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Vice President Design for Opel Mark Adams about what the future holds for Opel

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#1 ·
“We want to be the emotional German brand.”
Opel Media Online
2014-04-24


Rüsselsheim. Mark Adams knows a thing or two about car design. As the man behind Opel’s looks, the Vice President Design for Opel/Vauxhall has managed to seamlessly forge sculptured design with German engineering. It’s not merely about functionality, though, but bringing out the emotional aspect. Adams, speaking on the occasion of the World Graphic Design Day on Sunday April 27, reveals his design philosophy and gives a sneak preview of the shape of things to come in the future.

Mark, good design must be ahead of its time for people to appreciate it for years to come. How does this affect your work?

Mark Adams: I definitely agree. And I can think of some good examples among our cars, for example the latest Corsa. When we launched it on the market, it was a breath of fresh air compared to the competition. Even now after several years, its looks have endured. To achieve this, it takes a strong design statement that goes beyond the customer’s expectations. The Calibra and the Corsa B already followed this line of thinking. Right now, the Insignia is an excellent case in point. It looks as good now as it did back when it was launched.

What was your first project when you joined the company in 2002?

The Insignia concept car, which actually didn’t have a name back then. We started working on it two months after I arrived. It was to be presented at the IAA 2003. I wanted to do something with it that would be more sculpted, more emotional, but that would also carry the technical quality found in our brand. While working on the Insignia concept, we sowed the seeds for what was to become our new design philosophy. I came up with the motto ‘sculpted design meets German engineering’ in 2005. I remember saying to my team, “You know what? That’s it, that’s what we’ll call it!”

And so the Opel design language was given a name…

Not the design language, but rather the design philosophy. There is a difference. A lot of competitors back then had their own design language. But they never lasted. We wanted to create consistency. A design philosophy, as I understand it, is something sustainable and enduring. It can be valid for a hundred years. That’s what I wanted to get across to my team. So I took specific models from Opel’s history. I asked my team, “Could the Opel GT from the 60s be described as ‘sculpted design meets German engineering’?” The answer was yes, it could. So we pursued it. The Insignia was our first modern-day production car that carried these values. But it is also easy to imagine how cars could continue to follow this philosophy in 2060 and still be contemporary.

The good thing is that our philosophy doesn’t limit us, but gives us a lot of creative freedom instead. It provides a frame within which we can work, yet it doesn’t restrict us. We have a very broad range of customers, which is why we need different cars each with its own individual personality. This frame allows us to design these kinds of cars. We have carried this philosophy with every new vehicle since the Insignia. It is currently reflected in our entire model range: The Astra, Meriva, and Zafira Tourer all embody it. So do the cars that have expanded our portfolio – the Ampera, Mokka, ADAM, and Cascada. For example, the ADAM is clearly an Opel, but it has a totally different personality than the Insignia.

And is this what you want to carry on into the future generations of vehicles?

Exactly. Now comes the next phase: The seed for Opel Design 2.0 has been planted in the Monza concept, which will define the design of our production vehicles for the next eight to 10 years. It takes some of the well-known features, gives them a fresh, new interpretation, and executes them in a contemporary way.

How do you plan on transferring the character of a concept with gull-wing doors into a five-seat production vehicle with a roomy trunk?

The Monza may be a vision, but it’s not that far removed. It’s important for it to remain accessible to everyone, which is why we like to think in eight to 10-year cycles. The next cycle will take us to Opel Design 3.0, which will integrate new trends and technologies while remaining consistent with our philosophy. If you compare the Insignia concept and the Monza concept, you can see the connection, the DNA link.

What else does the Monza concept stand for?

It is inspiring and visionary. It stands for outstanding efficiency and connectivity. I’m certain that LED projection technology and human-machine interfaces will have been perfected in a few years. Today, drivers use a touchscreen to communicate, but voice recognition will soon take over. This also contributes significantly to safety since it allows drivers to keep their hands on the wheel. And Opel intends to be the leader in this field with our next generation of cars. Our focus is on making vehicles simple to use. The new central console of the Insignia is a step in this direction. The infotainment system of the ADAM is already very good. Our high-speed mobile communications connection OnStar is a harbinger of things to come. Connectivity is a very important field for us. Broadly speaking, the interior will take on a greater importance. OK, the exterior design is what everyone sees. But 99 percent of the time, you’re inside the car.

Does Opel offer added value through design in comparison to its competitors?

Yes. Our design philosophy also plays an important role in the purchase decision. The head and the heart are both involved. We try to combine the two. The sculpted design speaks to the heart, the emotional side. On the other side we have German engineering with values like technology, precision, structure and quality. When you look at our cars, you get an instant emotional reaction. You think, “Wow, what a great design!” Look again and you then get a sense of the solid technological foundation – that’s our unique selling point. We want to be the emotional German brand.

Mark Adams was born in London (England) in 1961. He studied engineering and design, completing his bachelor degree in Mechanical and Automotive Engineering and reading a Master’s degree in Automotive Design at the Royal College of Art in London. He held various executive positions in design at Ford before taking the role of head of Exterior Design for GM Europe in 2002. He was instrumental in the design of the Antara, Astra TwinTop, Corsa, Zafira Tourer and Astra GTC. In 2007, he was appointed Vice President Design for Opel/Vauxhall and has continued leaving his unique mark on the current sculptured look that has become synonymous with Opel.
 
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#3 · (Edited)
When is so called "designer" ever going to produce something decent that makes a profit at Opel?

Needs to go back to school $18 billion in huge big losses is all his designs have created for Opel, he needs to go back to night school take a degree in fuel efficient RWD car design, then design something thats RWD fuel efficient thats high profit yielding that will generate some profits for GM in Europe for a change, give the Opel buyer a nice fun to drive quality RWD durable reliable drivetrain choice as used by all the quality car "Designers" who produce massive profits for their companies in Europe. Choice of drivetrains runs very shallow in GM's EU cars and so does the profits.

FT said that with most of Marks designed cars are ending up being sold in huge batches at big losses to Mr Hertz & Mr Avis in Europe, with only 40% private buyers buying Opel products FT said that was no way to run a sustainable business long term. Why GM Europe not designing cars that appealing, offer something other than low rent dull uninspiring anodyne SSssshaped FWD cars to the lucrative private buyer?

Opel Adam is a step in the right direction it tries to copy Fiats 500 retro design can now ask charge a premium price, but it still lacks the retro mojo killer punch thats put the Fiat 500 No1 poll position in the small car market in Europe, both Adam & 500 make a decent profit can charge a premium price, but the retro interior of the 500 and fake chrome probably deliver that killer buy me punch for the Fiat 500. Golf has always be tops in Europe with great handling, but it was the excellent rear headroom and rear space that made it a firm favourite with well to do lucrative private family buyers went for. I am a absolutely big fan of GM, but l have gotta be brutally honest
absolutely nothing that Opel sell in Europe interests me one little bit at, they have a very shallow no choice of drivetrains.

The FWD Delta platform has been nothing but bad news for GM
 
#5 ·
Design isn't the whole story behind Opel's losses.... in fact, it's not even the real story.

Europe is still in a recession, and has far more automotive choices than most anyplace on the planet. Budget car buyers have low cost cars from the former eastern European countries akin to Mexican and say El Salvadorian companies selling cars here in the US. Ford has had problems there as well. In fact, every car company is fighting tooth and nail there save luxury car makers and Volkswagen (which is in good shape because they keep buying up every car maker they can get ahold of there).

Finally, Opel has developed a not so great reputation over there. It was only a few years ago that all safe bets had GM pulling the plug on Opel and it dying just like happened to SAAB. GM even brought Chevrolet into Europe with the intention of replacing Opel if it was sold or killed.

You can't go from that close to death to great sales in just a few years. Design simply gets the attention. Everything else in the organization has got to get them in people's driveways.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I think you're way off, Olds. It's not the current designs, or even the previous generation of vehicles - it was those of the 90s that started the ball rolling for the losses. Opel-Vauxhall lost control of its designs, its engines were out dated and build quality didn't improve along with the competition. Astra F & G, Vectra B and C being the point in question.

The Corsa's an enduring example of how Opel-Vauxhall can get something right. The Astras since the 'original' GTC Genéve concept and the Insignia have marked a different direction in design, presence and build quality too. I doubt you've been next to an Astra GTC at traffic lights or passed a svelte Insignia coming home from work, but the current designs are better than anything coming from Ford or VW. Square, thick-pillared Golf with its almost-rectangular headlights? Focus with its weird rear end? No thanks. Mokka, Zafira Tourer and Meriva B are doing well too thanks to the design flair and offering something different. Thankfully now, Opel-Vauxhall have the confidence and brand understanding from GM and hopefully the engines are coming through too. I'm glad Adams is in charge; despite how much I want an electric blue Aveo, I'm also glad that Chevrolet is exiting Europe and that they're not spending millions of pounds to develop giant RWD cars nobody (in the masses) in Europe wants.
 
#8 ·
I had Astras on test when my wife owned the Mark VI Golf. They are not bad cars. But not quite there with the Golf in any aspect. I'd prefer the GM sixspeed auto to the DSG and the engine in ours disintegrated - but GM's small turbo fours aren't truoublefree either. The Golf's switches and controls are more positive and solid-feeling than GM's corporate partsbin units. And just more integrated in the car. The Golf just rides, handles and steers a bit better. Not eons, but enough to separate them, Not to say the Golf has no flaws - it's curiously emotionless and unengaging. But the Astra is not much moreso. Except the GTC and OPC models.

GM tends to rely on a swoopy shape wrapped around dated mechanicals. The Corsa is a cool shape that hasn't aged badly, but it's not brilliant in terms of featureset or internal space usage. You find yourself thinking, I wish it just had another inch or so in the rear compartment. Or width across the carbin. Whatever it's other failings, Gamma is just better at that.

Beautiful, but a bit ordinary and boring. No wonder the boring Brits like them. Plus, forgetting Ford, they are the last mainstream British brand. Even if they aren't made there.

And Europe isn't the most competitive car market in the world The honour of being that crucible goes to Australia, which has more brands than anywhere. Includingnow Chinese, Indian, Malaysian, American, European, Australian, Japanese, Korean. So we have brands the Euros don't, and the US don't. It's like a microcosm of the world car market.
 
#12 ·
As far as styling goes, I'm not a huge fan of the Opel logo. Seeing how we all call them Opel/Vauxhall and Vauxhall seem to pulling in a large percentage of the sales - let's make the logo the Griffin, but holding a lightning bolt instead of the flag. :D


I had Astras on test when my wife owned the Mark VI Golf. They are not bad cars. But not quite there with the Golf in any aspect. I'd prefer the GM sixspeed auto to the DSG and the engine in ours disintegrated - but GM's small turbo fours aren't truoublefree either. The Golf's switches and controls are more positive and solid-feeling than GM's corporate partsbin units. And just more integrated in the car. The Golf just rides, handles and steers a bit better. Not eons, but enough to separate them, Not to say the Golf has no flaws - it's curiously emotionless and unengaging. But the Astra is not much moreso. Except the GTC and OPC models.
ket.
I looked at my boss' Golf before deciding on the Astra back in 06. It was 'the boring Golf' (I think the mk4?). Anyway, I couldn't justify the extra dollars, the Astra seemed as nice, or just about as nice, in every measure.
Of course on more recent times the Golf has resurged in attractiveness and dropped in price.
 
#10 ·
Opel banking on "German" is not going to work. First off, what is so "German" about those designs? They may be a bit stodgy and look less groundbreaking and date more badly than from other automakers, but this is not a positive trait. Volkswagen does mainstream German at its best with their right angles and strict forms. Anything else would be simply copying Volkswagen and looking silly at it, as Seat now does, but they can be reprieved for being semi-Volkswagen. Opel should not be wannabe-Volkswagen, and fortunately isn't.

Trying to strike a connection with the German luxury brands is totally not possible for Opel, they will never be taken seriously with that. And there is no styling connection between the current crop of Opel models and BMWs, Audis or Mercedii.

Opels are quite stylish and attractive as of now (except for the Meriva, which is the worst small MPV out there, any stylist with claims to credibility should order for it to be killed with fire not praise it!), they just lack the "wanna have it factor". This factor can be the FUN factor as exemplified by the shark thingies highlighted not long ago, but this needs to be augmented. Volkswagen will never be truly "fun" as it does not sit well with the seriousness of "German engineering". Opel can become a FUN alternative to the stodgy Volkswagens and plasticky Fords, but they have to start trying. Otherwise, they are about as inspiring as a Hyundai or Kia, and not really any better looking or cheaper.
 
#13 · (Edited)
This is a one of those SSssssssss career special threads Mark Adams is wonderful SSSSsss, all OpelSSsss Avis & Hertz specialSSSsss are wonderful they just turned in another big LossSSsss on to add to the $18 billion lossesss in Europe, GM send another boatload of $5.2 billions over from the States made from profits on highly profitable Silverado pick-up trucks & RWD Caddys.

Not a decent fun-to-drive fuel efficient "HIGH PROFIT YIELDING" RWD car anywhere to be seen in a Opel design studio line-up.

General Motors of Europe pick-up truck sales were nil a big fat "0" again to 731,000,000 Europeans both Chevy/GMC make the best pick-up trucks in the world, yet Toyota keep announcing record breaking profits year after year, a lot of that was made on the "HIGH PROFIT YIELDING" RWD/AWD Toyota Hilux pick-up trucks 650,000 sales thats sold outside North American market, why is their no GMC small light duty wealth creator truck that could be sold in Europe and generate.

Small FWD cars are crap at making any profit on roof of every sale, if you sell them in big batches to Mr Avis & Mr Hertz at big losses thats even worse, what the point you have just created/designed an Epic fail for General Motors? Opel needs some wealth creators in its line-up for
a change put some fun-to-drive RWD motoring back in the Opel money pits huge loss making line-up. Do Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford GT, Jaguar, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Rolls Royce or even rock solid RWD/AWD Toyota Hilux have to hang get fleet dumped out at Mr Avis or Mr Hertz car lots in Europe? Do these cars attract rock bottom FWD prices to them when they are sold or can the makers ask top $$$ prices for these products? all these highly profitable companies have one thing in common they started from humble beginnings, made something of themselves and use RWD, huge loss makers Opel are still on infants step-one. If Mark Adams wants to look on his own door step for some inspiration just look at what Ford UK In the late 60's to late 70's Ford wiped out mainly FWD British Leylands 55% market share in that period of time with quality fun-to-drive RWD Capri - Cortina - Mk1 & 2 Escort designs the were Ford of Europe's most profitable years, Cortina/Taunus was European No1, the basic models were nothing special but trust & reliable sold like hotcakes the designs has a lot of personality charisma mojo by the bucket load, but it was the RWD hot versions that could no wrong, the humble RWD Escort RS made Porsche 911 and Ferrari power Lancia Stratos look second rate rubbish in rally it dominated the British RAC for a decade was voted the greatest rally car of all time, RWD Mk1s Lotus Cortina & Capri dominated European touring car & DTM, GT 40 slaughtered Ferrari in Le Mans and Ford engines powered every RWD F1 car champions to a victory for a whole decade that made Michael Schumacher's achievements look second-rate. Blue Oval could do not wrong in Europe they wiped BL off the car making map had 32% UK market share when they pulled the plug on the Cortina, today Fords market share is just under half of that in its glory days they don't even have their biggest biggest rival British Leyland's 55% to complete against get an easy ride today. If you ask Brits what they really really really want it's cars that are reliable big on character & personality in a car when ever you ask what was their most favourite car of-all-time, its always the same cars that top the list Porsche 911's, E-type Jags, Mini, Ford Capri, RWD Escorts Mk1 & 2, Ford Cortina, Morris Minor, MGB's, Escort Cossies, DB5s, Beetle, & VW Camper vans, old Stangs & Fiat 500s it's never an Opel that makes the list the Manta & Lotus Carltons were a bit special, some have soft spots old Viva's or Victors. Nobody reminisces want to see a modern day Opel design ever to come back into production again make the Brits list of cars they have loved over they years gone by.

What the LUCRATIVE private customer wants is always wrong, put what they want last at Opel? No wonder fleet dumping to Mr Hertz & Avis at huge losses is as good as it gets in the EU at OpelSSSsss

Thats why Opel just lost $18 billions in Europe in the last decade, and nobody is interested in cars anymore, it not shiny new a CAD pen Opel needs, its an ear trumpet they have gone design deaf to what the customer wants.

If Mark Adams could inject some of that old skool mojo magic back into car design & lift the whole European market out of the dull drums of humdrum dull cars they don't really like or really want to buy, l think Opel would be onto a winner for a change the Fiat 500 has come from nowhere, is now No1 in the small car market GM Europe are throwing all its resources this market at Adam, Corsa, Aveo, Agila, Spark at this market and still the premium priced high profit yielding Fiat 500 is sitting pretty at the No1 spot, it has crap driving dynamics, poor build quality it has nothing going for it other than classic car charm that people want in a car, that is sadly lacking big time in all Opel designed products.

Where is Mr wonderful's designs in the charts? Come on add a just a little bit of mojo a more retro interior that Fiat 500 art deco bakelite look dash & nice big easy to read analogue with chrome look surrounds, and well placed chrome packs for the exterior and the Opel Adams will fly off the shelfs start to steal sales from Fiat whose car is totally crap under the skin and does not really drive that well, l think the Fiat 500's days at the top will be numbered when the new car coming out of the Renault stable arrives on the scene in the EU.

 
#15 · (Edited)
This is a one of those SSssssssss career special threads Mark Adams is wonderful SSSSsss, all OpelSSsss Avis & Hertz specialSSSsss are wonderful they just turned in another big LossSSsss on to add to the $18 billion lossesss in Europe, GM send another boatload of $5.2 billions over from the States made from profits on highly profitable Silverado pick-up trucks & RWD Caddys.

Not a decent fun-to-drive fuel efficient "HIGH PROFIT YIELDING" RWD car anywhere to be seen in a Opel design studio line-up.

General Motors of Europe pick-up truck sales were nil a big fat "0" again...
RWD cars, pick ups etc may well make a profit in China and the US. They may have high margins compared to small runabouts, per unit. But if nobody in Europe wants them from Vauxhall-Opel (or GM, per se) and nobody buys them, there is no point selling them. Which is why they don't, any more. In the 80s, the Isuzu tie-up, which spawned the Frontera, Monterey and Brava pick-up worked quite well, but everyone knew they were just rebadged Isuzus. Where I live, in rural East Anglia, it's all Land Rovers and Navaras. Rangers are very rare and I can't tell you the last time I saw an Amarok or any Toyota pick-up/4x4. Vauxhall-Opel don't need to spend that kind of money on niche/specialist vehicles when their market share would only be negligible, or to bring GMC/Chevrolet SUVs and pick ups over either.

As for ADAM being 12th, that's not bad. Those figures are quite selective as to which cars they include/exclude from that segment - they don't tell the whole story. Lots of Up!s are used as fleet cars, ADAMs aren't. Plus ADAM wasn't on sale the whole of 2013. I doubt Vauxhall-Opel would want the ADAM to be in the top 5 either - much better, surely, that the ADAM has some air of exclusivity, helping keep residual values high and meaning that they don't have to be discounted in the way Corsas are.

Maybe, just maybe, it's not entirely Opel-Vauxhall's fault they've turned a loss: a lot of the blame lies with GM and how they've run Opel-Vauxhall and GM Europe. This is in much the same way that GM mismanaged and never understood SAAB. Other, mainly market, factors - as most people agree - have been at work and no part of GM (Opel-Vauxhall, GM Europe, GM at large) have coped with those very well. You cannot claim credit where things go well but deny GM's responsibility for when things have gone wrong.

Thankfully, and to put a positive spin on so much doom and gloom, GM have seen that they need Vauxhall-Opel, if not only to keep market share and presence and because it would have taken far too much time and money to 'inflict' us with Chevrolet. I'm glad Adams has seen that he doesn't need to play to VW's tune and that the brand can offer something different.
 
#17 ·
I welcome the philosophy of making a compelling design stick for longer. GM had design evolutions that went all over the place from generation to generation for all brands. Compared to especially other german brands where you can see the style DNA from the early models all the way to the current models.
Indeed a seed that needed to be planted and I hope it will stick. Not only for Opel by the way.

The more (a LOT more!) attractive design of the interior is not exclusive to Opel at all. It is a necessary messure to keep competing. I just wonder what took so long. It is not that people didn't care at all. Especially the 50's and 60's US cars had really nice interior designs that just got lost during the 70's and up. Even luxury models (all over the world) had boring designs until recently. I am happy currently not even the small cars are left out on attractive interior design.
 
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