Six Men Built The Modern Auto Industry

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Six Men Built the Modern Auto Industry

Author : Richard Alan Johnson
Publisher : MotorBooks International
ISBN 13 : 9781610591812
Total Pages : 434 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (918 download)

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Book Synopsis Six Men Built the Modern Auto Industry by : Richard Alan Johnson

Download or read book Six Men Built the Modern Auto Industry written by Richard Alan Johnson and published by MotorBooks International. This book was released on with total page 434 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the story of six extraordinary men who each built something from nothing, redefined the automotive industry after World War II, and redirected its course for the future: Henry Ford II (visionary autocrat with an iron will), Shoichiro Honda (most successful automotive entrepreneur since Henry Ford I), Eberhard von Kuenheim (founder of the modern BMW), Lee Iacocca, Ferdinand Piech (builder of Volkswagen Group) and Robert Lutz (who left retirement at 70 and is still highly influential at General Motors). What made them special was the sheer volume of fundamental change they brought to the largest industry in the history of the world. They not only re-shaped the auto business, the six made a sizable dent in the societies they lived in. To a man they were great cognitive thinkers. Their minds worked with animal speed, even instinct speed. But more than anything these were brave and cantankerous souls who rode the waves of history. Each could see the future. They could just make it out-sometimes imperfectly, but could see it nonetheless. They took a business that had begun to mature and decline by the 1930s and found ways to make it fresh and whole again.- The compelling story of the global car business over the past half-century.- A lively and engaging narrative that recounts some times collaborative, sometimes archly antagonistic interactions among the men- Full of business revelations at the highest level, written by a journalist operating at the heart of the industry- Global appeal that shows how automotive groups in the USA, Europe and Asia have influenced each other- A business story interlaced with personal details that explains why the six were determined to be successfulAbout the AuthorFor two decades, Richard Johnson has worked for Crain Communications, publisher of the world's leading automotive business publications. Founding editor of Crain's Automotive News Europe, he has been a reporter and editor for the group in Detroit, Tokyo, Frankfurt and London. He is currently a senior editor with Automotive News in Detroit and regularly talks to the most senior executives in the leading car manufacturing groups.

Six Men Who Built the Modern Auto Industry

Author : Richard A. Johnson
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781437974966
Total Pages : 384 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (749 download)

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Book Synopsis Six Men Who Built the Modern Auto Industry by : Richard A. Johnson

Download or read book Six Men Who Built the Modern Auto Industry written by Richard A. Johnson and published by . This book was released on 2010-11 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Henry Ford II -- visionary autocrat and the grandson of the founder of Ford Motor Co. Soichiro Honda -- founder of Honda, who revolutionized Japanese automaking. Lee Iacocca -- father of the Mustang and savior of Chrysler. Eberhard von Kuenheim -- founder of the modern BMW. Bob Lutz -- a driving force at Chrysler, GM, and BMW. Ferdinand Piech -- architect of the Volkswagen Group. The lives and careers of these six men were profoundly intermingled; they competed and collaborated, even hired and fired one another. This book tells their stories in their own words, showing how their fresh approaches to design, engin, mfg., and sales and marketing reshaped their respective car co. and, had a significant impact on the soc. in which they lived. Illus.

Occupant Protection and Automobile Safety in the U.S. since 1900

Author : Roger F Wells
Publisher : SAE International
ISBN 13 : 0768076188
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (68 download)

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Book Synopsis Occupant Protection and Automobile Safety in the U.S. since 1900 by : Roger F Wells

Download or read book Occupant Protection and Automobile Safety in the U.S. since 1900 written by Roger F Wells and published by SAE International. This book was released on 2012-03-20 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a historical review of safety features appearing on passenger cars that have been produced for sale in the U.S. from 1900 to the present. A main theme throughout is the impact the automobile has made on society, with particular emphasis on accidents and loss of life. Another theme is the technological advances that have contributed to safer driving. Even though the author details the technical details of the major safety-related components of automobiles, the book is written for anyone with an interest in the workings of motor vehicles. Topics include: events driving the implementation of specific safety features government involvement and legislative actions effects of mandated and non-mandated implementation effects of safety technologies on annual passenger deaths technical details of specific innovations development of crash protection testing standards Each of the five chapters covers a different period in the evolution of passenger cars. They include detailed descriptions of technologies and advancements that have directly contributed to the production, operation, and crash-survivability improvements made to automobiles. Also included are commentaries relating to influences of political and industry-driven initiatives, consumer reactions, and apparent effects of these influences on annual fatality rates.

Making and Selling Cars

Author : James M. Rubenstein
Publisher : JHU Press
ISBN 13 : 0801873711
Total Pages : 412 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (18 download)

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Book Synopsis Making and Selling Cars by : James M. Rubenstein

Download or read book Making and Selling Cars written by James M. Rubenstein and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2003-04-01 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the creation of fast food, to the design of cities, to the character of our landscape, the automobile has shaped nearly every aspect of modern American life. In fact, the U.S. motor vehicle industry is the largest manufacturing industry in the world. James Rubenstein documents the story of the automotive industry . . . which despite its power, is an industry constantly struggling to redefine itself and assure its success. Making and Selling Cars: Innovation and Change in the U.S. Automotive Industry shows how this industry made adjustments and fostered innovations in both production and marketing in order to remain a viable force throughout the twentieth-century. Rubenstein builds his study of the American auto industry with care, taking the reader through this quintessentially modern history of production and consumption. Avoiding jargon while never over simplifying, Rubenstein gives a detailed and straightforward account of both the production and merchandising of cars. We learn how the industry began and about its methods for building cars and the modern American marketplace. Along the way there were many missteps and challenges—the Edsel, the fuel crisis, and the ascendancy of Japanese cars in the 1980s. The industry met these types of problems with new techniques and approaches. To demonstrate this, Rubenstein gives the reader examples of how the auto industry used to work, which he alternates with chapters showing how the industry has reinvented itself. Making and Selling Cars explains why the U.S. automotive industry has been and remains a vigorous shaper of the American economy.

Autonomous State

Author : Dimitry Anastakis
Publisher : University of Toronto Press
ISBN 13 : 1442664436
Total Pages : 569 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (426 download)

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Book Synopsis Autonomous State by : Dimitry Anastakis

Download or read book Autonomous State written by Dimitry Anastakis and published by University of Toronto Press. This book was released on 2013-02-19 with total page 569 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Autonomous State provides the first detailed examination of the Canadian auto industry, the country’s most important economic sector, in the post-war period. In this engrossing book, Dimitry Anastakis chronicles the industry’s evolution from the 1973 OPEC embargo to the 1989 Canada–US Free Trade Agreement and looks at its effects on public policy, diplomacy, business enterprise, workers, consumers, and firms. Using an immense array of archival sources, and interviews with some of the key actors in the events, Anastakis examines a fascinating array of topics in recent auto industry and Canadian business and economic history: the impact of new safety, emissions, and fuel economy regulations on the Canadian sector and consumers, the first Chrysler bailout of 1980, the curious life and death of the 1965 Canada-US auto pact, the ‘invasion’ of Japanese imports and transplant operations, and the end of aggressive auto policy-making with the coming of free trade. More than just an examination of the auto industry, the book provides a rethinking of Canada’s tumultuous post-OPEC political and economic evolution, helping to explain the current tribulations of the global auto sector and Canada’s place within it.

On a Global Mission: The Automobiles of General Motors International Volume 3

Author : Louis F. Fourie
Publisher : FriesenPress
ISBN 13 : 1460296907
Total Pages : 493 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (62 download)

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Book Synopsis On a Global Mission: The Automobiles of General Motors International Volume 3 by : Louis F. Fourie

Download or read book On a Global Mission: The Automobiles of General Motors International Volume 3 written by Louis F. Fourie and published by FriesenPress. This book was released on 2016-12-27 with total page 493 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Volume One traces the history of Opel and Vauxhall separately from inception through to the 1970s and thereafter collectively to 2015. Special attention is devoted to examining innovative engineering features and the role Opel has taken of providing global platforms for GM. Each model is examined individually and supplemented by exhaustive supporting specification tables. The fascinating history of Saab and Lotus begins with their humble beginnings and examines each model in detail and looks at why these unusual marques came under the GM Banner. Included is a penetrating review of Saab through to its unfortunate demise. Volume Two examines unique models and variations of Chevrolet and Buick manufactured in the Southern Hemisphere and Asia but never offered in North America. Daewoo, Wuling and Baojun are other Asian brands covered in detail. This volume concludes with recording the remarkable early success of Holden and its continued independence through to today. Volume Three covers the smaller assembly operations around the world and the evolution of GM's export operations. A brief history of Isuzu, Subaru and Suzuki looks at the three minority interests GM held in Asia. The GM North American model specifications are the most comprehensive to be found in a single book. Global and regional sales statistics are included. GM executives and management from around the globe are listed with the roles they held. An index ensures that these volumes serve as the ideal reference source on GM.

Restless Giant

Author : James T. Patterson
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0195305221
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (953 download)

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Book Synopsis Restless Giant by : James T. Patterson

Download or read book Restless Giant written by James T. Patterson and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2007-05-24 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines recent American history, from the end of the Watergate scandal to the hotly contested presidential election of 2000, describing the events, movements, and players that shaped the era.

Two Billion Cars

Author : Daniel Sperling
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199744017
Total Pages : 322 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (997 download)

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Book Synopsis Two Billion Cars by : Daniel Sperling

Download or read book Two Billion Cars written by Daniel Sperling and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-01-13 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today there are over a billion vehicles in the world, and within twenty years, the number will double, largely a consequence of China's and India's explosive growth. Given that greenhouse gases are already creating havoc with our climate and that violent conflict in unstable oil-rich nations is on the rise, will matters only get worse? Or are there hopeful signs that effective, realistic solutions can be found? Blending a concise history of cars and their impact on the world, leading transportation experts Daniel Sperling and Deborah Gordon explain how we arrived at this state, and what we can do about it. Sperling and Gordon assign blame squarely where it belongs-on the auto-industry, short-sighted government policies, and consumers. They explore such solutions as getting beyond the gas-guzzler monoculture, re-inventing cars, searching for low-carbon fuels, and more. Promising advances in both transportation technology and fuel efficiency together with shifts in traveler behavior, they suggest, offer us a way out of our predicament. The authors conclude that the two places that have the most troublesome emissions problems--California and China--are the most likely to become world leaders on these issues. Arnold Schwarzenegger's enlightened embrace of eco-friendly fuel policies, which he discusses in the foreword, and China's forthright recognition that it needs far-reaching environmental and energy policies, suggest that if they can tackle the issue effectively and honestly, then there really is reason for hope. Updated with a new afterword that sheds light on the profound changes in the global economy in the last year, Two Billion Cars makes the case for why and how we need to transform transportation now more than ever. "Authoritatively prescriptive." --Tom Vanderbilt, Wilson Quarterly "Provocative and pleasurable, far-seeing and refreshing, fact-based and yet a page-turner, global in scope but rooted in real places. The authors make a convincing case that smart consumers driving smart electric-drive cars can find the critical path to a safer planet." --Robert Socolow, Princeton University "In this insightful and persuasive book, Sperling and Gordon highlight one of the biggest environmental challenges of this century: two billion cars. They rightly contend that we cannot avert the worst of global warming without making our cars cleaner and petroleum-free. Luckily the authors also offer a roadmap for navigating this problem that is both visionary and achievable." --Frances Beinecke, President, Natural Resources Defense Council

Engines of Change

Author : Paul Ingrassia
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 145164065X
Total Pages : 402 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (516 download)

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Book Synopsis Engines of Change by : Paul Ingrassia

Download or read book Engines of Change written by Paul Ingrassia and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-05-01 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A narrative like no other: a cultural history that explores how cars have both propelled and reflected the American experience— from the Model T to the Prius. From the assembly lines of Henry Ford to the open roads of Route 66, from the lore of Jack Kerouac to the sex appeal of the Hot Rod, America’s history is a vehicular history—an idea brought brilliantly to life in this major work by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Paul Ingrassia. Ingrassia offers a wondrous epic in fifteen automobiles, including the Corvette, the Beetle, and the Chevy Corvair, as well as the personalities and tales behind them: Robert McNamara’s unlikely role in Lee Iacocca’s Mustang, John Z. DeLorean’s Pontiac GTO , Henry Ford’s Model T, as well as Honda’s Accord, the BMW 3 Series, and the Jeep, among others. Through these cars and these characters, Ingrassia shows how the car has expressed the particularly American tension between the lure of freedom and the obligations of utility. He also takes us through the rise of American manufacturing, the suburbanization of the country, the birth of the hippie and the yuppie, the emancipation of women, and many more fateful episodes and eras, including the car’s unintended consequences: trial lawyers, energy crises, and urban sprawl. Narrative history of the highest caliber, Engines of Change is an entirely edifying new way to look at the American story.

Automobility and the City in Twentieth-Century Britain and Japan

Author : Simon Gunn
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1350075957
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (5 download)

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Book Synopsis Automobility and the City in Twentieth-Century Britain and Japan by : Simon Gunn

Download or read book Automobility and the City in Twentieth-Century Britain and Japan written by Simon Gunn and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-08-22 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Automobility and the City in Twentieth-Century Britain and Japan is the first book to consider how mass motorization reshaped cities in Japan and Britain during the 20th century. Taking two leading 'motor cities', Nagoya and Birmingham, as their principal subjects, Simon Gunn and Susan C. Townsend show how cars changed the spatial form and individual experience of the modern city and reveal the similarities and differences between Japan and Britain in adapting to the 'motor age'. The book has three main themes: the place of automobility in post-war urban reconstruction; the emerging conflict between the promise of mobility and personal freedom offered by the car and its consequences for the urban environment (the M/E dilemma); and the extent to which the Anglo-Japanese comparison can throw light on fundamental differences in cultural understanding of the environment, urbanism and the self. The result is the first comparative history of mass automobility and its environmental consequences between East and West.

The All-American Muscle Car

Author : Joe Oldham
Publisher : Motorbooks International
ISBN 13 : 0760353352
Total Pages : 195 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (63 download)

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Book Synopsis The All-American Muscle Car by : Joe Oldham

Download or read book The All-American Muscle Car written by Joe Oldham and published by Motorbooks International. This book was released on 2017-05-22 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Get the full history of the American muscle car in The All-American Muscle Car, from it's origin as an act of descent, to where it sits now.

The Knuckleball Club

Author : Richard A. Johnson
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1442261706
Total Pages : 321 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (422 download)

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Book Synopsis The Knuckleball Club by : Richard A. Johnson

Download or read book The Knuckleball Club written by Richard A. Johnson and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2016-06-09 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The knuckleball—so difficult to hit but also difficult to control and catch—has been a part of major league baseball since the early 1900s and continues to be used to this day. This remarkable and unusual pitch is the instrument of a special breed of pitcher, a determined athlete possessing tremendous concentration, self confidence, and a willingness to weather all kinds of adversity. In The Knuckleball Club: The Extraordinary Men Who Mastered Baseball's Most Difficult Pitch, Richard A. Johnson provides an informal history of the wildest, weirdest, most mesmerizing pitch of all time. Beginning with an examination of the invention of the knuckleball, Johnson then briefly touches upon the science and psychology of the pitch before profiling the game’s great knuckleballers. Rich in anecdotes and interviews, this book shares the unique stories of Hoyt Wilhelm, Phil Niekro, Jim Bouton, Tom Candiotti, Tim Wakefield, R.A. Dickey, and many others. Also featured are the stories of the best knuckleball catchers, from Bob Uecker and Doug Mirabelli to Rick Ferrell and Paul Richards. While knuckleballers today are an anomaly, decades ago a surprisingly large number of major league pitchers used the knuckler. The Knuckleball Club is the first book to provide a comprehensive survey of the pitch and the players who used it, offering a deep understanding of how the knuckleball has fit into the fabric of the game over the past one hundred years. Anyone wanting to learn more about this unusual pitch, from baseball historians and fans to current and former players, will find this book an entertaining and enlightening read.

Book of Answers for a Young CEO

Author : Debasish Sahoo
Publisher : iUniverse
ISBN 13 : 0595446426
Total Pages : 438 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (954 download)

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Book Synopsis Book of Answers for a Young CEO by : Debasish Sahoo

Download or read book Book of Answers for a Young CEO written by Debasish Sahoo and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2007-08 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "When asked about the qualities needed to be an effective CEO, the answers are, to me, quite basic: Respect for, and ability to get along with, many different kinds of people, including those that do not share your views; The will to honor promises that one makes to his family, and the understanding that work and home life must be balanced." -Gerard J. Arpey, CEO, American Airlines "Be positive about challenges you encounter, for no matter how successful you are, you will encounter them." -William Clay Ford, Chairman, and CEO, Ford Motor Company "In the real world, leaders are rarely faced with a simple choice between right and wrong. Leaders can't avoid ambiguity, but must learn to be decisive in spite of it." -Sy Sternberg, CEO, New York Life "I think anyone willing to work hard for their goals, learn from their mistakes, and care about others has the "markings" to become a wonderful Leader." -Gary Kelly, CEO, Southwest Airlines "Find the right people and the right information to help you get the job done." -Ronald A. Williams, CEO, Aetna "Understand opportunities don't come in an envelope labeled "opportunities"; create value; be honest; have a vision; work hard." -Edward Zore, CEO, Northwestern Mutual "Success requires envisioning, embracing and driving change. The only way to turn potential into higher levels of achievements is to continuously change." -Susan M. Ivey, CEO, Reynolds American "Surround yourself with people smarter than you: People make it happen and great people are necessary to make any idea come alive." -Maggie Wilderotter, CEO, Frontier Communications "I believe hard work, dedication, and the willingness to take calculated risks, not only in my personal life, but in my career as well, have contributed to my success. Have a passion for whatever you do." -Robert A. Reynolds, CEO, Graybar Electric

Gale Researcher Guide for: Japanese Economic Recovery after World War II

Author : Luke A. Franks
Publisher : Gale, Cengage Learning
ISBN 13 : 1535867019
Total Pages : 6 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (358 download)

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Book Synopsis Gale Researcher Guide for: Japanese Economic Recovery after World War II by : Luke A. Franks

Download or read book Gale Researcher Guide for: Japanese Economic Recovery after World War II written by Luke A. Franks and published by Gale, Cengage Learning. This book was released on 2018-09-28 with total page 6 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gale Researcher Guide for: Japanese Economic Recovery after World War II is selected from Gale's academic platform Gale Researcher. These study guides provide peer-reviewed articles that allow students early success in finding scholarly materials and to gain the confidence and vocabulary needed to pursue deeper research.

Advocacy

Author : John A. Daly
Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300175078
Total Pages : 550 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis Advocacy by : John A. Daly

Download or read book Advocacy written by John A. Daly and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2011-08-30 with total page 550 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When a group of people gather together to generate ideas for solving a problem or achieving a goal, sometimes the best ideas are passed over. Worse, a problematic suggestion with far less likelihood of success may be selected instead. Why would a group dismiss an option that would be more effective? Leadership and communications expert John Daly has a straightforward answer: it wasn't sold to them as well. If the best idea is yours, how can you increase the chances that it gains the support of the group? In "Advocacy: Championing Ideas and Influencing Others," Daly explains in full detail how to transform ideas into practice. To be successful, leaders in every type of organization must find practical and action-oriented ways to market their ideas and achieve buy-in from the members of the group. Daly offers a comprehensive action guide that explains how to shape opinion, inspire action, and achieve results. Drawing on current research in the fields of persuasion, power relations, and behavior change, he discusses the complex factors involved in selling an idea--the context of the communication, the type of message being promoted, the nature and interests of the audience, the emotional tenor of the issues at stake, and much more. For the businessperson, politician, or any other member of a group who seeks the satisfaction of having his or her own idea take shape and become reality, this book is an essential guide.

Fixing Higher Education

Author : Christian Schierenbeck
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 3658002131
Total Pages : 230 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (58 download)

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Book Synopsis Fixing Higher Education by : Christian Schierenbeck

Download or read book Fixing Higher Education written by Christian Schierenbeck and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-11-06 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christian Schierenbeck makes a provocative case that higher education across the globe suffers from a profound productivity crisis which prevents broad access to affordable and high-quality educational services. He shows how the vast productivity gap in higher education could be closed if academic managers borrowed some of the managerial practices applied by the world’s leading business enterprises. In order for this to happen in practice, the author argues for radical changes in the policy framework for higher education.

Once Upon a Car

Author : Bill Vlasic
Publisher : Harper Collins
ISBN 13 : 006204222X
Total Pages : 375 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (62 download)

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Book Synopsis Once Upon a Car by : Bill Vlasic

Download or read book Once Upon a Car written by Bill Vlasic and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2011-10-04 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Once Upon a Car is the brilliantly reported inside-the-boardrooms-and-factories story of Detroit’s fight for survival, going beyond the headlines to chronicle how the country’s Big Three auto companies—General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler—teetered on the brink of collapse during the 2008 financial crisis. In a tale that reads like a corporate thriller, Bill Vlasic, who has covered the auto industry for more than fifteen years, first for the Detroit News and now for the New York Times, takes readers into the executive offices, assembly plants, and union halls to introduce a cast of memorable characters, many of whom are speaking out for the first time, including the executives who struggled to save their companies but in the end had to seek a controversial, last-gasp rescue from the U.S. government. Vlasic goes behind the scenes to portray the men at the top during Detroit’s last stand. Rick Wagoner, the CEO of General Motors, tried to turn around a dying company, only to be forced to resign as a condition of the government bailout. Bill Ford, great-grandson of the legendary Henry Ford, had the will to keep Ford alive but needed the guts to hire an unknown outsider, Alan Mulally, to transform the company before it crashed. At Chrysler, leadership was constantly changing as new owners tried in vain to fix the smallest of the beleaguered Big Three. And through it all, the president of the United Auto Workers union, Ron Gettelfinger, fought to save the jobs of the men and women who build American-made cars and trucks. This tale of an iconic industry in crisis is more than a big business drama and provides a rich, unvarnished portrait of how Detroit’s decline affected tens of thousands of workers and dozens of communities nationwide. The story moves from the gleaming corporate skyscrapers and massive auto plants to the halls of the U.S. Congress and into the Oval Office, where President Obama and his aides wrestled with how to keep General Motors and Chrysler from going out of business. Vlasic shows why the bailout worked, and how Detroit can succeed under new leadership and build automobiles equal to any in the world. Once Upon a Car tells a uniquely American tale of success, failure, and redemption. It is an important and illuminating chapter in an astonishing story that is still unfolding. And no one is more qualified to write it than Bill Vlasic.