I'm such a fan of GM's Fiat 500-fighting Opel Adam that I even devised a genius plan on how it could be sold in the U.S. Unfortunately, it looks like it's going to China first. As a Buick. The Buick Adam, they're calling it. The Buick Adam.
Let's put aside that perplexing name choice for a moment and consider this bit from our pals at Car News China, who say the Adam will be launched in the Chinese market sometime next year to compete with the surprisingly successful Fiat 500 and Smart Fortwo. See, not everyone in China wants a long-wheelbase 3-Series! People in China want attractive, well-appointed city cars same as Americans and Europeans.
There the Adam will be sold as a Buick in China, which makes more sense over there than it does here because they perceive Buick as a youthful, dynamic, aspirational brand. I'll go ahead an posit that in spite of an attractive lineup, that's less true in the U.S.
But that name. That name! Can we all take a moment and think about how little sense "Buick Adam" makes? See, it's called the Opel Adam because it's named after Adam Opel, the dude who founded that company. It's also sold as the Vauxhall Adam in the UK, which also makes no sense. I mean, I guess they could have called it the Buick David Dunbar, but that's not terribly appealing.
I don't see why the Chinese (or us Americans for that matter) can't just sell the damn thing with an Opel badge in Buick showrooms. It's hardly the first time that's happened. Oh well. The next-generation Opel Adam is rumored to be coming to America; just don't expect its name to make sense to anyone.
Opel Adam Is Going To China As The Buick Adam For Some Reason