Bob Lutz ( businessman ) Robert Anthony " Bob " Lutz ( born February 12 , 1932 ) is a Swiss American automotive executive . Early life . Lutz was born in Zurich , Switzerland , the son of Margaret and Robert Harry Lutz . His father was a Vice Chairman of Credit Suisse . Lutz left Switzerland at the age of seven and spent time in Scarsdale , New York , becoming a U . S . citizen in 1943 , and returned to Switzerland in 1947 to attend school in Lausanne . He is fluent in English , Alemannic ( Swiss German ) , German , French and has a modest fluency in Italian . Lutz received a bachelor ' s degree in Production Management in 1961 followed by an MBA with a concentration in Marketing with highest honors in 1962 , both from UC Berkeley ; he earned the latter when he was flying in the United States Marine Corps Reserve ' s 4th Marine Aircraft Wing and supporting two of four young daughters by selling vacuum cleaners in Walnut Creek , California . He also received an honorary Doctorate of Law from Boston University in 1985 , and an honorary degree of Doctor of Management from Kettering University in 2003 . He is a trustee of the Marine Corps University Foundation and the Marine Military Academy . Career . After leaving the Marines Lutz spent eight years with GM in Europe before joining BMW serving as Executive Vice President of sales at BMW for three years , and he takes some credit in the development of the BMW 3 - Series . Lutz was also an Executive Vice President at Ford Motor Company , where he led the creation of the Ford Sierra , initiated development of the original Ford Explorer , and was a Member of Ford ' s Board of Directors . He was a frequent internal political rival of eventual Ford CEO Red Poling . Lutz became head of Chrysler Corporation ' s Global Product Development , including the very successful Dodge Viper and LH series cars . Former Chrysler Chairman and CEO Lee Iacocca , who helped steer the company back to profitability after receiving a loan from the U . S . Government in 1979 , said he should have picked Lutz as his successor rather than Bob Eaton upon Iacocca ' s retirement at the end of 1992 , but at the time Iacocca and Lutz were not getting along . Eaton was responsible for the sale of Chrysler to Daimler - Benz in 1998 which Daimler ended up backing out of in 2007 when it sold Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management . Referring to the job performance of Eaton , Iacocca claimed that Lutz " would eat him for lunch " . While at General Motors , Lutz championed the import of the Holden Monaro to the United States as the Pontiac GTO . Other cars such as the Cadillac Sixteen Concept ; Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice ; Pontiac G8 ; Chevrolet Malibu ; Cadillac CTS ; Buick Enclave ; Cadillac Converj Concept ; Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept ; Chevrolet Camaro ; Chevy Beat , Groove and Trax Concept Studies ; and 2010 Buick Lacrosse , Chevrolet Equinox , and Cadillac SRX are said to be Lutz initiatives . Lutz has also emphasized a need to produce fuel efficient vehicles , backing the 2010 Chevrolet Volt . Lutz maintained the " Fastlane " blog hosted at GM Blogs . In 2008 , Lutz said that " the electrification of the automobile is inevitable " . On February 9 , 2009 , GM announced that Lutz would step down on April 1 , 2009 , from his position as Vice Chairman of Global Product Development , to take an advisory role . He was to retire from GM at the end of 2009 . Lutz said that one reason for his decision was the increasing regulatory climate in Washington that would force GM to produce what Federal regulators wanted , rather than what customers wanted . Lutz has expressed skepticism on the issue of global warming . During a July 10 , 2009 , press conference , GM stated that Lutz would remain at GM as Vice Chairman responsible for all creative elements of products and customer relationships , and that his role as Vice Chairman of Global Product Development would be assumed April 1 , 2009 , by Thomas G . Stephens , then Executive Vice President of Global Powertrain and Global Quality . Lutz , Stephens , and design chief Ed Welburn would work together to guide all creative aspects of design . Lutz would also lead the effort to better guide GM ' s brands , and the automaker ' s marketing , advertising , and communications teams would report to Lutz in an effort to develop a more consistent message and results . Lutz would report directly to Fritz Henderson , and be part of the newly formed Executive Committee . Lutz retired from General Motors May 2 , 2010 . Lutz is currently head of the consulting firm Lutz Communications , which maintains a website at boblutzsez . com . He is also Chairman of The New Common School Foundation , a member of the Board of Trustees for the U . S . Marine Corps University Foundation , and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen , Texas . He joined the Transonic Combustion , Inc . Board of Directors on May 24 , 2010 . On August 6 , 2012 , The NanoSteel Company , a nano - structured steel materials designer , announced an investment by GM Ventures in the company . On October 10 , 2012 , NanoSteel announced the appointment of Bob Lutz to its board of directors . The Providence , RI - based company said that it " has achieved a significant breakthrough in the development of nano - structured sheet steel with exceptional strength and ductility " for the automotive industry . Bibliography . Lutz has authored three books . " Guts : the 7 Laws of Business that Made Chrysler the World ' s Hottest Car Company " in 1998 , later revised in 2003 to the management and leadership book , " Guts : 8 Laws of Business from One of the Most Innovative Business Leaders of Our Time " is partially based on his experience as a US Marine Corps aviator . His 2011 book , " Car Guys vs . Bean Counters : The Battle for the Soul of American Business " , is about his experiences in the US automobile industry . It attained third place in the New York Times " Business Hardcover " category and fifth on the Wall Street Journal list . His 2013 book , " Icons and Idiots : Straight Talk on Leadership " is about his personal experiences with leaders and their leadership talents and foibles . It is a compendium from Lutz ' s more than sixty years of observation of inspirational leaders and an analysis of what made the great ones successful at what they did . Personal life . Lutz is known as a collector of classic automobile s and military jets . Among other aircraft , he owns and pilots an Aero L - 39 Albatros ( an advanced Czechoslovakian jet fighter trainer ) and an MD - 500 helicopter . Further , he maintains a collection of motorcycles that include a Suzuki Hayabusa , a BMW K1200RS , a BMW K1200S , a BMW R1100S , a BMW K - 1 and a BMW HP2 Sport . His younger brother Mark A . Lutz is a retired economics professor . He also is a prominent global warming doubter . He defended his position vehemently on " Real Time with Bill Maher " in a debate with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson . Lutz was interviewed in the 2011 documentary , " Revenge of the Electric Car " .