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Filed under: Etc. , Chrysler, LLC. , Ford , GM , Volkswagen In 2001, General Motors needed a revival and Bob Lutz was anointed The One. It was widely accepted that if anyone could breathe life into a struggling car company, it was him. Fast-forward seven years, and GM is in the midst of a possible government bailout while its stock price sinks faster than a HUMMER's gas gauge on the freeway. It would seem that Maximum Bob's legendary straight-talking reputation for taking no prisoners and slicing through corporate red tape hasn't produced the results his supporters expected. So if Bob Lutz can't save Detroit, who can? Steve Jobs, that's who. At least that's what Pulitzer Prize-winning Thomas Friedman says in his New York Times column. While some might be averse to the company, its products and/or its leader, Apple has made a ton of money while re-defining the computer, music and mobile phone industries. Isn't innovation what Detroit needs most? What Friedman...
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Filed under: Etc. , Chrysler, LLC. , Ford , GM , Volkswagen In 2001, General Motors needed a revival and Bob Lutz was anointed The One. It was widely accepted that if anyone could breathe life into a struggling car company, it was him. Fast-forward seven years, and GM is in the midst of a possible government bailout while its stock price sinks faster than a HUMMER's gas gauge on the freeway. It would seem that Maximum Bob's legendary straight-talking reputation for taking no prisoners and slicing through corporate red tape hasn't produced the results his supporters expected. So if Bob Lutz can't save Detroit, who can? Steve Jobs, that's who. At least that's what Pulitzer Prize-winning Thomas Friedman says in his New York Times column. While some might be averse to the company, its products and/or its leader, Apple has made a ton of money while re-defining the computer, music and mobile phone industries. Isn't innovation what Detroit needs most? What Friedman...
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Filed under: Etc. , GM GM has seen plenty of tough times over the past few years, and even the company's top executives have felt the pinch. Executive pay was among the items cut as the General waded through multi-billion-dollar losses and immense market pressure, but after two years of cuts, the members of GM's top brass are getting their old salaries back. Top boss Rick Wagoner's base pay went as "low" as $1.1M but is now back to its 2003 level of $2.2M. Product czar Bob Lutz and money man Fritz Henderson also had their pay restored, and Fritz even got a raise to reflect his promotion to COO. Many of the pay cuts were voluntary in recognition of GM's market struggles, but even with the cuts in base pay, overall executive pay packages are worth a lot more than just the salaries alone. Wagoner, for example, was paid $14.4M in 2007, while Maximum Bob came in at $6.9M. [Source: Auto News (subs. req'd)] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Etc. , GM In a two part interview with Forbes magazine during the run-up to that NAIAS, Bob Lutz had a great deal to say about all things GM. The first part centered on CAFE and the costs of energy efficiency, the Volt, and what Mr. Bob would rather have lead consumer choice in the mileage debate. Hint: instead of politicians making laws, his suggestion rhymes with "tas gax." He also says the Volt "probably won't be a flawless launch." The second part focuses global sales, the truck market collapse, and design, with Bob claiming that "Everything we're doing is to meet this new standard of [being the] absolute winner in its class in exterior design and interior design. When we put the vehicles against the competition in the clinics, they must win by a wide margin on exterior appeal as well as reach." But don't take our word for it. Bobus Maximus is always better in his own words, so click the link to check them out...
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Filed under: Etc. , Hirings/Firings , GM In an interview with WunderBob Lutz , the Associated Press reported that "he wants to retire from General Motors Corp. after the company brings a plug-in electric car to market, possibly sometime in 2010." After what must have been enough phone calls and e-mails to bust a switchboard, Lutz has clarified the AP story with a resounding "I'm not thinking retirement." The AP stands by its story, which it said was a story about retirement. The confusion perhaps came from Lutz saying he wanted to retire after a plug-in electric comes out, and the AP writing that he could "possibly" retire immediately after it came out. Lutz also said, "Unfortunately, this was misinterpreted as a statement that I would retire at the end of 2010. While this remains a possibility, it is not 'a plan'! We'll just take it a year at a time!" Of course, the furor also points out just how important Bob Lutz is to GM. The General...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Etc. , Chevrolet , GM click above image for more high-res pics of the 2008 Chevy Malibu The media is giving the new Chevy Malibu more love than any midsize product donning the bow tie has gotten in years. As it turns out, there are a few people in the market for a new car that are just as excited. Maximum Bob Lutz was nice enough to share on his FastLane Blog a story about how much one man likes the new Malibu, and he's going through great lengths to get one in his garage. The guy in question hadn't given a GM product the time of day since 1979, but the new Malibu looked so good to him that he was willing to purchase one from a dealer friend in California. Since he lives in Michigan, he plans on flying out to pick up his new ride and then driving it nearly 3,000 miles back to his home.The part of the story that undoubtedly has Mr. Lutz the most giddy is the fact that the gentleman in question is currently driving a Lexus LS and had been driving several...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Maintenance , Etc. , Buick , Cadillac , GM , GMC , Lexus , Pontiac , Saturn The General's chief product guru, Bob Lutz, responded to questions regarding GM's reliability in the company's FastLane Blog's most recent video Q&A...
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Filed under: Etc. , GM Maximum Bob has had enough of automotive experts who question the guile of domestic execs, and as usual Mr. Lutz isn't afraid to share his thoughts with all who are willing to listen. At his recent speech at the Center for Automotive...
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