Bob Lutz has finally pulled the pin.
DETROIT – General Motors Vice Chairman Robert A. Lutz will retire effective May 1, 2010, capping a 47-year career in the global auto industry that included senior leadership positions at four of the world’s leading automakers.
Lutz, 78, rejoined GM September 1, 2001, as the head of product development, and has led the company’s resurgence in developing great cars and trucks. He also worked at BMW, Chrysler and Ford.
“The influence Bob Lutz has had on GM’s commitment to design, build and sell the world’s best vehicles will last for years to come,” GM CEO and Chairman Ed Whitacre said. “I, along with many other men and women in GM and throughout the industry, have greatly benefited from his passion, wisdom and guidance.”
Lutz said he decided to retire now in part because hot-selling vehicles like the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac SRX, GMC Terrain, Chevrolet Equinox and Chevrolet Camaro, along with the growing strength of GM’s four brands, prove that a product-focused mindset inside the company is in place for the long term.
“I can confidently say that the job I came here to do more than nine years ago is now complete – the team I have been fortunate to lead has far exceeded my expectations,” Lutz said.
There’s more at GM Media, but that’s enough.
Goodbye, Bob. You were a media guy’s dream but a Saab guy’s nightmare, to begin with, at least.
I’ve got it on pretty good authority from a couple of sources that Lutz was the main man behind several of Saab’s non-releases of product early in the last decade.
I guess the one saving’s grace is that Saab got another chance, which ended up producing a product line that saw them as an attractive asset for Spyker and others during 2009.
Enjoy your retirement.
ADDENDUM
I just added this in comments, but feel it should be added here, too, in the interests of balance….
Bob did do a lot of good things for GM and his time there was worth what they paid him. The over all lift in GM quality under his watch is real.
His quotes, whilst funny a lot of the time, were also on the mark a lot of the time. In fact, if I were a GM guy, I’d probably love him and feel sad today. But I’m not a GM guy.
Bob’s place in Saab’s history will be glossed over everywhere else. But not here.
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{ 49 comments }
We’ll that was well said Swade. However no-one should per-sieve that today’s success of GM models came from his thinking. In fact every time I see a GM car I can’t help but think of how much of it is stolen from Saab. Good riddance Bob Lutz, the smart people know full well where GM got it’s groove back!
Good riddance as well! Don’t let the door hit ya…
I…hate…Bob
Sorry if that was childish, but yea he is an asshole.
He came back one time…
Is it Lutz or Putz? Just askin’
Should have gone to the ‘funny farm’ ages ago.
LOL @ Mark!
Well said. I hate seeing the inside of GM cars and seeing Saab components like the door handles on the inside of Buick’s and Opel’s (and the seats in the Opel Insignia…..). That is not even talking about the engine tech which they seem to lift directly from Saab.
Lutz going is overdue. He really took it to Saab and was clueless of all things not American market (see his time at BMW). I don’t doubt he is a smart man. The issue I have always had with GM was that they should have put the top end technology in Saab and Caddy. Caddy being basically only sold in NA while Saab in the world. Instead- they put top tech in Buick and Opel (as well as Caddy). Those 2 are below Caddy and Saab. As VM said- best tech to the top of the line and then allow it to spread to other brands.
And I will not miss his- all of our wives drive Saab- we love the brand crap.
Bob did do a lot of good things for GM and his time there was worth what they paid him.
His quotes, whilst funny a lot of the time, were also on the mark a lot of the time.
If I were a GM guy, I’d probably love him and feel sad today. But I’m not.
Bob’s place in Saab’s history will be glossed over everywhere else. But not here.
…he says it like it is a good thing!?
Happy retirement Bob.
Saab will miss you greatly. Probably like most of us would miss a bad DI cassette!
For once Robert Collin agrees with Swade’s assessmant.
http://blogg.aftonbladet.se/robertcollin/2010/03/bob-lutz-avgar-antligen
The blog post starts with the following line:
“Bob Lutz, the man who hurt Saab more than anyone else, retires.”
Its kind of amazing to see everyone beat up on and call Bob Lutz names as if you personally knew the man.
Also, all the griping of how GM raped Saab… as if Saab never benefit from anything GM had to offer… never? SUre, it was a bad relationship, but I can’t see how it was all one way.
Sorry, but I love Saab as well as GM… but I am sure not blaming Saab problems on everyone else…
Sometimes you have to look in the mirror too.
Its kind of amazing to see everyone beat up on and call Bob Lutz names as if you personally knew the man.
Also, all the griping of how GM raped Saab… as if Saab never benefit from anything GM had to offer… never? SUre, it was a bad relationship, but I can’t see how it was all one way.
Sorry, but I love Saab as well as GM… but I am sure not blaming Saab problems on everyone else…
Sometimes you have to look in the mirror too.
Its kind of amazing to see everyone beat up on and call Bob Lutz names as if you personally knew the man.
Also, all the griping of how GM raped Saab… as if Saab never benefit from anything GM had to offer… never? SUre, it was a bad relationship, but I can’t see how it was all one way.
Sorry, but I love Saab as well as GM… but I am sure not blaming Saab problems on everyone else…
Sometimes you have to look in the mirror too.
Its kind of amazing to see everyone beat up on and call Bob Lutz names as if you personally knew the man.
Also, all the griping of how GM raped Saab… as if Saab never benefit from anything GM had to offer… never? SUre, it was a bad relationship, but I can’t see how it was all one way.
Sorry, but I love Saab as well as GM… but I am sure not blaming Saab problems on everyone else…
Sometimes you have to look in the mirror too.
Its kind of amazing to see everyone beat up on and call Bob Lutz names as if you personally knew the man.
Also, all the griping of how GM raped Saab… as if Saab never benefit from anything GM had to offer… never? SUre, it was a bad relationship, but I can’t see how it was all one way.
Sorry, but I love Saab as well as GM… but I am sure not blaming Saab problems on everyone else…
Sometimes you have to look in the mirror too.
Its kind of amazing to see everyone beat up on and call Bob Lutz names as if you personally knew the man.
Also, all the griping of how GM raped Saab… as if Saab never benefit from anything GM had to offer… never? SUre, it was a bad relationship, but I can’t see how it was all one way.
Sorry, but I love Saab as well as GM… but I am sure not blaming Saab problems on everyone else…
Sometimes you have to look in the mirror too.
He won’t be missed by me. For everything good he did to GM, he did twice the damage to Saab.
Bye Bob, enjoy being a pensioner.
I think we can all agree that to some extent GM helped Saab, but it was always in a very reserved way with a very narrow perspective. Saab never fitted into that perspective and that was the main problem. It didn’t help that Bob Lutz was usually the antithesis of what Saab is all about….
Thank you… My point was that I thought we would not be the kind of folks who make direct personal attacks towards individuals.
If I were to speak Ill of President Obama… Swades inbox would be filled demanding I lose my posting rights.
Its ok to criticize his decisions, but feel personal attacks against Bob Lutz’s character is unwarranted and in bad taste.
Feel the love, lose the hate.
Thank you… My point was that I thought we would not be the kind of folks who make direct personal attacks towards individuals.
If I were to speak Ill of President Obama… Swades inbox would be filled demanding I lose my posting rights.
Its ok to criticize his decisions, but feel personal attacks against Bob Lutz’s character is unwarranted and in bad taste.
Feel the love, lose the hate.
Thank you… My point was that I thought we would not be the kind of folks who make direct personal attacks towards individuals.
If I were to speak Ill of President Obama… Swades inbox would be filled demanding I lose my posting rights.
Its ok to criticize his decisions, but feel personal attacks against Bob Lutz’s character is unwarranted and in bad taste.
Feel the love, lose the hate.
Thank you… My point was that I thought we would not be the kind of folks who make direct personal attacks towards individuals.
If I were to speak Ill of President Obama… Swades inbox would be filled demanding I lose my posting rights.
Its ok to criticize his decisions, but feel personal attacks against Bob Lutz’s character is unwarranted and in bad taste.
Feel the love, lose the hate.
Thank you… My point was that I thought we would not be the kind of folks who make direct personal attacks towards individuals.
If I were to speak Ill of President Obama… Swades inbox would be filled demanding I lose my posting rights.
Its ok to criticize his decisions, but feel personal attacks against Bob Lutz’s character is unwarranted and in bad taste.
Feel the love, lose the hate.
Thank you… My point was that I thought we would not be the kind of folks who make direct personal attacks towards individuals.
If I were to speak Ill of President Obama… Swades inbox would be filled demanding I lose my posting rights.
Its ok to criticize his decisions, but feel personal attacks against Bob Lutz’s character is unwarranted and in bad taste.
Feel the love, lose the hate.
Fair. GM did some good with Saab- no doubt. It just seemed like it was more one sided than it had to be. These 2 companies should have been great together. Saab as a Halo for GM (worldwide with Caddy in the US). Didn’t work out that way. I wish GM nothing but the best but I don’t look back- at all.
Bob Lutz does not retire. He waits.
The more you know about Bob Lutz or if you have heard him speaking candidly in public, you would know he did provide significant value to his employers. For GM he was a big driver in bring back design to the forefront.
In terms of Saab, he may have done some hurting and helping but it would be nice to have facts to debate the specifics in the context in which they happened. But, why debate, does it matter now?
I heard he chews coffee beans and drinks boiling water instead of going to Starbucks…
I heard he chews coffee beans and drinks boiling water instead of going to Starbucks…
I heard he chews coffee beans and drinks boiling water instead of going to Starbucks…
I heard he chews coffee beans and drinks boiling water instead of going to Starbucks…
I heard he chews coffee beans and drinks boiling water instead of going to Starbucks…
I heard he chews coffee beans and drinks boiling water instead of going to Starbucks…
Maybe it is time for Bob to get a real government job. I sure President Obama can find sometime for Bob to do. Maybe Bob can teach at a University. Is car talk available?
I’m sure … (typo)
Bob Lutz is not afraid of retirement. Retirement is afraid of Bob Lutz.
Seems there’s a bunch of management churn at the U.S. General Motors Service:
http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100302/CARNEWS/100309977
The new CEO has been busy. I think Lutz’ decision was probably advanced when he was named ‘advisor’ to Whitacre. I doubt he will ever retire.
Swade:
As an American, I can tell you this guy was bad news for GM and America. Why do I say that? Because I do love America and GM. Almost nothing good can be said about the time this man spent at GM. GM, with Bob Lutz as it’s head, supported one distastrous trade bill after another, designed to place new GM plants in the third world. All of this self destructive behavior was intended to support quarterly profit projections, so managers, like Lutz, could keep their jobs. I wish to point out I’m not a trade unionist, or ever was one, in fact I’m a former Republican who finally woke up in his mid fifties. In defence of Bob, I wonder how many of us would not sell out our countries for 4 or 10 million a year? Trust me, Bob was never much worried about Saab, it was the least of his concerns.
“Lutz” Isn’t that when you jump up in the air and spin around aimlessly three times and land on your arse usually … lol Some people have since perfected it ..But not bob
My mother always told me that if you can’t say something good about someone you better say nothing. So I keep quiet and wave goodbye…
(as a Saab nut I’m biased and Bob won’t get credit from me for good things he probably did for someone else)
As impressive as his large ego may be, he is an automotive dinosaur.
He was a major player in product strategy, a product strategy which has led GM into bankruptcy and government ownage. Still he seems to be happy with that.
Bob – go away to lala land and please stay there.
It’s good for GM. Lutz wasn’t a promoter of the new green technologies – he’s a
fan of the muscle car area. Sometimes younger people have to been n charge instead. GM needs new thinking to survive.
Dinosaurs die out…you know Bob?
Great career. Enjoy your pension fund.
Bob Lutz is like Chuck Norris.
Chuck Norris never surrender and Bob Lutz never retires….
Sad to see him go. GM deserves him.
Bottom line is he was the genius who decided to promote Caddy in europe at the price of Saab. That will go down in management journals as one of the biggest cock ups ever. I have no idea what he did in the states and to be honest I don’t care!
Well, I wish the man well. He provided us with a contrast for good fighting spirit here on SA to keep our fight vigilant. I think he kept us all as honest as we could be about our favored brand. Grief forgotten. What’s a battle without adversity? Well, it could have been another way and SAAB might still be a GM car with GM parts like what is in mine. I take it to the GM dealer who still has plenty of SAAB people and expertise under their roof.
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