What are the elements of design that are important in China?
Early on, a lot of cars here were sold to executives who get driven around by chauffeurs. That means cars need to be more rear-seat focused. And they like a warm interior, a beige or a tan. Can you give me a specific example from a car you’ve adapted for the Chinese market? The 2005 Buick GL8 was first developed in the U.S. as the Oldsmobile Silhouette and the Chevy Venture. In the U.S., they’re considered family vans, but when it gets to China it becomes an executive van. But we had to make some changes. The interior has to be more formal, more luxurious. In the U.S., I’m sure some of the thinking on the interior was the ability to repel dirt after soccer practice. We’re not thinking about that. We’re thinking about how a businessman can sit comfortably. Our intent is to move the image away from a minivan and make it more sedan-like — but apply it to a minivan architecture. The front face of the car becomes a big part of the design inspiration. One of the key requirements of an execu
