Bob Lutz (businessman)

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Bob Lutz (businessman) : biography

February 12, 1932 –

Robert Anthony "Bob" Lutz (born February 12, 1932) is a Swiss American automotive executive.

Personal life

Lutz is known as a collector of classic automobiles and military jets. Among other aircraft, he owns and pilots an Aero L-39 Albatros, an advanced Czechoslovakian jet fighter trainer and an MD-500 helicopter. Further, he maintains a collection of motorcycles that include a Suzuki Hayabusa, a BMW K1200RS, a BMW K1200S, a BMW R1100S, a BMW K-1 and a BMW HP2 Sport.

His younger brother Mark A. Lutz is a retired economics professor.

He also is a prominent global warming doubter. He defended his position vehemently on Real Time with Bill Maher in a debate with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIcO5JHk-WU, visited May 24, 2012.

Lutz was interviewed in the 2011 documentary, "Revenge of the Electric Car".

Career

After leaving the Marines Lutz spent eight years with GM in Europe before joining BMW serving as Executive Vice President of sales at BMW for three years, and he takes some credit in the development of the BMW 3-Series.

Lutz was also an Executive Vice President at Ford Motor Company, where he led the creation of the Ford Sierra, initiated development of the original Ford Explorer, and was a Member of Ford’s Board of Directors. He was a frequent internal political rival of eventual Ford CEO Red Poling.

Lutz became head of Chrysler Corporation’s Global Product Development, including the very successful Dodge Viper and LH series cars. Former Chrysler Chairman and CEO Lee Iacocca, who helped steer the company back to profitability after receiving a loan from the U.S. Government in 1979, said he should have picked Lutz as his successor rather than Bob Eaton upon Iacocca’s retirement at the end of 1992, but at the time Iacocca and Lutz were not getting along. Eaton was responsible for the sale of Chrysler to Daimler-Benz in 1998 which Daimler ended up backing out of in 2007 when it sold Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management. Referring to the job performance of Eaton, Iacocca claimed that Lutz "would eat him for lunch".

While at General Motors, Lutz championed the import of the Holden Monaro to the United States as the Pontiac GTO. Other cars such as the Cadillac Sixteen Concept; Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice; Pontiac G8; Chevrolet Malibu; Cadillac CTS; Buick Enclave; Cadillac Converj Concept; Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept; Chevrolet Camaro; Chevy Beat, Groove and Trax Concept Studies; and 2010 Buick Lacrosse, Chevrolet Equinox, and Cadillac SRX are said to be Lutz initiatives. Lutz has also emphasized a need to produce fuel efficient vehicles, backing the 2010 Chevrolet VoltThe New GM published by which is estimated to gain up to 100 mpg.

Lutz maintained the "Fastlane" blog hosted at GM Blogs.

In 2008, Lutz said that "the electrification of the automobile is inevitable".

On February 9, 2009, GM announced that Lutz would step down on April 1, 2009, from his position as Vice Chairman of Global Product Development, to take an advisory role. He was to retire from GM at the end of 2009. Lutz said that one reason for his decision was the increasing regulatory climate in Washington that would force GM to produce what Federal regulators wanted, rather than what customers wanted. Lutz has expressed skepticism on the issue of global warming.

During a July 10, 2009, press conference, GM stated that Lutz would remain at GM as Vice Chairman responsible for all creative elements of products and customer relationships, and that his role as Vice Chairman of Global Product Development would be assumed April 1, 2009, by Thomas G. Stephens, then Executive Vice President of Global Powertrain and Global Quality. Lutz, Stephens, and design chief Ed Welburn would work together to guide all creative aspects of design. Lutz would also lead the effort to better guide GM’s brands, and the automaker’s marketing, advertising, and communications teams would report to Lutz in an effort to develop a more consistent message and results. Lutz would report directly to Fritz Henderson, and be part of the newly formed Executive Committee. Lutz retired from General Motors May 2, 2010.