Third Annual 'Car Guy of the Year' Award Goes to Bob Lutz; Award Committee Joins Salute via Detroit Radio Show for Announcement
28 December 1998
Third Annual 'Car Guy of the Year' Award Goes to Bob Lutz; Award Committee Joins Salute via Detroit Radio Show for Announcement
DETROIT, Dec. 28 -- International automotive industry icon
and celebrated veteran car enthusiast Bob Lutz has been named The Car Guy's
"Car Guy of the Year" for 1998 by a select group of automotive industry
members and was presented with the award on the December 23, 1998 broadcast of
the Detroit radio program The Car Guy(TM) Show.
The live radio announcement of the honorary "Car Guy of the Year" award
was presented to Lutz on The Car Guy Show by members of the 1998 award
committee who visited Lutz as surprise guests on the program while Lutz was
being interviewed about his new book "GUTS: The Seven Laws of Business That
Made Chrysler the World's Hottest Car Company."
"Car Guy of the Year"
In an industry that often focuses its attention on the financial and
otherwise "cold-metal" aspects of vehicles, The Car Guy's "Car Guy of the
Year" award honors a person who has both a genuine affinity for automobiles
and has accomplished a lifetime of outstanding achievements or made
significant contributions to the world of wheels.
"This is the third year that I have had the privilege of working with a
select group of automotive industry representatives to spotlight an
accomplished and respected member of the automotive community," said host
Steve Ford. "The Car Guy of the Year award is an annual salute to a legendary
role model, such as Bob Lutz."
Ford noted that in addition to Lutz having attained the level of president
and vice chairman of Chrysler Corporation, he earned respect and admiration
throughout the automotive community, and easily gained the highest overall
score for this year's award. Previous year's winners include Dick Guldstrand,
international race car driver and president of Guldstrand Engineering (1997),
and Bob Sinclair, automotive business consultant and former president of Saab
Cars USA (1996).
Award Committee
For the 1998 "Car Guy of the Year" salute, first joining Ford for the live
broadcast of The Car Guy Show to present the award to Lutz was veteran auto
racing and industry pioneer Andy Granatelli, who congratulated Lutz as
Granatelli and Ford ushered additional members of the award committee onto the
program (alphabetically): Bob Bondurant (president and founder of the
Bondurant School of High-Performance Driving); Vic Edelbrock (president of
Edelbrock Corporation); Dick Guldstrand; Chuck Jordan (automotive journalist &
former vice president of design for General Motors); Roy Miller (automotive
historian/Concours d' Elegance chief judge); and Heinz Prechter (chairman and
founder of ASC, Inc.). Award committee members who were unable to join the
live broadcast were Bob Sinclair and David Solomon (national automotive
service technician trainer & editor of Nutz & Boltz).
Award Criteria
The "Car Guy of the Year" award committee's guidelines for determining the
accomplishments, character and contributions of the annual award winner
include a focus on the following key factors for nominations and the voting
process:
-- Proven knowledge of both the auto industry and an equal level of
understanding about the technical aspects of automobiles
-- Noteworthy contribution to the automobile community
-- Active participation in the car enthusiast arena
-- Respect and admiration from peers
-- A genuine passion for cars
Bob Lutz Career Highlights
Widely recognized as one of the most colorful and successful business
leaders of his generation, Robert A. Lutz has held key management positions in
four of the world's top car companies. After serving earlier career tenures
with General Motors, BMW and Ford Motor Company, Lutz recently retired as vice
chairman of Chrysler Corporation, where he was the driving force behind the
company's second renaissance.
At Chrysler Corporation he inspired a large family of hit products,
including the immensely successful brand-image-building Dodge Viper. He was
appointed president and chief operating officer of Chrysler in 1991, and vice
chairman in 1996. Lutz shares his convention-breaking laws for business
success, and the story behind Chrysler's impressive comeback, in his first
book, "GUTS," now available at bookstores nationwide.
The Car Guy Show is a regular weekly consumer/enthusiast talk show hosted
by Steve Ford and broadcast weekly from Detroit, Mich., on radio station
WPON 1460 AM. Additional information about The Car Guy's "Car Guy of the
Year" and a digital audio version of the award announcement program may be
accessed at http://www.thecarguy.com (related photographs also available at site).