Three Questions for Bryan Nesbitt, Executive Director, GM Europe Design

Bryan Nesbitt at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show

The first Opel GT was a milestone in the history of automobile design. Doesn’t that make it very difficult for a designer to create a successor?

Certainly the market landscape has changed from the original GT’s introduction. Image vehicles have become increasingly dramatic. Our intent is to capture some of the emotional imprints of the original GT.

You should recognize similarities like the leaping front fenders and long hood proportions, but interpreted in a modern perspective relevant to todays Opel portfolio.

Importantly, not unlike the original, the new GT visually communicates that this is a vehicle made for enjoying the drive.

Now, there can be advantages to creating a niche model such as a roadster: You typically have more freedoms due to the more singular image intent of the product versus a volume model.

What are the Opel GT’s classic sporty roadster characteristics?

Proportions play the major role in establishing a car’s foundational appeal. The GT is broad and flat. Its elongated silhouette, long dash-to-axle with short overhangs and 18-inch wheels pushed far into the corners, are the proportional ingredients.

Where was the Opel GT design created?

In Europe. The Opel GT design takes its inspiration from the Vauxhall VX Lightning concept car, which was developed in May 2003 at the GM Advanced Design Studio in England to celebrate the brand’s hundredth anniversary. The GT’s final execution took shape at the GMs Design Center in Detroit and the GM Europe Design Center in Rüsselsheim. With an international approach to design, we are using the best ideas from a diverse, talented workforce to create fresh, contemporary vehicles that resonate with our customers and stimulate their passion for driving a roadster and for the brand Opel.

About Bryan Nesbitt

Bryan Nesbitt was born in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A. on January 24, 1969.  He studied Architecture and Industrial Design at the Georgia Institute of Technology and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Automobile Design from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, U.S.A.

Bryan Nesbitt was named Executive Director, GM Europe Design in February 2004.  In this capacity, he is responsible for all Opel/Vauxhall, Saab and certain Saturn design activities.

(Source: Opel)