Maximum Bob: GM Will Not "spend One Dollar in Order to Be Number One"

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

Once again, GM Car Czar Maximum Bob Lutz is shooting his mouth off, aspiring to TTAC's non-existent Stop Making Sense lifetime achievement award. Let's face it: it's one thing to say you don't give a shit about Toyota snatching your employer's "world's largest automaker crown" and then rescind the remark (as GM CEO Rick Wagoner did during a Russian plant unveiling in '07). It's another to say the same thing again. But those are the [non-fighting] words coming out of Maximum Bob's mouth in an interview set to be published tomorrow by the German auto industry newspaper Automobilwoche (via Reuters). "Good product quality, the company's image and the profit for shareholders are more important goals than the top position in volume." In that order, presumably. BTW. WTH does that quote actually mean?

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • Terry Terry on Jan 13, 2008

    In my mind, 2 ways to interpret Lutz's words: 1)"We will not spend one dollar in order to be number one" ...IN THE US MARKET Which means "Since we failed here, we'll just take the game overseas" 2) "We could have, but didnt spend our dollars wisely to REMAIN #1 in this country, no need spending good money after bad, so what do you want from us? Looky here--we gave you the LaCrosse and Lucerne, you all yawned. You wanted a small car, we gave you the Cobalt and yet you all want Civics, Corollas, and Mazda3s. You wanted a small sporty convertible, we gave you the Solstice, yet you all favor the Miata. We just can't please YOU PEOPLE, so you either take what we sell, or go overseas. Just like WE'RE doing!" Bottom line: US consumers favor non-US cars, GM favors non-US consumers.

  • Naif Naif on Jan 13, 2008

    at what date will the volt debut change from 2011 to 20??,?

  • Sherman Lin Sherman Lin on Jan 13, 2008

    "at what date will the volt debut change from 2011 to 20??,?" I'm going to guess maybe sometime in 2011.

  • Jurisb Jurisb on Jan 14, 2008

    As if spending a lot of dollars would make you number one! You see, there is something more than just buying shares, brands or pouring money in branches. It`s the ingenuity and attitude of each worker, engineer and designer.

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