Even people who have never heard of bob lutz have no doubt seen the cars the 84yearold has had a hand in developing. If general motors is to bounce back from its beleaguered state, its got to deliver on its promises. 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. 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. The bad guys in the cars are chasing good guys riding on the bed of a semitrailer truck. Lutz may 2 20 bob lutz car guys vs bean counters bob lutz. Bob lutz, the auto industrys 85yearold bad boy, goes off. 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. Jul 07, 2011 now comes an encore in the lutz on lutz genrecar guys vs. Is former gm executive bob lutz right in saying that.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Bean counter an accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy, which. 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. Lutz has become an enthusiastic convert to one cause. 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. Oct 04, 2011 none have, until exvice chairman bob lutzs new book, car guys vs. But the bigger question is whether bob lutz has the time to continue improving things at gm. He worked at bmw and also for lee iaccoca, the guy who saw chrysler through a. Lutz pulled back the curtain a little further this weekend on g.
Bean counters contains all the pearls of wisdom i would expect to see from bob lutz. Lutz, the former general motors vice chairman, made whistle stops around new york this week to promote his new book, car guys vs. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Its a bad sign for gm if they are kicking the car guy upstairs so the bean counter can have more daytoday control. 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. Bean counters is a thoughtprovoking commentary from auto industry maven bob lutz. During his 47year career in the auto industry, he worked for gm, ford, bmw, and chrysler and hes a legend in.
The bad guys in the cars are chasing good guys rid. The battle for the soul of american business, by bob lutz. Bean counters is the best book written by an auto industry insider since iacocca in 1984, and deserves to be shelved alongside alfred p. He launched a war against penny pinching, office politics, turf wars and risk avoidance. I was expecting a good discussion of the soul of ameican business finance guys vs. Hes an 84 year old guy who built and sold internal combustion cars for pretty much his entire career. The big change for bob lutz is the overall business model and mission statement that. Legendary auto exec bob lutz says tesla is doomed and. Bob lutz, car guy, on the make in manhattan the new york. I think dagosa had mentioned it in one of the threads. Bob lutz says via motors xtruck makes prius look like 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. One of the most acute books about management and how companies work in practice that i have read in a long time. Now comes an encore in the lutz on lutz genrecar guys vs. Retiring in late 2010 as vice chairman of general motors, he currently runs bob lutz communications. Its sour grapes at best, and a fatal lack of strategic foresight at worst. Former vice chairman of general motors, bob lutz has a. Bean counters, the normally outspoken bob lutz pulls out all the stops and settles a few scores. May 16, 2016 maverick car guy bob lutz still pulls no punches. It wasnt that long ago when the highranking gm official talked to automobile magazine and all but guaranteed that. Listen to unlimited audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android.
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. 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. In spite of the sample listen it is not about policy or the bean counter vs. Books relating to bean counter and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in english literature. Bob lutz now thinks the chevy volt shouldve been an. Bob lutz takes back his comments on possible g8 rebirth top. The battle for the soul of american business bob lutz. That being said, i am a bob lutz fan and enjoy his perspective and blunt nosed style. Nytimes extended best seller list since publication in june. No one would call bob lutz a lifelong environmentalist. 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. What matters, lutz argues, is having on board at least one automotive artist with the talent to design desirable new cars. As a gearhead, i sure hope that bob can continue to improve things at gm. Automotive executive bob lutz now with via motors talks about the vehicles hes seen at this years north american international auto show.
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. Bean counter definition and synonyms of bean counter in the. Lutz told of testdriving a car built on the same platform that the volt will be, using the volts battery system. Bob lutz thinks cars will be dead within 20 years carscoops. It was a pretty good read for his time at gm from about 2001 through the crisis time. He launched a war against penny pinching, office politics, turf wars, and risk avoidance. Car guys vs bean counters is an enormously entertaining account of how lutz. This book, written in 2011, and released in paperback this spring with a new. Bob lutz takes back his comments on possible g8 rebirth. Ann arbor, mi robert lutz, general motors, car guys vs. The battle for the soul of american business kindle edition by lutz, bob. Lutz has a reputation for speaking his mind and straight shooting. The exvice chairman of general motors, and champion of the chevrolet volt, has been named chairman of the board. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz ft business book.
Lutz eventually retired in may 2010 and wrote a tellall book, car guys vs. In 2001, general motors hired bob lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making great cars again. The good guys are trying to end the chase by dropping heavy train wheels behind them and it seems to be working. 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.
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. A legend in the car industry reveals the philosophy thats starting to turn general motors around. Lutz may 2 20 bob lutz car guys vs bean counters bob. Hello bob chryslers lutz isnt ready to settle down. I started wanting a car that had the good lucks but didnt require all the maintenance that the gms did. Bob lutz, the auto industrys 85yearold bad boy, goes.
An excerpt from bob lutzs book car guys vs bean counters. Bean counters by bob lutz, norman dietz for free with a 30 day free trial. The battle for the soul of american business reprint by bob lutz isbn. Jan, 2014 automotive executive bob lutz now with via motors talks about the vehicles hes seen at this years north american international auto show. Is former gm executive bob lutz right in saying that electric. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz financial times. But being tagged a car guy above all else rankles mr. Former gm exec bob lutz has been sceptical about teslas future for years. Former vice chairman of general motors, bob lutz, has released a new book titled car guys vs bean counters. 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. Author bob lutz spent 47 years in the auto industry, and he ended his career as vice chairman of general motors. The battle for the soul of american business ebook written by bob lutz. Sep 02, 2011 the trouble with bob lutz s return to gm.
Bob lutz has written an important diagnostic book on the demise of general motors. None have, until exvice chairman bob lutzs new book, car guys vs. Bob lutz wants to screw the bean counters who screwed the u. Bean counters bob lutz worked at a various number of car companies before returning to general motors in 2001. Sloans management classic, my years with general motors. Even people who have never heard of bob lutz have no doubt seen the cars the 84yearold. Mixed into lutzs flow of blarney and halfbaked pontificating is one of the most acute books about. Former gm chairman bob lutz says the end of the car. Jan 10, 20 the bob lutzbacked via motors produces plugin trucks, based on gm vehicle chassis. He started his automotive career at gm in 1963 where he held senior leadership positions in europe until 1971. 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. Bob lutz, the auto industrys 85yearold bad boy, goes off on elon musk and president trump please read the article before voting.
Maverick car guy bob lutz still pulls no punches cbs news. Bean counters the battle for the soul of american business. 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. 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. General motors hired bob lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read car guys vs. Bob lutzs latest volt test drive the new york times. But he saves his most poisonous venom for the beancounters, the finance people at gm. 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. John gapper, financial times when bob lutz got into the auto business in the. To be sure, the conditions were not ideal for driving a plugin hybrid.
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. The exvice chairman of general motors, and champion of the chevrolet volt, has been named chairman of the board at via motors. 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. He joins morning joe to discuss his new book car guys vs bean counters, which. The battle for the soul of american business lutz, bob on. The bob lutzbacked via motors produces plugin trucks, based on gm vehicle chassis. Jul 22, 2009 maybe now bob lutz has learned a lesson about making promises he cant keep. Bob lutz now thinks the chevy volt shouldve been an electric. Lutzs future where youll have to sell your car for scrap will probably not come. This is a book about general motors history and personal ramblings and selfpromotion. About the book robert lutz, general motors, car guys vs.
From my perspective, things are still moving too slowly. Bob lutz, car guy, on the make in manhattan the new york times. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading car guys vs. Perhaps the book would have been better served by the title bob lutz vs. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz ft business book of. No one has to apologize for driving a gm car any more.
It wasnt that long ago when the highranking gm official talked to. After declaring bankruptcy during the recession of 2008, gm is back. Bob lutz, the auto industrys 85yearold bad boy, goes off on elon musk and president trump please read the article before voting autopilot. Jun 15, 2011 former vice chairman of general motors, bob lutz, has released a new book titled car guys vs bean counters. Com bob lutz, the former vice chairman of general motors, believes the auto industry is not long for this world. Maybe now bob lutz has learned a lesson about making promises he cant keep.