Kyle's Corner (FYI) the Good, the Bad, and the Brilliant - Part Two

As in every field or
profession, usually
widely differing and
'unique personalities'
are present. Or what
might be called - the
good, the bad, and the
brilliant (let's leave the
others for another day!).

Well, it is no different
in the auto industry.
Here are some of the
main 'characters' in
the automotive universe.

Source: Motor Trend

Lee Iacocca - He was Ford's President from 1970-1978. Chrysler's President
and the automaker's Chairman and CEO from 1978 to 1992. Iacocca had an
influence on the first Ford Mustang, Mercury Cougar and Marquis, and the
Lincoln Mk III. He obtained a 1.5 billion bailout and loan repayment of
Chrysler. He went on to oversee the 1981 K-car, the 1984 minivans, and he
bought AMC in 1987. Iacocca said, "Saving Chrysler was good for the whole
country."I say that Iacocca represented impressive drive and determination
and he made the tough decisions to make an American auto company successful.
Similar to the Italian Enzo Ferrari, the auto industry would be better with more
Lee Iacoccas.

Ralph Nader - He is known for being the 'police' of the auto and other
industries. Nader had an issue with the GM 60's Corvair. His 1965 book
"Unsafe at Any Speed," in which the book's first chapter was titled
"The Sporty Corvair." Nader said, "The function of leadership is to produce
more leaders, not more followers." I say that Nader is a great individual
regarding the common man's and woman's rights and safety.

Carroll Shelby - He was a Texas chicken farmer, racer and raconteur.
He initially raced a flathead Ford and then he won racing exotic cars such
as an Austin Martin DBR1300 and a Maserati 250F. In the 60's he installed
progressively larger Ford engines into AC Aces and he played a big role in
making Ford beat Ferrari at Le Mans. Shelby said, "It's a massive motor in
a tiny, light weight car." I say that Shelby keeps American muscle motoring
alive and well.

Ferdinand Piech - He is the Volkswagen AG Chairman. Piech is
a descendant of Ferdinand Porsche. He has taken 'the people's car'
Volkswagen upscale and the company presently owns numerous other
auto manes. In a wild plot involving his cousin, Wolfgang Porsche, Piech
turned the tables on Porsche to have Volkswagen gain control of the iconic
sports car maker. Piech is reported to have said, "Vorsprung durch Technik
(Advancement through technology)." I say that Piech is well committed
to long term success in the auto industry.

Click to go to part one of: The good, the bad, and the brilliant.

Have an auto question or comment? You can email it to me at
Kbusch3@verizon.net.Kyle Busch is the author of "Drive the Best
for the Price..."