Lloyd Reuss -- former Buick Chief Engineer and General Manager, later President of General Motors

[Centurion]

Many of us who have followed the history of Buick Motor Division will be familiar with the name, Lloyd Reuss.

 

Yesterday, Peter DeLorenzo's "Autoextremist" carried the following tribute:

 

"This week we mourn the passing of Lloyd Reuss, who died last Friday at the age of 86. He was a gifted mechanical engineer who rose to become president of General Motors in 1990, after establishing a stellar track record at Buick. Reuss was a champion of the GM Impact EV concept, which debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 1990. The Impact would go on to be developed into the GM EV1 production car, decades before the EV "thing" became a thing. After Reuss (along with Chairman Bob Stempel) was forced out of GM at the age of 56 in a corporate shakeup in 1992, he would go on to contribute mightily to charitable endeavors for the rest of his days. He notably encouraged young students to embrace the engineering disciplines, becoming the executive dean of Detroit's Center for Advanced Technologies at Focus: HOPE — a position he used to promote engineering and manufacturing programs for inner-city residents. Calling Lloyd a "car guy" really doesn't do the man justice, because he was much more than that. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather - his son Mark is GM's current president - and he conducted himself with the utmost integrity and made meaningful contributions throughout his life. Lloyd was from a different time and a different era in this business, one that in many ways was better than the chaotic environment we live in today. It should also be noted that it is extremely rare that a father and son would go on to become presidents at the same car company. Lloyd was tremendously proud of his son, Mark. And Mark is equally proud of his dad's legacy in the business and in life. But I think if you asked Mark, he was most proud of the family man he called "Dad." -PMD"

 

I shared my own thoughts regarding Lloyd Reuss in the Autoextremist's Reader Mail:

"Thank you for the tribute to Lloyd Reuss.  I was well aware of  Mr. Reuss during the late-1970s, as he was a driving force behind the Buick Division's turbocharging initiative.  During a period when we saw General Motors begin to strip away the engineering autonomy of its automotive divisions, Reuss demonstrated that a strong Chief Engineer and General Manager could still exert a substantive influence on his division's product.  The refinement and turbocharging of Buick's 3.8-liter V6 engine led to creation of the most significant Buicks of the 1980's and beyond.  Focus on the V6 ultimately led to development of the 3800 V6 -- a super-reliable engine that deserves credit for preserving GM's mainstream passenger car business through the 1990s."

 

[Centurion]

Although I do not know where the car is now, long-time BCA member James Brothers, who lives here in Washington state, owned Lloyd Reuss' former 1978 Riviera LXXV for many years.  This was the special edition Riviera that marked the 75th anniversary of the formation of the Buick Motor Co. in 1903.

Edited April 26, 2023 by Centurion (see edit history)