Autoblog

Bob Lutz briefly considered Michigan gubernatorial run [w/poll]

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, GM, Celebrities

The man they call Maximum Bob had visions of becoming Governor Maximum Bob. When the former vice chairman of General Motors saw his tenure with automaker drawing to a close, Bob Lutz considered running for governor of Michigan. It appears this was merely a brief consideration, ahead of the 2010 election.

A gubernatorial run faded into an afterthought once Lutz was informed of the sheer volume of cash he would need to spend on a campaign. Couple the amount of money with a never-ending sea of meetings and appearances along the campaign trail, and Lutz apparently realized this wasn't a pool he felt like diving into.

Since it's nothing more than a thought exercise at this point, why not take a moment to cast a completely meaningless vote in our poll below. Come on, Lutz, we're pulling for ya.

View Poll

Bob Lutz briefly considered Michigan gubernatorial run [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Lutz in presumptive plane crash? [w/video]

Zach Bowman — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos, GMC, Celebrities

Officials search for a downed plane - Click above to watch video after the jump

We've been a little curious as to what good old Bob Lutz has been up to after retiring from General Motors. While the former auto exec had said that he would be busy slaving away over his latest book, the truth may be a bit more exciting. Several locals in Pinckney, Michigan called emergency services when they spotted a small jet flying at low altitude, believing that the aircraft was going down. Officials didn't find anything, but said that they discovered that a "retired gentleman" had been previously flying his personal aircraft in the area.

No one is officially saying whether or not it was Lutz who was spending the afternoon reenacting his favorite Top Gun scenes, but we have a hard time ~~imaging~~ imagining how many other auto exec retirees would be buzzing church towers with a decommissioned jet in rural Michigan. By all accounts, the pilot landed safely without incident, and since neither the plane nor the pilot were positively identified, no one is being charged for the search and rescue operation. Hit the jump for a quick video of the search effort.

[Source: Livingston Daily via Jalopnik]

Continue reading Bob Lutz in presumptive plane crash? [w/video]

Bob Lutz in presumptive plane crash? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Lutz to retire from GM... again

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:51:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, GM

It's the end of an era, folks. There are reports this afternoon all over the internet that General Motors' Vice Chairman, "Maximum" Bob Lutz, will officially retire on May 1. Those keeping track will remember that Lutz initially announced his retirement back in February of 2009, but then later chose to remain with GM, heading the marketing and communications teams.

The 78-year-old Lutz has been credited for rejuvenating GM's product development, and has been the company's most outspoken champion of the all-important Chevy Volt. In recent months, as the pay scales for the company's top 25 executives were being reviewed by the U.S. Treasury Department, Lutz commented to The Detroit News that most executives were "way, way, way" underpaid, so it's possible that this could be a key factor in his decision to leave GM. However, we can only speculate at this moment since neither GM nor Lutz has released an official statement yet. As the ongoing executive shuffle at GM continues to work itself out, we won't be surprised if official word comes in the very near future.

[Sources: The Detroit News, CNBC]

BREAKING: Lutz to retire from GM... again originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Mar 2010 13:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM beginning to backpedal on Lutz' G8-turning-Caprice comments?

Chris Shunk — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Pontiac, Australia

2009 Chevy Caprice SS (Middle East) - Click above for high-res photo gallery

When General Motors' Bob Lutz talks, we listen. The reason, of course, is that he always gives us something good to write. Over the weekend, we told you about an interview Lutz had with Automobile Magazine where the Maximum One said that the G8 will live on as a Chevrolet Caprice. Lutz's comments looked like a sure thing to us, as it's hard to misinterpret these words.

"The last time we looked at [the G8], we decided that we would continue to import it as a Chevrolet. It is kind of too good to waste."

Just a few days later, Blogger Bob sounded a bit less certain about the future of the G8 as Chevrolet. On the company's Fast Lane Blog, Lutz simply said "we're studying the feasibility of bringing (the G8) in as a Caprice for both law enforcement and the public." That doesn't sound nearly as certain as the Automobile interview.

Kicking Tires reportedly received a similar statement from GM brass, saying "As part of its reinvention, General Motors is exploring every opportunity of effectively utilizing its global portfolio of vehicles, facilities and talent. While this exploration includes the possibility of extending imports of Holden vehicles (such as the recent Pontiac G8) to North America, no decision has been made at this time."

We're hoping this is corporate speak for 'We're going to do what Bob says, but we just don't want to promise anything just yet.' Turning the G8 into a Chevrolet model looks to us like the cheapest possible way to keep a terrific vehicle available in the States, and with the Bowtie's significantly larger dealer network, maybe GM can finally figure out how to turn a profit with with the awesome Aussie.

Gallery: 2009 Chevrolet Caprice (Middle East)

[Sources: Automobile Magazine; Kicking Tires; Auto Observer]

GM beginning to backpedal on Lutz' G8-turning-Caprice comments? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Jul 2009 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CNBC's "Saving GM" gets thumbs up from Lutz

Chris Shunk — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:29:00 EST

Filed under: GM, Earnings/Financials

There has been a lot said about GM in the wake of tough market conditions and the Detroit Automaker's $15.5B Q2 loss. As you can imagine, a lot of the talk isn't upbeat. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz seems to think much of the discussion surrounding the General is nothing more than speculation and uninformed bias, but then again Maximum Bob's got a bit of a pro-GM bias of his own. So you can imagine that Blogger Bob was interested to see an hour long special called Saving GM, which recently aired on CNBC. Mr. Lutz' assessment of the piece? He thought it was fair and unbiased, and it touched on the good and bad of GM over the past few years in an honest way. Lutz said he liked that the documentary concluded that GM needs the public to think "smash hit vehicle from GM" and think of "cars in showrooms, not museums."

We haven't seen the hour long special Saving GM, so we reserve judgment as to whether or not it was fair, but we've heard from a few people it's worth a watch. Saving GM will re-air on CNBC on August 10 at 10 pm ET, so set your TiVo. You can also read more about here at the CNBC website if you need more convincing.

[Source: GM Fast Lane Blog, CNBC]

CNBC's "Saving GM" gets thumbs up from Lutz originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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