Lee Iacocca Died This Morning

[61polara 364]

https://jalopnik.com/auto-industry-legend-lee-iacocca-dead-at-94-1836060734

 

Automotive giant Lee Iacocca died this morning.

[keiser31 4,447]

Very sad to hear. He was quite talented in so many ways.

[Mark Gregory 414]

I remember him well during the Chrysler crisis and he inspired me with his confidence .

 

I remember when I worked in construction we had a Chrysler imperial drawn in on the driveway of an artists perspective of the front of a new building 

 

 

Edited July 3, 2019 by Mark Gregory (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna 2,364]

A few years ago, I was thinking of interviewing him

for our AACA regional newsletter.  I wanted his 

insights about the limited selection of today's options,

in contrast to prior years.  However, one person

who knew him said he wasn't doing so well, even then,

so I interviewed a different car executive.

 

He must have been an interesting man---

Edited July 3, 2019 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[knee-action 32]

My favorite auto industry.person. His books are great.

[zepher 398]

Sad to hear he has passed.

He changed the auto industry in countless ways.

 

[victorialynn2 1,200]

Sad to hear. My dad has at least one of his books in his garage. I’ve been meaning to read it. 

[1937hd45 1,927]

He made a huge mark on the  American auto industry but will be remembered for the restoration of The Statue of Liberty as well. 

 

Bob 

[J3Studio 297]

Many things are being written about him. I'll just say: Ford Mustang, Lincoln Continental Mark III, Dodge Aries/Plymouth Reliant, Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager.

 

https://eightiescars.com/2019/07/03/1981-plymouth-reliant/

Edited July 3, 2019 by J3Studio (see edit history)

[8E45E 591]

Lee Iacocca was an excellent marketing man, as his efforts with his "$56 for '56" new-car financing campaign, bringing the Mustang and the Continental Mark III to market showed when he worked for Ford. But despite his early success with marketing the K-cars and the T-115 mini-vans, arguably, his best move while he was at Chrysler was purchasing Jeep/Eagle from Renault to get the iconic Jeep brand, which contributes to FCA's success in no small way to this day.

Craig

[Pfeil 324]

7 hours ago, 8E45E said:

Lee Iacocca was an excellent marketing man, as his efforts with his "$56 for '56" new-car financing campaign, bringing the Mustang and the Continental Mark III to market showed when he worked for Ford. But despite his early success with marketing the K-cars and the T-115 mini-vans, arguably, his best move while he was at Chrysler was purchasing Jeep/Eagle from Renault to get the iconic Jeep brand, which contributes to FCA's success in no small way to this day.

Craig

 I'll just add, there is something to be said for these geniuses. It seems to be the really great ones come from a engineering background. Iacocca had a degree in industrial engineering. 

[marcapra 57]

Chrysler Corp. would have died in the early 80s if they had not hired Iacocca.  He literately raised them from the dead!  I still remember that great commercial of Lee with Frank Sinatra trying to get people to buy Chrysler again.  It was lucky for Chrysler that Ford had fired him.  I read his autobiography back in the 80s and it is worth reading even today!  Marc.

[42319DB34 39]

The loss of a True Visionary , 

He shall be missed ......

[60FlatTop 5,255]

I was never a fan of Chrysler products so I was pretty excited when he came onto the scene. They knew it at home too.

 

Book is still at my fingertips.

 

That was back in the days of Global Warming and I wondered why he was spending so much time restoring the Statue of Liberty when it was going to be under water. He must have known it was changing to Climate Change.

 

He had a tough job cleaning up Chrysler.

Bernie

[8E45E 591]

13 hours ago, marcapra said:

I read his autobiography back in the 80s and it is worth reading even today!  Marc.

I also highly recommend the book, An American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company by Bryce G. Hoffman, if you like corporate boardroom drama. A VERY good read, actually.  Mulally had to face the same stale management 'team' at Ford in 2006, just as Iacocca did when he first joined Chrysler in 1978.

 

Craig

[MochetVelo 277]

Here is Lee Iacocca's appearance on Leno's YouTube show back in '83.

 

 

Edited July 4, 2019 by MochetVelo (see edit history)

[Mikefit 108]

VL2. Please take time to read his books I read lots of books but his books and life was one that I could not stop I did a binge reading ( my English teacher would be proud )     take care and be safe.    Mike

[B Jake Moran 311]

Reading Robert Lacey's book on Ford gave me the insight into Iacocca.  When you add the fact that he was prominent in my formative years, I can really relate to his passing away.    Everyone should read Lacey's book on the Fords.  By now, they are likely $2.00 on Amazon, and the author is/was a crazy researcher who somehow gained unprecedented access to his subjects. 

 

Iacocca was not perfect.  He had a huge ego but that ego served him well.  He was able to lead, sometimes making mistakes.  I like the fact that he challenged Henry Ford II for leadership of Ford.   Ford did O.K. after he was fired, but with him I suspect they would have done much better. 

 

I never sent him a letter, but I did send him an email a couple of years ago.  I received a response.  I asked him his opinions on the 1981-83 Imperials as I had just read the article in Collectible Automobile on them and was considering buying one as a collector car. 

 

The response was "Mr Iacocca states that the Imperials were one of his favorite cars while chairman of Chrysler but they were old before they were sold."

 

I listened carefully to the Leno interview, and he is a shell of his former self by this time, as expected.  But let's face it, he lived and worked and played with titans in the industry during the golden years of the automobile.  We wish we could have been so lucky. 

I never read his books, I am not necessarily a fan of those types of books. 

 

[victorialynn2 1,200]

21 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

I was never a fan of Chrysler products so I was pretty excited when he came onto the scene. They knew it at home too.

 

Book is still at my fingertips.

 

What a thoughtful gift. 

 

That’s the book in my dad’s office. I believe I spared it from the sales as I do intend to read it. I distinctly remember him saving Chrysler. I graduated HS in 83 and it was around then that he was involved. 

Edited July 4, 2019 by victorialynn2 (see edit history)

[victorialynn2 1,200]

8 hours ago, Mikefit said:

VL2. Please take time to read his books I read lots of books but his books and life was one that I could not stop I did a binge reading ( my English teacher would be proud )     take care and be safe.    Mike

Thanks. I’ve heard it’s a great read. I believe my father is in his last days, so I’m sure I will return to Tx soon. 😔 He’s loosing weight and not eating well. 

[knee-action 32]

Back in 1989, my then twelve year old son Mike made a sketch of Lee Iacocca. Pretty good likeness. So Mike sent it to Mr. Iacocca. See Mr. Iacocca’s reply attached. Today, Mike is a top Oncologist in the Memphis area.

 

Bill Martin

Germantown, Tennessee

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 5, 2019 by knee-action
fixed attachment (see edit history)

[Mikefit 108]

VL2. My prayers go with you and your dad he had to be one great father and an inspiration to all around him.     Mike