Vauxhall Adam: ‘there may never be two the same’

The Vauxhall Adam has so many different trim combinations, the manufacturer actually gave up trying to count them all – and such configurability is something that’s been designed in from the start.

PARIS MOTOR SHOW 2012

Malcolm Ward, Opel Vauxhall Head of Exterior Design, told MSN Cars that it was only through considering how to create multi-adaptable parts from day one of the project, and ensure producing them on a large scale was viable, that the Adam could offer so many options.

“You have to do it in a clever way, which means a different design approach to that used in our other products.” It would be impossible to add so many different options to the Astra or Corsa range without rethinking how they were created in this way.

This is why the Adam doesn’t follow a regular model range line-up of graded trims: the usual Vauxhall LS-SE-SRi-Elite structure has been replaced by ‘themes’ – Glam, Jam and Slam.

“Buyers can then build up different ‘moods’ from these themes.”

Examples of the designed-in flexibility include the pillarless floating roof: this makes it easy and affordable for buyers to choose a contrast roof colour. Vauxhall expects every other car to have a contrast roof.

The wheels include clever clip-on colour strips too – which can be cheaply replaced and swapped around to give multiple combinations.

This is a brand new technique pioneered by Vauxhall and Ward expects it to prove very popular.

“We’re keen to encourage customers to do this: it’s entirely possible for there to never be an Adam the same…”

PARIS MOTOR SHOW 2012