Once Upon a Car by Bill Vlasic

I do not read many business books. Biographies, current events and strong fiction are my preferences. Still the American Car companies and the story of their fall and recent resurrection is one that should interest anyone.

CBS Sunday Morning had a piece on this book and an interview with the author. I found this book at our local library and have been very pleased with the book.

The issue of free trade and moreover the battle between non union and union is explored. The fact that all across the South Honda, Nissan and Toyota have placed factories, non union factories, to make their cars on American soil and succeeded proves a few things. One that Americans can produce the same quality cars as foreign workers. Secondly autoworkers making 35 dollars an hour will soon become a thing of the past.

The unions got too greedy. The car companies gave them too much. Everyone was awash in money so everybody was happy. Then the Japanese and Germans started selling cars in America. GM and Ford were cocky, they did not see the ground shifting.

This book takes us from 2005 through the bankruptcy of GM and Chrysler and their rebirth.

We meet Ron Gettlefinger the head of the UAW, a fighter for his workers, even as he sees his union shrinking by huge percentages each year. Rick Waggoner, the embattled head of GM, who epitomizes General Motor's in his desire to do right by the investors but his inability to move quickly and think outside of the box.

Kirk Kervorkian, who at various times in the last twenty years has attempted takovers or influence on all three of the American Big Three and his henchman Jerry York makes runs on influencing both GM and Ford in the period of this book.

This books takes you inside the negotiations to save these companies.

The most enlightening part of the book however is not on the failure and rebirth of GM and Chrysler but on the tumbling but rebirth, without government help, of the Ford Motor Company. Bill Ford the chairman and CEO who recruited Alan Mulhally from Boeing is clearly different than are the other figures from the other companies. Having your name on the country might indeed make a difference. Ford in an attempt to strangle the union over health care costs gives up on a collusion plan with Chrysler and General Motors. He just cannot bring himself to do that to his people.

Mulhaly proves to be the star of the book. His leadership skills are incredible. When he first joined Ford he noted all of the Jaguars and Land Rovers. He strove to stop that. The chapters on his leadership are truly enlightening. I have seen him on The David Letterman show and it is clear he is truly excited to go to work each day. This is a man that could be a difference maker for American industry in general.