Everything Sells At The Right Price… Even Bob Lutz's Advice!
An earlier report, stating that Bob Lutz would be returning to GM as a consultant was true… but so was the news that Treasury opposed GM’s plans to pay its longtime executive, who retired a little over a year ago. Speaking to the press at the New York Auto Show, Maximum Bob confirms that he is on the board of Lotus, and revealed that he is doing “pro-bono” work as a consultant for GM’s new product development boss, Mary Barra. According to Automotive News [sub], the prospect of Lutz returning as a GM consultant ( ala Fritz Henderson) caused such a stir at Treasury, that he decided to work informally at GM, without pay. Given that Lutz’s heavily-hyped products have yet to return GM to steady retail market share growth, perhaps GM is finally paying him what he’s worth?
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I may be back at GM soon too, as a contractor again. Seriously, someone please get me the hell out of Detroit.
Say what you want about Lutz, he is one of the few people at GM who has the innate ability to look at a car and see whether it will connect with the public of not. Has he made mistakes? Sure. The Prowler at Chrysler was a bomb. But the Viper sure wasn't. Nor was the Grand Cherokee. GM needs Bob Lutz more than Lutz needs GM.
Seems as though many of us agree that Lutz is good at creating niche products that build image. But what GM currently needs is more volume products that build profits.
Lutz is a very talented person, he has an almost unmatched talent for self-promotion. He was a matchless car journalist-ass kisser. He had the talent to get in front of a good idea and pretend that it was his own and he could dance away from blame for a failed program like no one else. His niche products were for the most part press darlings but money losers in sales. It is truly amazing to look at his career and how he has managed to skate from one failure to another without ever being held accountable. Judge him by the results, what he left behind and he is one of the worst car executives ever.