Edward Snitkoff (2015) has written a lengthy review of the book, American Icon: Alan Mulally And The Fight To Save Ford Motor Company (Hoffman, 2012), for Curbside Classic.
Snitkoff’s review focuses on summarizing the book but weaves in a generally positive assessment. The posting elicited an unusually large number of responses — 137 as of this writing — and the conversation is wide-ranging. For example, there is a robust debate about whether Mercury should have been axed. Worth a look.
One of the comments that most resonated with me was from Bill Mitchell, who stated: “I read and own the book. It’s a good read, informative and entertaining. That said I think (reporter Bryce) Hoffman may have drank a little too much of Mulally’s Koolaid. At times his love of Mulally was a bit much for me. Now that Mulally is gone and we can look back, Ford is better off than it was and he certainly played a huge role in saving the company. However, Ford certainly didn’t or isn’t building too many game changers IMO.”
That’s similar in take to my mini-review of the book (go here).
RE:SOURCES
- Hoffman, Bryce G.; 2012. American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company. Crown Business, New York, NY.
- Snitkoff, Edward; 2015: “CC Book Review: American Icon: Alan Mulally And The Fight To Save Ford Motor Company.” Curbside Classic. Posted Oct. 29; accessed Oct. 31.
Mulally was in my mind the biggest sham and charlaton going. But that was mostly a press creation – they were celebrating Ford at the time. As everyone knows Mulally came from the airlines and everyone asked – not just me – “”what does that have to do with the auto industry?” He brought nothing with him. Legend has it that he had to be introduced to the Fords lineup model by model. That if true is unmentionable here. Ford executives were outraged. So as expected he had his share of blunders – blinking dash panels -lousy quality said consumer publications at the time. Tiny engines catching fire and a law suit – trumpeting increding fuel economy numbers that didnt show up in buyers hands. The law suit was won by a class action suit – l think it was. The talk that he saved Ford is preposturous – or that he was comprable to Iacocca even worse. He was just as
I expected him to be. He was finally ”kicked up stairs” and later resigned or fired. Again an appropriate end for the biggest imposter Ford ever had