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Opel Insignia, the harbinger of a Buick, rolls out at Geneva

GM's sale of Opel/Vauxhall to French automaker PSA Groupe will take effect later this year, but new models roll out regardless, as Opel debuted its all-new 2018 Insignia flagship (and Buick Regal clone) Tuesday at the Geneva Motor Show. The midsize Insignia, which bears a great resemblance to a Mazda6, will come in Grand Sport and Sports Tourer (that is, a wagon - will Buick offer a wagon?). It is built in Russelsheim, Germany. As part of the GM-PSA deal, the two companies agree that PSA, maker of Peugeot and Citroen, will continue to supply some Holden and Buick models; Opel models form the basis for several of Buick's core products, including the Encore small crossover and Regal sedan. But as the two brands part ways, we may well see Buicks remaining Buick-y, and Opels evolving away from GM parts and designs. Seeking a little clarity on what the sale of Opel means, we asked Buick and were directed to a statement: General Motors announced an historic agreement to sell the company's Opel business to PSA Group. This is a major milestone and one that we believe will improve the business prospects of each company and deliver significant value to shareholders, customers and employees around the world. Buick and Opel have historically cooperated on a number of product programs. Buick products will not be impacted by today's announcement. We will continue to deliver our product plans with excellence and precision. Buick has delivered three consecutive years of record global sales, we are General Motors' second largest international brand, and we have built an excellent reputation for quality and customer service. The new products Buick will announce in 2017 will help us build on this momentum. The new Regal/Insignia is expected to use the same platform as the new Buick LaCrosse, which is also shared by the Chevy Malibu and Impala. They should once again be available with front- or all-wheel drive. With the Opel versions debuting at Geneva, the Buick Regal will possibly follow at the New York auto show in April. The Insignia will start at about $25,500 and has the now-customary roster of high-tech options such as active lane keeping, a heads-up display, 360-degree-vew cameras, a hood designed to increase pedestrian safety and a new Opel OnStar Personal Assistant to help book hotel rooms on the fly or search for parking spots. The car comes with turbocharged four-cylinder engine options, an eight-speed automatic, and it's 400 pounds lighter than its predecessor.

GM veteran Bryan Nesbitt tapped to head Buick design

General Motors styling veteran Bryan Nesbitt (pictured above) took over a new role on Monday as executive director of global Buick design and global architectures. Andrew Smith, who previously did that job and also coordinated the look for Cadillac, has remained in charge of the pen at Caddy with this shift. Nesbitt rose to prominence when he designed the Chrysler PT Cruiser, according to Automotive News. He joined GM in 2001 and has been there ever since in multiple high-level roles. In 2007, he was appointed vice president of design for North America and was later briefly general manager of Cadillac in 2009-2010. Nesbitt took over as the vice president of GM's international operations design in China in 2011. This shuffle also moves Ken Parkinson, currently styling boss for Chevrolet trucks, to China as design vice president there. In addition, John Cafaro becomes the person in charge of the look for Chevy globally, rather than previously splitting that role between cars and trucks with Parkinson. GM Global Design Leadership Changes – effective June 1, 2015. Bryan Nesbitt, Design Vice President, GM China will repatriate to North America and assume the position of Executive Director, Global Buick and Global Architectures. He will be located in Warren, MI. Bryan will be the design Champion for Buick in the US and China. Ken Parkinson, Executive Director, Global Chevrolet Trucks and Global Architecture will assume the position of Design Vice President, GM China. He will be based in Shanghai, China. Andrew Smith, Executive Director, Global Cadillac and Buick Design will assume the position of Executive Director, Global Cadillac. He will continue to be the design Champion for the Cadillac brand. In addition, he will continue to lead the Global Color & Trim team. He will be based in Warren, Michigan. John Cafaro, Executive Director, Global Chevrolet Cars will assume the position of Executive Director, Global Chevrolet. He will be the design Champion for Chevrolet. In addition, John will lead the exterior components and accessories team. He will continue to be based in Warren, MI. The roles and responsibilities of Helen Emsley, Mark Adams, Carlos Barba, Clay Dean, Michael Simcoe, and Teckla Rhoades remain the same. Related Video: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.

General Motors shaking up its marketing... again

One of the things that dogs the full comeback of General Motors is the instability of its marketing. That part of the automaker got yet another big shakeup today when GM confirmed what I have been tweeting for a few days - strong rumors that the Chevrolet and Cadillac ad accounts are walking to new ad agencies.
Cadillac, GM's luxury brand, is going into review from Fallon Worldwide, Minneapolis and the indications are that Campbell-Ewald, Chevy's old ad shop, will end up with most or all of it. C-E just announced that it was moving from its long-time home in Warren, MI to a new downtown Detroit office next to Ford Field, just blocks from GM.
The other shoe to drop shortly will be the shift of GM's most important brand, Chevy, from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners of San Francisco to McCann-Erickson of Troy, MI. McCann used to be the agency for Buick and GMC, as well as GM's corporate advertising, and has retained some pieces of business over the last few years. Sources have even told us that it was McCann that did a lot of the creative work on Chevy's new ad platform, Find New Roads. (Not to be confused with a former McCann tagline for Saab, "Find Your Own Road.")