Bob Lutz | |
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 Lutz in 2008 | |
| Born | Robert Anthony Lutz (1932-02-12)February 12, 1932 (age 93) Zürich, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Executive |
Robert Anthony Lutz (born February 12, 1932) is a Swiss-American automotive executive. He served as a top leader of all of the United StatesBig Three automobile manufacturers, having been in succession executive vice president (and board member) ofFord Motor Company, president and then vice chairman (and board member) ofChrysler Corporation, and vice chairman ofGeneral Motors.
Lutz was born inZürich, Switzerland, the son of Margaret and Robert Harry Lutz.[1] His father was a vice chairman ofCredit Suisse.[2] Lutz emigrated from Switzerland to the United States aged seven, spending time inScarsdale, New York,[3] becoming a U.S. citizen in 1943, and returned to Switzerland in 1947 to attend school inLausanne.[4] He is fluent inEnglish,French, andGerman. He hasmodest fluency inItalian.
Lutz received abachelor's degree inproduction management in 1961, followed by anMBA with a concentration in marketing with highest honors in 1962, both from theUniversity of California, Berkeley. He earned the latter when he was flying in theUnited States Marine Corps Reserve's4th Marine Aircraft Wing and supporting two of four young daughters by selling vacuum cleaners in Walnut Creek, California. He also received an honorary Doctorate of Law fromBoston University in 1985, and an honorary degree of Doctor of Management fromKettering University in 2003.[5] He is a trustee of theMarine Corps University Foundation and theMarine Military Academy.[6]
After leaving the Marines, Lutz spent eight years withGM Opel in Europe before joining BMW serving as executive vice president of sales atBMW[7] for three years. He takes some credit in the development of theBMW 3 Series as well as theirMotorsport division.
Lutz was also an executive vice president atFord Motor Company. AtFord of Europe, he led the creation of theFord Escort III, andFord Sierra, and upon returning to the US in 1985, initiated development of the originalFord Explorer, and was a member of Ford's board of directors. He was a frequent internal political rival of eventual Ford CEORed Poling.
Lutz became head ofChrysler Corporation's Global Product Development, including the successfulDodge Viper and LH series cars. Former Chrysler chairman and CEOLee Iacocca, who helped steer the company back to profitability after receiving loans from private banks backed by the U.S. Government in 1979, said he should have picked Lutz as his successor rather thanBob Eaton upon Iacocca's retirement at the end of 1992, but at the time Iacocca and Lutz were not getting along.[8] Eaton was responsible for the sale of Chrysler to Daimler-Benz in 1998 whichDaimler ended up backing out of in 2007 when it sold Chrysler toCerberus Capital Management. Referring to the job performance of Eaton, Iacocca claimed that Lutz "would eat him for lunch".[9]
While at General Motors, Lutz championed the import of theHolden Monaro to theUnited States as thePontiac GTO. Other cars such as theCadillac Sixteen Concept;Saturn Sky andPontiac 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 2010Buick Lacrosse,Chevrolet Equinox, andCadillac SRX are said[who?] to be Lutz initiatives. Lutz has also emphasized a need to produce fuel efficient vehicles, backing the 2010Chevrolet Volt.
Lutz maintained the "Fastlane" blog hosted at GM Blogs.
In 2008, Lutz said that "theelectrification of the automobile is inevitable".[10]
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 ofglobal warming.[11]
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.[12] Lutz retired from General Motors May 2, 2010.[citation needed]
As of 2021[update], Lutz was head of the consulting firm Lutz Communications.[13] He is also chairman of The New Common School Foundation, a member of the board of trustees for the U.S. Marine Corps University Foundation, and vice chairman of the board of trustees for the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, Texas. He joined theTransonic Combustion, Inc. board of directors on May 24, 2010.[citation needed]
On August 6, 2012, The NanoSteel Company, a nano-structured steel materials designer, announced an investment by GM Ventures in the company.[14] On October 10, 2012, NanoSteel announced the appointment of Bob Lutz to its board of directors.[15] The Providence, RI-based company said that it "has achieved a significant breakthrough in the development of nano-structured sheet steel with exceptional strength and ductility" for theautomotive industry.[citation needed]
In 2015, Lutz was honored with anEdison Achievement Award for his commitment to innovation throughout his career.[16]
In late-2017 Lutz wrote an article forAutomotive News predicting upheaval within the car manufacturing industry, anticipating large-scale fleet ownership, removal of dealerships and an eventual ban on human driving of vehicles for transport.[17]
Lutz has authored four books.Guts: the 7 Laws of Business that Made Chrysler the World's Hottest Car Company in 1998, later revised in 2003 to themanagement and leadership book,Guts: 8 Laws of Business from One of the Most Innovative Business Leaders of Our Time is partially based on his experience as aUS Marine Corps aviator. His 2011 book,Car Guys vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business, is about his experiences in the US automobile industry. It attained third place in the New York Times "Business Hardcover" category and fifth on the Wall Street Journal list. His 2013 book,Icons and Idiots: Straight Talk on Leadership is about his personal experiences with leaders and their leadership talents and foibles. It is a compendium from Lutz's more than sixty years of observation of inspirational leaders and an analysis of what made the great ones successful at what they did.
Lutz is known as a collector ofclassic automobiles and military jets. Among other aircraft, he owned and piloted anAero L-39 Albatros (an advanced Czechoslovakian jet fighter trainer) and anMD-500 helicopter. Further, he maintained a collection of motorcycles that included aSuzuki Hayabusa, a BMW K1200RS, a BMW K1200S, a BMW R1100S, a BMW K-1 and a BMW HP2 Sport.
Bob Lutz is married to Terri (Smith) Lutz and both reside at their home in Ann Arbor, MI; along with their adoptive four-legged family; which includes, two pigs, one dog and three cats (inside); along with Rowan (horse) and Cassie (rescue donkey) outside.
Children: (first marriage) four daughters: Jacqueline Lutz-Geiger {Greg Geiger}, Caroline Lutz-Mannelli, Catherine Lutz-Houlden {Tom Houlden}, Alexandra (Lutz) Bernardi {Andrew Bernardi}.
His younger brotherMark A. Lutz is a retired economics professor.
Lutz was featured in the 2007 coffee table book published by Motorbooks International [(The Quarto Group]), "Motor City Dream Garages." Chapter 2, "Maximum Bob's Car Park," features Lutz's car collection near Ann Arbor, Michigan. Rex Roy, of Detroit, is the book's author.
Lutz was interviewed in the 2011 documentary,Revenge of the Electric Car.
In 2012, Lutz reconfirmed his skepticism of thescientific consensus on climate change during an interview byBill Maher.[23] Lutz is an advocate for electric cars and higher petroleum taxes, despite this.
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