Bean counters, the normally outspoken bob lutz pulls out all the stops and settles a few scores. 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. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Sloans management classic, my years with general motors. Daniel ocallaghan continues his digest of bob lutzs 2011 book, car guys vs bean counters, examining gms latterday approach to alternative propulsion. Kent kresa, chairman emeritus, northrup grumman this book is a true insiders look at the auto industry. 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. It was a pretty good read for his time at gm from about 2001 through the crisis time. Bob lutz has written an important diagnostic book on the demise of general motors. Former vice chairman of general motors, bob lutz, has released a new book titled car guys vs bean counters. 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 counters bob lutz worked at a various number of car companies before returning to general motors in 2001.
An excerpt from bob lutzs book car guys vs bean counters. The title car guys versus bean counters published by penguin kind of suggests that he is not an. Lutz has a reputation for speaking his mind and straight shooting. At the same time, hes baring all about the auto industry in his new book, car guys vs. Thats what bob lutz tried to do for general motors between 2001 and 2009, and now hes. The battle for the soul of american business, in which he derides the incompetent managers who drove the u. Bob lutz, now 87 and another industry legend and former vicechairman of gm and veteran of chrysler, ford and bmw, described piech this way in. Lutzs commonsense lessons with a generous helping of fascinating anecdotes will inspire readers at any company facing the bean counter analysisparalysis menace. None have, until exvice chairman bob lutzs new book, car guys vs. Bob lutz, car guy, on the make in manhattan the new york. Bean counters, for my friend s father, doug korthof. A programmed, gradual rise in fuel taxation, along the european.
Now comes an encore in the lutz on lutz genrecar guys vs. I asked him if he would be willing do dedicate a copy of his book, car guys vs. Bean counters is a thoughtprovoking commentary from auto industry maven bob lutz. What matters, lutz argues, is having on board at least one automotive artist with the talent to design desirable new cars. This book lutz second entertainingly recounts that period and gms corporate history leading up to it.
Bean counters by bob lutz,norman dietz for free with a 30 day free trial. What will change vw is what changes all businesses demand from the market. I think dagosa had mentioned it in one of the threads. He started his automotive career at gm in 1963 where he held senior leadership positions in europe until 1971. On sunday i happened to tune in to bob brinkers moneytalk radio show when former gm vice chairman and car guy extraordinaire, bob lutz, was on promoting his new book. 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 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 battle for the soul of american business reprint by bob lutz isbn. Lutz, castaing, pawley, and ceo bob eaton had retired or been replaced. With the bean counters firmly in charge, carmakers and much of american industry lost their singleminded focus on product excellence. Its the power of will, focus, selfsacrifice, and dedication to a higher goal that can not only make scared teenagers perform brilliantly in combat but also. The opportunity to interview bob lutz has always been something eagerly anticipated by. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. 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.
The battle for the soul of american business kindle edition by lutz, bob. Since retiring, lutz has published the bestselling book, car guys vs. The fate of empires and search for survival part two. Daniel ocallaghan continues his digest of bob lutzs 2011 book, car guys vs bean counters, which charts the decline of general motors and lutzs decadelong struggle to rescue it. Lutz is a former fighter pilot and a selfconfessed right. In 2001, general motors hired bob lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making great cars again. The battle for the soul of american business, by bob lutz portfolio, 256 pp. One of the most acute books about management and how companies work in practice that i have read in a long time.
The former ceo of general motors, bob lutz, wrote the book car guys vs. Doug was one of the original ev activists that clashed with general motors over crushing the ev1s, and is mentioned in bob s book. Former gm product boss skewers management and business schools auto industry legend bob lutz fires on all cylinders in his new book, car guys vs. Listen to unlimited audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. The fate of empires and search for survival part four. The battle for the soul of american business that in any company, the final word should go to those who live and breathe the customer experience. Car guys vs bean counters is an enormously entertaining account of how lutz.
Former gm product boss skewers management and business. An illuminating read by a true car guy and an excellent business leader. They would agree with former gm vice chairman and famous car guy bob lutz, who argued in his book car guys vs. Bean counters by bob lutz, 9781591844006, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Corporate average fuel economy standards rather than a gas tax cowards. Like in successful leadership, it isnt just education and intellect that matter. Earlier this year he published a book titled car guys vs bean counters. Last year bob lutz retired as vicechairman of general motors after a long and celebrated career in the car industry. The battle for the soul of american business paperback may 28, 20 by bob lutz author 4. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading car guys vs.
He joins morning joe to discuss his new book car guys vs bean counters, which. Bob eaton, one of the original architects of the merger, has more or less gone into. A legend in the car industry reveals the philosophy thats starting to turn general motors around. The battle for the soul of american business, by bob lutz. Volkswagens climate activist wont be able to change the. Perhaps the book would have been better served by the title bob lutz vs. Its been said that bob lutzdetroit shaman, veteran of general motors mad men era, and inveterate hamoften attracted as much attention as his cars. What does his book tell us about what really went on inside gm. Bean counters when his company was the largest in the world. I cant say that i was completely surprised when, about two thirds of the way through bob lutz s 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. In an effort to understand better what gave the japanese manufacturers such an edge in terms of quality and reliability, gm established a jointventure with toyota. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz ft business book. Opel and vauxhall in europe, holden in australia and daewoos automotive business in south korea. After declaring bankruptcy during the recession of 2008, gm is back.
This book, written in 2011, and released in paperback this spring with a new preface, was recommended to me by one of my mentors. Lutz wants an immediate 25 cent per year increase to federal tax on a gallon of fuel. He launched a war against penny pinching, office politics, turf wars and risk avoidance. Gms expansion to become a global company had largely been built on acquisitions. The battle for the soul of american business, veteran auto company executive bob lutz uses his varied experience in detroit, particularly his nine years as vice chairman of general motors company, to show how the u.
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. Interview with bob lutz automotive industry interview justauto. Lutz may 2 20 bob lutz car guys vs bean counters bob. 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. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Author bob lutz spent 47 years in the auto industry, and he ended his career as vice chairman of general motors. General motors hired bob lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making great cars again. Bob lutzs double talk on apple car and volkswagen emissions cheating.