There are many generations, many kinds of people.
Bob Lutz has been shaping America’s automotive landscape for many decades. Bob Lutz has held top positions in the Big Three automotive manufacturers: executive vice president and board Member of the Ford Motor Company; president, vice chairperson and board member for the Chrysler Corporation and vice chairman for General Motors.
His influence has been a major factor in the design, manufacture, and production of many vehicles, including the Ford Escort and Dodge Viper. He even stated that electrification was the future of 2008! He even said that electrification was the future in 2008. He shares his thoughts on some of the most sketchy characters he has had the pleasure (or displeasure) of working with in an article that appeared in the July 2019 issue of Road & Track. He had the pleasure of working with.
Max Hoffman was the first, a well-known importer of premium European brands and U.S. distributor of BMW. He is a legend among many for his advocacy of the BMW 507 and Mercedes-Benz 190 roadsters, Porsche Speedster, Jaguar XK120, and the Jaguar Speedster. Bob says that while he was charming, visionary, and successful, he could have been bribed and extorted. “He offered me $10 million in secret Swiss accounts so that I would be his “reliable and personal friend” at BMW. I declined. Although he accepted it with grace, he often reminded me of his powerful Italian-American friends who would love to see BMW end its contract.
Despite his success in creating products for GM’s, John DeLorean would later create the ill-fated DeLorean Motor Company. DeLorean was apparently in trouble when he tried to raise money for his projects. He was found with a suitcase containing cocaine by U.S. Customs. DeLorean called Bob Lutz several times when he was Chrysler’s president to inquire about financing opportunities. The large amounts of grant money intended for Ireland DMC were diverted to other items, and the bulk of the money disappeared. Seems legit.
Alejandro De Tomaso, who was the Maserati owner for 17 years and was responsible for creating icons such as Pantera and the Mangusta, was a very successful businessman. Lee Iacocca, then a late man, thought it would make sense to sign a deal and make Maserati a Chrysler brand. The partnership produced one product: a K-car-based roadster. It could not be called Maserati. It was “Chrysler’s TC by Maserati.” When we finally added up the cost of the misadventure, it came out to be close to $600million.
Carroll Shelby was the most well-known, and everyone loved him except those who had business dealings with him. Bob claims that there were many stories about Carroll Shelby, including fake serial numbers and 1960s Cobra cars that were constructed and hidden away in order to encourage the car’s aging. He continues, saying that “Shelby was intelligent, funny, and great to have around.” He became less likeable the more I worked at Chrysler.