Goodbye Lee Iacocca
- Thread starter curious2garden
- Start date
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
Arrivederci to the man who brought us the cost-benefit analysis behind the Pinto's badly-engineered fuel tank.
tangerinegreen555
Well-Known Member
Iacocca may have buiIt them but this guy sold them.
Couldn't help notice this in the YT comments. Lol.
Couldn't help notice this in the YT comments. Lol.
WeedFreak78
Well-Known Member
I was just reading up on him and came upon an interesting fact. In 1979 he went to the US Congress for a loan to save Chrysler. As a term of the loan, the US government made Chrysler abandon their turbine engine program, which was complete and ready to go into production at that time. I know they were working on turbines in cars at least as far back as the mid/late 50s, so I bet they had it pretty nailed down. I'd like to know who was behind the provision to kill a more efficient drive system. I'd love to have one in my car, with modern controls of course.
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
WeedFreak78
Well-Known Member
I know that, I meant more specifically. Which politicians were involved with drafting the loan terms, which industry people were involved, which banks and are they still holding influence on policy today. I'm sure there's been books written about it, but I'm not that interested. Maybe I can find a cliff note.
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
My ignorance is at a sort of desultory war with my apathy. I predict a victory-by-attrition for apathy.
tangerinegreen555
Well-Known Member
cannabineer
Ursus marijanus
Wankel (rotary) engines are inherently not very efficient. They do generate a lot of power from little displacement though.
BarnBuster
Virtually Unknown Member
"He's like Babe Ruth. He hit home runs and he struck out a lot. But he always filled the ball park."
-- The late Ben E. Bidwell, Chrysler’s retired vice chairman, in The New York Times, Dec. 18, 1992.
“His talent knew almost no bounds. While his ‘car guy’ gut feel failed to evolve in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, (he was convinced that Americans would always love vinyl roofs, Greek-temple grilles, opera windows with little gold stripes, and fake wire wheel covers), he was nearly infallible when those design trends ruled.”
-- Bob Lutz, former president of Chrysler, on Iacocca in his 2013 book, “Icons and Idiots”
"Lee Iacocca was truly bigger than life and he left an indelible mark on Ford, the auto industry and our country. Lee played a central role in the creation of the Mustang. On a personal note, I will always appreciate how encouraging he was to me at the beginning of my career. He was one of a kind and will be dearly missed."
-- Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford
“I’m a hip shooter. I’ll admit it. But Lee, Lee is a hip shooter deluxe.”
-- The late UAW President and Chrysler director Douglas Fraser, in a 1985 cover story in Time on Iacocca.
“Lee Iacocca loved America, the auto industry and the people who make it run -- from the shop floor to the showroom.”
-- General Motors CEO and chairman Mary Barra
"When Lee first meets someone, he finds something the person is interested in, and within 10 minutes that person is spellbound."
-- Carroll Shelby, in People, in 1985
"We raised millions of dollars from ordinary people all over America. We got almost $2 million from school children sending in their nickels and dimes. One morning I opened a letter with two one-dollar bills attached. “Dear Mr. Iacocca,” it read. “Here’s my allowance for the week. Spend it wisely.” That got me.”
– Lee Iacocca (In May of 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee to head up a private sector effort to restore the Statue of Liberty.)
-- The late Ben E. Bidwell, Chrysler’s retired vice chairman, in The New York Times, Dec. 18, 1992.
“His talent knew almost no bounds. While his ‘car guy’ gut feel failed to evolve in the late 1980s and the early 1990s, (he was convinced that Americans would always love vinyl roofs, Greek-temple grilles, opera windows with little gold stripes, and fake wire wheel covers), he was nearly infallible when those design trends ruled.”
-- Bob Lutz, former president of Chrysler, on Iacocca in his 2013 book, “Icons and Idiots”
"Lee Iacocca was truly bigger than life and he left an indelible mark on Ford, the auto industry and our country. Lee played a central role in the creation of the Mustang. On a personal note, I will always appreciate how encouraging he was to me at the beginning of my career. He was one of a kind and will be dearly missed."
-- Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford
“I’m a hip shooter. I’ll admit it. But Lee, Lee is a hip shooter deluxe.”
-- The late UAW President and Chrysler director Douglas Fraser, in a 1985 cover story in Time on Iacocca.
“Lee Iacocca loved America, the auto industry and the people who make it run -- from the shop floor to the showroom.”
-- General Motors CEO and chairman Mary Barra
"When Lee first meets someone, he finds something the person is interested in, and within 10 minutes that person is spellbound."
-- Carroll Shelby, in People, in 1985
"We raised millions of dollars from ordinary people all over America. We got almost $2 million from school children sending in their nickels and dimes. One morning I opened a letter with two one-dollar bills attached. “Dear Mr. Iacocca,” it read. “Here’s my allowance for the week. Spend it wisely.” That got me.”
– Lee Iacocca (In May of 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee to head up a private sector effort to restore the Statue of Liberty.)
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tangerinegreen555
Well-Known Member
Didn't always hold up well.
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
I doubt he'll notice.
rkymtnman
Well-Known Member
just looking at that pic:
and an ashtray for each back seat passenger. man, times have changed. lol
WeedFreak78
Well-Known Member
I've seen some 70s higher end cars, Lincoln, Caddys, etc, that had crystal glasses and decanter optional for back seat passengers. Because you shouldn't have to go a half hour without a drink or a smoke.
tyler.durden
Well-Known Member
On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero...