GM Fighter Pilot Lutz at 77 Looks to Salvage Automaker’s Brands

General Motors Co. Vice Chairman Bob Lutz waived his plan to retire at age 77 to reprise his “ultimate car guy” role at the reincarnated automaker and return to his marketing roots.

“Marketing is my occupational specialty, it’s what I was trained in, it’s what I did the first 20 years of my career,” said Lutz, who has worked at all three U.S. automakers over the past four decades. “I was in product development almost illegally.”

The new GM yesterday emerged from bankruptcy protection after 39 days, focusing on four brands in a bid to return to profitability after $88 billion in losses since 2004. Chief Executive Officer Fritz Henderson called Lutz “critical” and joked that the company had to retain the former Marine fighter pilot to prevent him from “recycling through another set” of automakers. baca selengkapnya