

• Dive into the depths of the Grandland: Several sharks hide in the new top SUV
• Iconic idea: Shark tradition at Opel began around 20 years ago with a boy’s brainwave
• Attention to detail: Designers fill Opel’s pure and bold design philosophy with life
• To be continued: Small sharks also in the new Opel Frontera and further models

Many families are already looking forward to the coming weekend to go on an Easter egg hunt together. But why should it always be the classic Easter nests in the garden or chocolate bunnies that provide surprises? Opel has a completely different, even more exciting and above all ‘weatherproof’ suggestion – and those familiar with the brand will guess what it is: Why not dive into the depths of an Opel model and keep an eye out for well-hidden little sharks? The miniature predators have been delighting drivers and passengers alike for almost 20 years now – and continue to do so in the new Opel Grandland.

The new top SUV from Opel offers plenty of everything: innovative technologies such as the adaptive, glare-free Intelli-Lux HD light, maximum comfort with Intelli-Seats as standard, clever solutions such as the translucent Pixel Box in the centre console and many other surprises such as the cute sharks – which appear in whole swarms in some places on the latest ‘Golden Steering Wheel’ winner¹. But you will need to do a bit of detective work to find out exactly where, as the sea dwellers are shy by nature. They can hardly be seen at first glance; instead, one lid has to be opened, another tray turned or the surroundings of the wirelessly charging smartphone viewed from a completely new perspective. Electrified in every variant and produced with many recycled materials, the Grandland also conserves resources in line with Opel’s ‘Greenovation’ approach and thus ensures that the iconic sharks feel even more at home in the vehicle.

“The sharks have become iconic among the community. And they show the attention our designers pay to even the smallest detail,” said Design Director Karim Giordimaina. “Many customers are already looking forward to searching for the sharks when they buy their next Opel model. So, the playful sharks are also proof of how we inspire enthusiasm and emotions with our vehicles, on a large as well as on a small scale.”

Iconic brainwave: The Opel sharks story began in 2004

Thus, it is no wonder that the miniature sharks have been making their way into every new model for many years. But how come that they were allowed to become a regular feature in Opel cars at all? A brief look back: One Sunday afternoon in 2004, designer Dietmar Finger was at home working on a sketch for the Corsa D which was to be launched two years later. He was designing the ordinary outer panel of the glove box, which is mostly invisible because it is hidden by the closed passenger door. However, when the glove box is opened, this panel must ensure stability – which it does with ribs integrated in the plastic surface. Finger was designing the ribs when his son looked at the sketch and said, “Why don’t you just draw a shark?” “Why not!” thought the designer and gave the ribs their characteristic shape! The next day, he showed the shark profile to Niels Loeb and the then Corsa Chief Designer was immediately sold on the idea. The shark in the glove box went into series production and the ‘Opel sharks story’ began.

Next came the Zafira, where Karim Giordimaina, then in charge of the interior design, hid three sharks in the compact van’s cockpit. Further permanent ‘shark appearances’ followed, first in the Opel ADAM and subsequently in all other car models up to the current generation Astra and Astra Sports Tourer as well as the new Grandland, where several tiny sea creatures are hidden in various places.

This has created an iconic ritual. Since the mid-2000s, every interior chief designer has made sure that at the end of the development process of a new model they have at least one shark somewhere in the interior. The exact locations always remain secret, even from top management. The fish therefore often stay hidden until the launch, which makes for an interesting search for shark lovers both inside and outside the company.

Consequently, the ‘Opel sharks story’ continues. Customers will soon be able to go on a shark hunt with the whole family in the new Opel Frontera. And in future Opel vehicles, too, the mini predators will be making their rounds, sometimes more, sometimes less hidden. Depending on the model, they may well change their territory in the depths of the interior and bodywork. So it remains exciting for customers to see where and how many sharks they will discover in their new Opel model.

^[1] AUTO BILD edition 46/2024 and BILD am SONNTAG edition 45/2024, category ‘Best car under €50,000’.