{"id":31267,"date":"2023-08-02T08:03:39","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T12:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=31267"},"modified":"2023-08-02T08:03:39","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T12:03:39","slug":"payne-living-auto-legend-bob-lutz-celebrated-at-willow-run","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/payne-living-auto-legend-bob-lutz-celebrated-at-willow-run","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Living auto legend Bob Lutz celebrated at Willow Run"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Ypsilanti<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 The auto industry has produced many luminaries, but few have had the sustained impact of Bob Lutz.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Industry dignitaries and colleagues gathered last weekend in the Yankee Air Museum Hangar at Willow Run Airport to celebrate the living legend\u2019s 60-year career, which spanned significant stints at BMW, Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. Whether siring some of the industry\u2019s iconic vehicles, speaking his mind on public policy, or pursuing his hobbies 30,000 feet in the air, Lutz left an indelible mark on the industry.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Amidst some 200 cars assembled for the occasion, presenters wove a tale of a man whose outsize personality and influence earned him the nickname \u201cMaximum Bob.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/0e6b1d81-8414-49a9-94a8-cba137b616b4-LutzEvent_Lutz-cars.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Bob Lutz, 91, poses with two of his babies - the BMW CSL race car (left) and Cadillac Sixteen concept car - at the Celebrate Lutz event.\" width=\"525\" height=\"296\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/0e6b1d81-8414-49a9-94a8-cba137b616b4-LutzEvent_Lutz-cars.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/0e6b1d81-8414-49a9-94a8-cba137b616b4-LutzEvent_Lutz-cars.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Bob Lutz, 91, poses with two of his babies - the BMW CSL race car (left) and Cadillac Sixteen concept car - at the Celebrate Lutz event.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Bob Lutz, 91, poses with two of his babies - the BMW CSL race car (left) and Cadillac Sixteen concept car - at the Celebrate Lutz event.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cYour having the guts to fight the bean counters drives us to this day,\u201d Stellantis North America design chief Ralph Gilles told Lutz, echoing the guest of honor\u2019s 2011 best-selling book, &#8220;Car Guys vs. Bean Counters.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cYou were the anti-commodity executive,&#8221; Giles added. &#8220;Your legend is still with us.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-2\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Born in Switzerland in 1932, Lutz was fascinated by cars at an early age, but he would be a late-comer to the auto industry. Struggling between European and U.S. schools, he joined the Marines in Parris Island, South Carolina \u2014 eventually earning his naval aviator wings. Upon completing his military commission in 1959, he picked up production management and business degrees from the University of California-Berkeley while selling vacuum cleaners and flying in the Marine Corps Reserve.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">(Lutz is a trustee of the Marine Corps University Foundation and the Marine Military Academy, and the event honoring him raised $22,146 for the U.S. Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.)<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/457ccf2a-3270-45f2-bd7f-7107cea34d84-LutzEvent_lutz-close.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Bob Lutz holds forth on stage.\" width=\"528\" height=\"353\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/457ccf2a-3270-45f2-bd7f-7107cea34d84-LutzEvent_lutz-close.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/457ccf2a-3270-45f2-bd7f-7107cea34d84-LutzEvent_lutz-close.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=882&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Bob Lutz holds forth on stage.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Bob Lutz holds forth on stage.\" data-c-credit=\"John Keep, John Keep\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">His first job out of college in 1963 was with GM in New York, and in \u201865 the General shipped him to Opel in Europe, where he would champion vehicle performance. He took those performance learnings to BMW in 1971 as vice president for sales. There, in three short years, he established the German marque\u2019s clay-modeling studio and model names.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-3\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"2\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cYou did a lot in three years,\u201d said Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW\u2019s M Performance Brand Division from the Willow Run stage, flanked by two of Lutz\u2019s most famous cars, the ferocious BMW CSL racer and the elegant Cadillac Sixteen concept car. \u201cYou were instrumental in BMW\u2019s naming convention, and you developed the phrase: \u2018The Ultimate Driving Machine.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Van Meel also recounted how Lutz brought the American ethic of \u201cwin on Sunday, sell on Monday\u201d to BMW. The CSL would go to war against Ford\u2019s Capri in Europe for GT racing supremacy, and open the way to BMW\u2019s revered M Division.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\">\n<div class=\"label\" hidden=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"message\">\n<div class=\"title\">Get the\u00a0<span class=\"highlight\">Michigan Politics<\/span>\u00a0newsletter in your inbox.<\/div>\n<p class=\"description\">Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we&#8217;ve got your government covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"frequency\">Delivery: Daily<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"input-container populated\"><input autocomplete=\"off\" name=\"email\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clickable\"><\/div>\n<p><label>Your Email<\/label><\/div>\n<div id=\"bar\">\n<div class=\"highlight\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-primary\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-secondary\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Lutz moved to Ford Europe in 1974, beginning a 12-year stint that would ultimately bring him back to the United States as executive vice president of Ford International Operations. He would lead the development of the Escort III, Sierra and \u2014 most significantly \u2014 the Blue Oval\u2019s first mainstream SUV, the Explorer.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/760621de-23ec-4a73-9b45-2209a6846a8e-LutzEvent_vipers.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Vipers galore at the Celebrate Lutz event at Willow Run Airport.\" width=\"534\" height=\"357\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/760621de-23ec-4a73-9b45-2209a6846a8e-LutzEvent_vipers.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/760621de-23ec-4a73-9b45-2209a6846a8e-LutzEvent_vipers.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=882&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Vipers galore at the Celebrate Lutz event at Willow Run Airport.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Vipers galore at the Celebrate Lutz event at Willow Run Airport.\" data-c-credit=\"John Keep, John Keep\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The development of SUVs \u2014 now the best-selling, non-pickup segment \u2014 really flowered at Chrysler, where he took up residence in 1986. Though federal mpg rules had essentially outlawed station wagons, Lutz understood customers still craved large hatchbacks. Truck-based SUVs allowed automakers to comply with federal rules and give customers what they wanted, and the Jeep Grand Cherokee born.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-4\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"3\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">In as spectacular a way as possible.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">With Lutz at the wheel and Detroit Mayor Coleman Young riding shotgun, the Grand Cherokee crashed Cobo Center\u2019s front glass to open the 1992 North American International Auto Show. It was a display of derring-do that would be synonymous with Lutz\u2019s career. When he wasn\u2019t developing supercars like the V10-powered Dodge Viper, Lutz was satisfying his need for speed with airplanes \u2014 including a Czech-made fighter jet that was part of his personal plane and car collection.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cBeing the public relations chief for Bob Lutz was an adventure,\u201d recounted Bud Liebler, former Chrysler vice president of marketing and public relations. \u201cOne day I got a call from a reporter who\u2019d heard that Bob had crashed his plane.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">A call to Lutz confirmed the rumor to be true. \u201cWhat am I supposed to tell the press?\u201d an exasperated Liebler asked Lutz at the time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cTell them I forgot to put the landing gear down,\u201d replied Lutz.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/e9b3c9d0-0b19-407a-9e62-494b258a2e00-LutzEvent_gilles-close.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Stellantis Design chief Ralph Gilles honors Bob Lutz.\" width=\"486\" height=\"325\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/e9b3c9d0-0b19-407a-9e62-494b258a2e00-LutzEvent_gilles-close.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/e9b3c9d0-0b19-407a-9e62-494b258a2e00-LutzEvent_gilles-close.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=882&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Stellantis Design chief Ralph Gilles honors Bob Lutz.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Stellantis Design chief Ralph Gilles honors Bob Lutz.\" data-c-credit=\"John Keep, John Keep\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Steve Pasteiner, president of Advanced Automotive Technologies and founder of Pasteiner\u2019s auto hobby shop on Woodward Avenue in Birmingham, was for years a fellow judge with Lutz of the Meadow Brook Concourse d\u2019Elegance. Pasteiner recalled giving Lutz and GM design boss Wayne Cherry a lift back to their vehicles after the judging \u2014 except Lutz pointed to a field at the edge of the property instead of the parking lot. There sat a military-grade helicopter belonging to Lutz.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-5\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"4\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Maximum Bob hopped out of Pasteiner\u2019s car, lit up the chopper and flew home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cMy God, the man is like James Bond,\u201d said Cherry to Pasteiner as they watched the helo disappear.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cNo, James Bond in a fictional character,\u201d said Pasteiner. \u201cThis guy is the real deal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Chrysler, remembered executives at the event, was the real deal in the late 1990s \u2014 its product lineup transformed by the Dream Team of Lutz, designer Tom Gale and engineer Fran\u00e7ois Castaing. Standout products from that era included the cab-forward LH sedans, jellybean-shaped minivans and the aforementioned Jeep Grand Cherokee. \u201cWe could do no wrong from 1990 to 1998,\u201d said Paul Wilbur, who then led Jeep and Dodge product planning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Passed over for Chrysler CEO in 1998, Lutz accepted the CEO\u2019s position at battery-maker Exide Technologies. He published \u201cGuts: the 7 Laws of Business that Made Chrysler the World&#8217;s Hottest Car Company.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-6\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"5\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">But another big automaker would soon come knocking. Determined to shake up GM\u2019s stale product lineup \u2014 a wag said it \u201chad the appeal of hospital food&#8221; \u2014 CEO Rick Wagoner hired Lutz, then 69, in 2001 as vice chairman for product development.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/064678bb-bc56-4430-83c3-d4833e1e98ca-LutzEvent_lutz-vipers.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Bob Lutz takes in the hardware - BMW! Vipers! - at Willow Run Airport.\" width=\"546\" height=\"365\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/064678bb-bc56-4430-83c3-d4833e1e98ca-LutzEvent_lutz-vipers.jpg?width=660&amp;height=441&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/064678bb-bc56-4430-83c3-d4833e1e98ca-LutzEvent_lutz-vipers.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=882&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Bob Lutz takes in the hardware - BMW! Vipers! - at Willow Run Airport.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Bob Lutz takes in the hardware - BMW! Vipers! - at Willow Run Airport.\" data-c-credit=\"John Keep, John Keep\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cThinking back to your many contributions during our time together at GM, I think your biggest accomplishment was to re-focus and re-energize the entire organization on the importance of great design,\u201d wrote Wagoner (who could not attend in person) to Lutz in a letter presented at Willow Run. \u201cYour pushing of the organization to focus on delighting customers, especially with beautiful designs, motivated not just the designers and engineers, but really the entire company, which paid huge dividends in the marketplace.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">In an echo of his past successes, Lutz challenged design to produce a pair of sexy sports cars\u2014 the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. A torrent of product, followed including the 1,000-horsepower Cadillac Sixteen Concept, Cadillac CTS, Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Camaro, Pontiac GTO and Chevrolet Volt ,while Lutz also approved the first mid-engine Chevy Corvette.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">All were on display at the hangar, but the most significant might be the Volt \u2014 the first electrified Chevy and the precursor to GM\u2019s strategy to go all-electric by 2035.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-7\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"6\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Taking the stage at the event\u2019s conclusion, Maximum Bob walks with a slower gait than years past \u2014 at 91, he prefers a golf cart to fighter jets \u2014 but his wit and insights remain as sharp and candid as ever.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/e18de829-fa58-494b-b927-74b282dbccf7-LutzEvent_opel-gt.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Bob Lutz started his career marketing the Opel GT sportscar in Europe.\" width=\"552\" height=\"311\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"gnt_em_img_i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/e18de829-fa58-494b-b927-74b282dbccf7-LutzEvent_opel-gt.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" srcset=\"\/gcdn\/presto\/2023\/08\/01\/PDTN\/e18de829-fa58-494b-b927-74b282dbccf7-LutzEvent_opel-gt.jpg?width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" alt=\"Bob Lutz started his career marketing the Opel GT sportscar in Europe.\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"Bob Lutz started his career marketing the Opel GT sportscar in Europe.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI think electric cars will eventually take over, but right now they don\u2019t make much sense,\u201d he said before some 400 invited attendees. \u201cAnd as far as carbon dioxide emissions go, cars burn fossil fuels whether at the tailpipe or when plugged in. The fact is that 90% of the world\u2019s electricity comes from fossil fuels.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">After leaving GM in 2010 in the midst of industry turmoil, Lutz continued as a consultant, dabbled in auto startups, and published two more books: \u201cCar Guys vs. Bean Counters\u201d and \u201cIcons and Idiots.\u201d This summer, his friend Jon Block saw the opportunity for a proper retirement party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cI am a closet car designer,\u201d smiled Lutz, who constructs exquisite, 1:36 scale paper models as a hobby. \u201cBut when I was a young man, my father looked at my design portfolio and forecast a life of hardship. So I got an MBA, then spent 60 years practicing design without a license.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\" aria-label=\"advertisement\">\n<div id=\"ad-slot-7103-mi-detroit-C1561-native-article_link-money-autos-8\" class=\"gnt_x_sl gnt_x_al\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"lazyLoadX\" data-x-c=\"7\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ypsilanti\u00a0\u2014 The auto industry has produced many luminaries, but few have had the sustained impact of Bob Lutz. Industry dignitaries and colleagues gathered last weekend in the Yankee Air Museum Hangar at Willow Run Airport to celebrate the living legend\u2019s 60-year career, which spanned significant stints at BMW, Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. Whether siring [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31267"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31267"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31268,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31267\/revisions\/31268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}