Mixed into lutzs flow of blarney and halfbaked pontificating is one of the most acute books about. The battle for the soul of american business, and icons and idiots. During his 47year career in the auto industry, he worked for gm, ford, bmw, and chrysler and hes a legend in. Motoman drives the 20 chevy malibu to visit bob lutz at his own garage. This book, written in 2011, and released in paperback this spring with a new. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. According to bob lutz, that is a fairly good description of gm when he arrived in 2001 as vice chairman in charge of product development.
Lutz is certainly not that unless you count his sense of humour. The battle for the soul of american business ebook. Perhaps the book would have been better served by the title bob lutz vs. Jun 15, 2011 former vice chairman of general motors, bob lutz, has released a new book titled car guys vs bean counters. Now comes an encore in the lutz on lutz genre car guys vs. Sep 01, 2019 the above quote from former vice chairman of general motors bob lutz s recent book car guys vs. General motors hired bob lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making. Car guys vs bean counters the battle for the soul of. I have been in love with american cars since my childhood in cuba. He joins morning joe to discuss his new book car guys vs bean counters, which focuses on how auto companies lost their way and how they can recover their lost greatness.
Jul 20, 2011 bob lutz in his recent book car guys vs. The battle for the soul of american business kindle edition by lutz, bob. Bean counters is the best book written by an auto industry insider since iacocca in 1984, and deserves to be shelved alongside alfred p. Sloans management classic, my years with general motors. The battle for the soul of american business, the autobiography of bob lutz, former vice chairman of general motors. The battle for the soul of american business, picks up where lutzs earlier book, guts, left off. Ann arbor, mi robert lutz, general motors, car guys vs.
None have, until exvice chairman bob lutz s new book, car guys vs. Jun 28, 2015 the above quote from former vice chairman of general motors bob lutz s recent book car guys vs. Whats more, he was usually forgiven for some of his less welljudged commentary on account of whatever he said coming from the heart, as well as the perspective of a car guy. After declaring bankruptcy during the recession of 2008, gm is back. Bean counters makes the point that gm was doing fine until in the mid 1970s the mbatrained finance guys. Any car nuts with desire to understand what has happened to the american car industry should read this book. The battle for the soul of american business reprint by bob lutz isbn. Bean counters bob lutz worked at a various number of car companies before returning to general motors in 2001. Car guys vs bean counters is an enormously entertaining account of how lutz returned to gm to. In his book, car guys versus bean counters, he chronicles the very wary gm of 2001 through its first stillborn turnaround, its acquisition by the american and canadian governments and its new born. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz financial times. Bean counters by bob lutz, norman dietz for free with a 30 day free trial.
Lutz may 2 20 bob lutz car guys vs bean counters bob lutz. Jun 07, 2011 bob lutz, former vice chairman of product development at general motors, has an new book coming out this week called car guys vs. But the most interesting revelation from anderssons interview was a direct repudiation of bob lutzs entire car guys vs bean counters narrative. They do what car guys do best, talk new cars, classic cars and with the release of bob s new book, car guys vs. Bean counters makes the point that gm was doing fine until in the mid 1970s the mbatrained finance guys took control of product development from the. Bean counters contains all the pearls of wisdom i would expect to see from bob lutz. His message which comes from a 47 year career observing and working in the auto business is certainly worth the attention it has recently gotten. The battle for the soul of american business ebook written by bob lutz. Jul 07, 2011 now comes an encore in the lutz on lutz genrecar guys vs. He joins morning joe to discuss his new book car guys vs bean counters, which. Bob lutz thrilled to add vlf destino to his collection.
Car veteran bob lutz returns to gm business the driver. When it comes to top executives at auto companies, there simply hasnt been a woman in the drivers seat, ever. Download pdf car guys vs bean counters book full free. 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. In his latest book car guys versus bean counters he spotlights those, he believes, who have hurt the industry the most.
Car guys vs bean counters available for download and read online in other formats. Retiring in late 2010 as vice chairman of general motors, he currently runs bob lutz communications. The battle for the soul of american business caught our eye. Its been said that bob lutzdetroit shaman, veteran of general motors mad men era, and inveterate hamoften attracted as much attention as his cars. One of the most acute books about management and how companies work in practice that i have read in a long time. Nationstates view topic the general car thread the. A legend in the car industry reveals the philosophy thats starting to turn general motors around. 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. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz maximum bob was always a journalists dream, ready to shoot from the hip and mouth off at anyone and anything. Jan 15, 2015 former general motors vice chairman, and consummate car guy, bob lutz talks to alixpartners john hoffecker about design and three classic cars hed like to own but doesnt yet. Oct 04, 2011 none have, until exvice chairman bob lutzs new book, car guys vs. Bean counters, i devote an entire chapter to the deliberate and largely useless intellectualizing of business, foisted on america by the nations famous business schools.
The fate of empires and search for survival part one. I think dagosa had mentioned it in one of the threads. He launched a war against penny pinching, office politics, turf wars and risk avoidance. Sep 07, 2011 maximum bob back at the wheel at general motors. 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. Autoline detroit recently played host to bob lutz, and, as is always the case, the former general motors vice chairman dished out some great commentary.
Bean counters is a thoughtprovoking commentary from auto industry maven bob lutz. I was expecting a good discussion of the soul of ameican business finance guys vs. Dozens of masteratis, various ferraris both front engine and mid, lamborghinis both aventador to gallardo, a couple of corvettes, more than a few new mercedes maybachs, gclasses galore, and one hyundai. Found myself a lovely hotel in ginza, and man was i in for a treat. Listen to unlimited audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. The battle for the soul of american business, and talk quickly turned to his role as it related to product development and highlevel decision making at gm. An illuminating read by a true car guy and an excellent business leader.
Kent kresa, chairman emeritus, northrup grumman this book is a true insiders look at the auto industry. But he saves his most poisonous venom for the bean counters. 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 a web. Author bob lutz spent 47 years in the auto industry, and he ended his career as vice chairman of general motors. Those who dont know of bob lutz have an excellent opportunity to remedy that by reading his latest book, car guys vs bean counters. Nov 07, 2017 its not every day a titan of industry predicts the demise of his own. What follows is a digest of that book, supplemented with additional information where appropriate. Bean counters, the normally outspoken bob lutz pulls out all the stops and settles a few scores. 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. What does his book tell us about what really went on inside gm. The battle for the soul of american business by bob lutz 20, paperback at the best online prices at ebay.
Lutz has a reputation for speaking his mind and straight shooting. Dec 16, 20 former gm vice chairman bob lutz fittingly titled his recent book car guys vs. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz ft business book of. Lutzs advice is not new nor is the choice as simple as he suggests. Former gm chairman bob lutz says the end of the car. Nytimes extended best seller list since publication in june.
See all books authored by bob lutz, including car guys vs. Now in his late seventies, bob lutz knows his auto industry history, and his latest book, car guys vs. The battle for the soul of american business lutz, bob on. Pdf car guys vs bean counters download full pdf book. An excerpt from bob lutzs book car guys vs bean counters. And you dont need an mba to figure out who he means. The battle for the soul of american business, is about his experiences in the us automobile industry. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. 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. Bean counters the battle for the soul of american business. With little fanfare, trump is raising your taxes today page. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read car guys vs. I read it because i wanted to understand how this man thinks.
Well, youre a friend, so im going to try and prevent you from ever driving your business off a cliff by urging you to read car guys vs. Its been said that bob lutzdetroit shaman, veteran of general motors mad men era, and inveterate hamoften attracted as much attention. But bob lutz, the former vice chairman of general motors, believes the auto industry is not long for this world. Bean counters the battle for the soul of american business by bob lutz available from rakuten kobo. Chevy volt champion bob lutz has been excited to receive delivery of his vlf destino, which is built on the chassis of the fisker karma. It attained third place in the new york times business hardcover category and fifth on the wall street journal list.
In 2001, general motors hired bob lutz out of retirement with a mandate to save the company by making great cars again. Bean counters is the best book written by an auto industry insider since. 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. I have also followed the stories on this cocky but.
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. Car guys gives the reader insight into the man whose influence in this. The battle for the soul of american business portfolio press, 2010. Bean counters is the best book written by an auto industry insider since iacocca in 1984, and deserves to be shelved alongside alfred.
He launched a war against penny pinching, office politics, turf wars, and risk avoidance. Bob lutz has written an important diagnostic book on the demise of general motors. Feb 25, 2020 in his 2011 book, car guys vs bean counters, robert a bob lutz charts the decline of the once great company and describes his decadelong struggle to rescue it. The fate of empires and search for survival part three. Car guys vs bean counters by bob lutz ft business book. Car guys versus bean counters general discussion car. But he saves his most poisonous venom for the beancounters, the finance people at gm. Lutz wrote every word in longhand and every sentence bears his distinctive voice.
Mar 10, 2020 daniel ocallaghan continues his digest of bob lutzs 2011 book, car guys vs bean counters, charting the decline of gm and lutzs decadelong struggle to rescue it. 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. This is a book about general motors history and personal ramblings and selfpromotion. Bob lutz would, im sure, proudly describe himself as a car guy to his core. He started his automotive career at gm in 1963 where he held senior leadership positions in europe until 1971.
An excerpt from bob lutzs book car guys vs bean counters author bob lutz spent 47 years in the auto industry, and he ended his career as vice chairman of general motors. He has lived in the most inner circles at ford, bmw. The battle for the soul of american business, by bob lutz. What matters, lutz argues, is having on board at least one automotive artist with the talent to design desirable new cars.
960 1536 1449 522 1435 225 1259 798 1178 114 634 955 66 1351 639 195 609 44 224 1603 38 1086 63 168 944 1488 1467 188 667 1026 687 81 1247 763 185 1152 710 162 195 1391 504 360 92 320 895