Exit Interview: Legend Bob Lutz Retires
from
aol autos
In early March, Bob Lutz -- the auto industry’s colorful, outspoken, “ultimate car guy” -- announced he would step down from his position as General Motors vice-chairman on May 1.
The Swiss-born Lutz, now 78, leaves behind a long legacy. He’s served in various executive positions at General Motors, Chrysler, Ford, and BMW, and has always been a proponent of bold designs that created an emotional response from buyers. He helped turn Chrysler around in the early 1990s, and then returned to GM in 2001 to inject some excitement into their product line-up and re-focus the company’s attention on product quality.
Since Lutz’s return, GM has rolled out a bevy of sexy, head-turning models, some of which have snagged awards. New models bearing his influence include the dashing Cadillac CTS , the burly new Chevy Camaro , the redesigned Chevy Malibu , the Buick Lacrosse , and the svelte Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roadsters (a pair that, unfortunately, were discontinued when GM decided to shutter the Pontiac and Saturn divisions). But the most important vehicle Lutz has had his hands in just might be the upcoming Chevy Volt plug-in, which could be a game-changer both for GM and the industry.
About a week after announcing his retirement plans, we caught up with Lutz to discuss his career, his legacy, his proudest accomplishments and a couple of his more colorful quotes. Here’s what he had to say.
the rest of the interview can be read
here