The inside account of how GM stole the Detroit auto show by hustling its Pontiac Solstice off the sketchpad and onto the stage in record time.
By Don ShermanPhotographs by John B. Carnett Posted 04.24.2002 at 2:37 pm 0 Comments

HOW DID THEY SAVE SO MUCH TIME?


On Aug. 2, 2001, Robert A. Lutz was appointed GM's vice chairman of product development. Before he even got there, he hatched a plan to produce a visionary sports car for the upcoming Detroit auto show. It usually takes at least eight months to build a working showpiece; Lutz had just four. Here's a brief history of the Solstice, with comparable milestones for a more typical driveable concept car.

Solstice timetable

Average timetable


Day 1
On Sept. 3, Lutz reports for work at GM and initiates design competition for Detroit show car.
Day 1

Day 8
Lutz and GM design vice president Wayne Cherry select Franz von Holzhausen's design.
Day 57

Day 15
Work begins on full-size clay models at GM's North Hollywood, California, design studio.
Day 58

Day 54
Finished models and designers' workstations trucked to GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan.
Day 99

Day 59
Clay models arrive. Lutz and Cherry decide on final design.


Day 82
Car assembly begins.
Day 113

Day 92
Final steel body panel pressed.


Day 96
Assembly of the 240-hp four-cylinder engine is completed.


Day 108
The engine and transmission are installed.


Day 123
Design and engineering teams begin around-the-clock work schedule. Engine started for the first time inside the car.
Day 239

Day 126
Freshly painted Pontiac Solstice is completed at 6 a.m. on Jan. 6. At noon, Lutz drives car onto stage of Cobo Exhibition Center.
Day 253




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