Founded in 1862 as a sewing machine factory, the German company Opel, which began producing automobiles in 1899 and was absorbed by the General Motors Group in 1929, had a good period in the 1930s.

After launching the Olympia in 1935, the first Kadett in 1936, and the Admiral in 1937, it was time to invest in the luxury segment, replacing the short-lived Super Six, which was released in 1936, with a new sedan: the Kapitan, introduced in 1939.

Named with a military title (captain), like the Kadett (cadet) and the Admiral (admiral), the car used modern monocoque construction, introduced in 1922 by the Lancia Lambda and still very rare at the time, and independent front suspension (the rear had a rigid axle with semi-elliptical springs).