Maybe now bob lutz has learned a lesson about making promises he cant keep. Jul 07, 2011 now comes an encore in the lutz on lutz genrecar guys vs. He started his automotive career at gm in 1963 where he held senior leadership positions in europe until 1971. The good guys are trying to end the chase by dropping heavy train wheels behind them and it seems to be working. Its sour grapes at best, and a fatal lack of strategic foresight at worst.
But being tagged a car guy above all else rankles mr. Lutz pulled back the curtain a little further this weekend on g. This is a book about general motors history and personal ramblings and selfpromotion. If i pay the loan off over five years but the car has a 10 year useful life, those last five years are effectively free. I know firsthand that he can improve their products, but the jury is still out whether or not he can prevent mediocre products from ever reaching the market. Books relating to bean counter and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in english literature. I was expecting a good discussion of the soul of ameican business finance guys vs. Lutz, the former general motors vice chairman, made whistle stops around new york this week to promote his new book, car guys vs. The battle for the soul of american business ebook written by bob lutz. Bob lutz, car guy, on the make in manhattan the new york times. That being said, i am a bob lutz fan and enjoy his perspective and blunt nosed style. No ones ever accused bob lutz of underselling his products, and the former general motors vice chairman a key development force for the chevrolet volt is at it again with via motors.
Bob lutz takes back his comments on possible g8 rebirth top. Automotive executive bob lutz now with via motors talks about the vehicles hes seen at this years north american international auto show. Bob lutz says via motors xtruck makes prius look like a. In a recent interview, bob lutz, gms former vicechairman and the father of the volt, explained why he thinks that his baby shouldve been an electric truck. Bob lutz now thinks the chevy volt shouldve been an. Bob lutz thinks cars will be dead within 20 years carscoops. Bob lutz, the auto industrys 85yearold bad boy, goes off on elon musk and president trump please read the article before voting autopilot. Bean counter an accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy, which. Author bob lutz spent 47 years in the auto industry, and he ended his career as vice chairman of general motors. After declaring bankruptcy during the recession of 2008, gm is back. May 16, 2016 maverick car guy bob lutz still pulls no punches. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Hes an 84 year old guy who built and sold internal combustion cars for pretty much his entire career. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz ft business book. The battle for the soul of american business kindle edition by lutz, bob. Jan 02, 2014 in a recent interview, bob lutz, gms former vicechairman and the father of the volt, explained why he thinks that his baby shouldve been an electric truck.
Oct 04, 2011 none have, until exvice chairman bob lutzs new book, car guys vs. I cant say that i was completely surprised when, about two thirds of the way through bob lutzs new book car guys vs bean counters, i caught a sideswipe at myself and the truth about cars, which the retired vicechairman of gm describes as a web. To be sure, the conditions were not ideal for driving a plugin hybrid. Its been said that bob lutzdetroit shaman, veteran of general motors mad men era, and inveterate hamoften attracted as much attention as his cars. It was a pretty good read for his time at gm from about 2001 through the crisis time. Jul 22, 2009 maybe now bob lutz has learned a lesson about making promises he cant keep. Former gm chairman bob lutz says the end of the car. If general motors is to bounce back from its beleaguered state, its got to deliver on its promises. Sep 02, 2011 the trouble with bob lutz s return to gm.
Bean counters is a thoughtprovoking commentary from auto industry maven bob lutz. I started wanting a car that had the good lucks but didnt require all the maintenance that the gms did. Bob lutz is now the chairman of the board for via motors. What does his book tell us about what really went on inside gm. He joins morning joe to discuss his new book car guys vs bean counters, which. Jan 10, 20 the bob lutzbacked via motors produces plugin trucks, based on gm vehicle chassis. The battle for the soul of american business lutz, bob on. The battle for the soul of american business, by bob lutz. A legend in the car industry reveals the philosophy thats starting to turn general motors around. Mixed into lutzs flow of blarney and halfbaked pontificating is one of the most acute books about. Lutz built a career as a staunch opponent of bureaucracy and by placing the utmost importance on knowing the product as well as the customer. In his 47 year career he held senior leadership positions at gm, bmw, and chrysler, then at nearly age 70, rejoined gm as vice chairman where he served for nearly ten years. The exvice chairman of general motors, and champion of the chevrolet volt, has been named chairman of the board at via motors. The battle for the soul of american business reprint by bob lutz isbn.
No one would call bob lutz a lifelong environmentalist. Is former gm executive bob lutz right in saying that electric. Bob lutz is a former marine who worked for ford, general motors, chrysler, and bmw, usually as the resident car guy a product guru who could guide the bean counters toward automotive glory. An excerpt from bob lutzs book car guys vs bean counters. Bob lutzs latest volt test drive the new york times. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz financial times. Former gm exec bob lutz has been sceptical about teslas future for years. Bean counter definition and synonyms of bean counter in the. Bob lutz, the auto industrys 85yearold bad boy, goes off on elon musk and president trump please read the article before voting. Lutz may 2 20 bob lutz car guys vs bean counters bob lutz.
I think dagosa had mentioned it in one of the threads. The bob lutzbacked via motors produces plugin trucks, based on gm vehicle chassis. John gapper, financial times when bob lutz got into the auto business in the. Bob lutz has written an important diagnostic book on the demise of general motors. It saddens me to say it, but we are approaching the end of the automotive era, he writes this month for automotive news our daily travel, he predicts, will migrate to standardized passenger modules as the demolition of the traditional auto industry accelerates. Bob lutz wants to screw the bean counters who screwed the u. He appeared monday night at the russian tea room in midtown on a program for the hudson union society and spent the rest of the week doing radio and television appearances. The general motors vice chairman does not believe in global warming, and he derided the prius as a p. This book, written in 2011, and released in paperback this spring with a new.
Is former gm executive bob lutz right in saying that. It wasnt that long ago when the highranking gm official talked to automobile magazine and all but guaranteed that. Bean counters by bob lutz, norman dietz for free with a 30 day free trial. In spite of the sample listen it is not about policy or the bean counter vs. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz ft business book of. Bob lutz, the auto industrys 85yearold bad boy, goes. The exvice chairman of general motors, and champion of the chevrolet volt, has been named chairman of the board. Bean counters bob lutz worked at a various number of car companies before returning to general motors in 2001. Legendary auto exec bob lutz says tesla is doomed and. Former vice chairman of general motors, bob lutz has a. Jun 24, 2011 i cant say that i was completely surprised when, about two thirds of the way through bob lutzs new book car guys vs bean counters, i caught a sideswipe at myself and the truth about cars, which the retired vicechairman of gm describes as a web site that often offers anything but. Bean counters is the best book written by an auto industry insider since iacocca in 1984, and deserves to be shelved alongside alfred p. What matters, lutz argues, is having on board at least one automotive artist with the talent to design desirable new cars.
Former vice chairman of general motors, bob lutz, has released a new book titled car guys vs bean counters. The big change for bob lutz is the overall business model and mission statement that. None have, until exvice chairman bob lutzs new book, car guys vs. About the book robert lutz, general motors, car guys vs. Bob lutz now thinks the chevy volt shouldve been an electric.
Lutz may 2 20 bob lutz car guys vs bean counters bob. Bean counters, the normally outspoken bob lutz pulls out all the stops and settles a few scores. Bean counters is the best book written by an auto industry insider since iacocca in 1984 and deserves to be shelved alongside alfred pl sloans management classic, my years with general motors. Maverick car guy bob lutz still pulls no punches cbs news. The bad guys in the cars are chasing good guys riding on the bed of a semitrailer truck. At the tableif not running the meetingwhen most of the big decisions came down, the author, now in his late 70s, was often appalled by youthful beancounting mbas with their 4. As a gearhead, i sure hope that bob can continue to improve things at gm.
Ann arbor, mi robert lutz, general motors, car guys vs. Bob lutz, the auto industrys 85yearold bad boy, goes off. He worked at bmw and also for lee iaccoca, the guy who saw chrysler through a. Lutz eventually retired in may 2010 and wrote a tellall book, car guys vs.
Lutz has become an enthusiastic convert to one cause. But the bigger question is whether bob lutz has the time to continue improving things at gm. Bean counters the battle for the soul of american business. The title is misleading as this is a book about bob lutz, not the issues gm encountered before, during, and after its liquidity crises along with the rest of the. Perhaps the book would have been better served by the title bob lutz vs.
This inside account of gms product turn around and eventual collapse due to the financial melt down of 2008 is a fast moving and entertaining read. During his 47year career in the auto industry, he worked for gm, ford, bmw, and chrysler and hes a legend in. The guy is a little bit full of himself but it shed some new light on how gm got in trouble, how the foreign brands got a leg up during the cafe period, how. Now comes an encore in the lutz on lutz genrecar guys vs. In 2001, general motors hired bob lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making great cars again. Lutzs future where youll have to sell your car for scrap will probably not come. Spanning a fortysevenyear career with the big three and bmw, and after retiring from chrysler in 1998, he was asked back into gm, serving as vice chairman from 2001 to 2010, during which time it had filed for bankruptcy.
He launched a war against penny pinching, office politics, turf wars and risk avoidance. Bob lutz, car guy, on the make in manhattan the new york. The bad guys in the cars are chasing good guys rid. Bean counters contains all the pearls of wisdom i would expect to see from bob lutz. Jun 15, 2011 former vice chairman of general motors, bob lutz, has released a new book titled car guys vs bean counters. Even people who have never heard of bob lutz have no doubt seen the cars the 84yearold. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading car guys vs. Jan, 2014 automotive executive bob lutz now with via motors talks about the vehicles hes seen at this years north american international auto show. Even people who have never heard of bob lutz have no doubt seen the cars the 84yearold has had a hand in developing. Listen to unlimited audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. Lutz has a reputation for speaking his mind and straight shooting.
Retiring in late 2010 as vice chairman of general motors, he currently runs bob lutz communications. The battle for the soul of american business bob lutz. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Lutz told of testdriving a car built on the same platform that the volt will be, using the volts battery system. One of the most acute books about management and how companies work in practice that i have read in a long time. General motors hired bob lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making. No one has to apologize for driving a gm car any more.
Its a bad sign for gm if they are kicking the car guy upstairs so the bean counter can have more daytoday control. Nytimes extended best seller list since publication in june. It wasnt that long ago when the highranking gm official talked to. From my perspective, things are still moving too slowly. Com bob lutz, the former vice chairman of general motors, believes the auto industry is not long for this world. Bob lutz takes back his comments on possible g8 rebirth. Sloans management classic, my years with general motors. Hello bob chryslers lutz isnt ready to settle down. He launched a war against penny pinching, office politics, turf wars, and risk avoidance. From here he worked for bmw where he was the executive vice president of sales and marketing as well as a member of that companys board. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read car guys vs.
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