The production of the Opel 10/40 PS took place directly after a period of hyperinflation, and it is difficult to find clear data on consumer price inflation/deflation in the German economy as government wrestled with currency stabilisation during this period, but it is likely that for most people a significant portion of the price reductions on the Opel 10/40 PS were real money reductions. The Opel 10/40 PS was notably less expensive than cars of this size from other German auto-makers, because Opel was the first and at this time the only manufacturer in Germany manufacturing cars using a Ford inspired production line system. The approach was cheap especially where, as in the case of the 10/40 PS, the car was developed to be simple and cheap to produce. Opel were content to leave technical innovation to other manufacturers. In 1920 the government had imposed prohibitive tariffs against importing foreign automobiles, but the de facto prohibition was repealed in October 1925, and during 1925 both Ford and Chevrolet invested heavily in establishing German sales operations. After this it became possible to find cheaper cars comparable in size and concept to the Opel 10/40 PS from Chevrolet or Ford, but in reality it took a few years for the American concerns to become established in Germany, and when they did decide to build themselves significant shares of the German auto-market, General Motors employed the strategy of buying Germany’s leading mass market auto-producer, which happened to be Opel. Meanwhile, at a time when few people could afford any sort of car, and those that could were in no position to pay premium prices, the 10/40 PS dominated its class in the mid-1920s, and is remembered as the most popular “middle class” German car of the period. The car changed very little during its 4½ year production run, but from somewhere in the middle of 1927 the radiator was mildly redesigned and at the end of the year the “Limousine” bodied cars received slightly less squared off roof edges. Opel produced and sold 13,161 of their big four cylinder “middle class car” between 1925 and 1929, and despite the low price, they were able to sell the car profitably while other German auto-makers were seen to obsess over technical progress often taking risks with the overall financial viability of their business as they did so. The Opel was a commercial success.