Maybe Veep to McGovern? 160 years of experience and more than one book :>)
Big Wheel
Lee Iacocca ran Ford and saved Chrysler. Now 82, the Nantucket summer regular is trying to save America.
By Rachel Deahl | April 22, 2007
You have a new book out called Where Have All the Leaders Gone? Sounds like you think something in America is broken.
I'm deeply worried about this country. I think the first step to recovering our greatness is picking strong leaders. I want to get people talking and thinking and, I hope, voting in the next election.
You've been all over the map politically, having endorsed George Bush in 2000 and then John Kerry in 2004. Who do you like in '08?
Looking at the candidates, I have a favorite trifecta, but I think it's a little early to let that out of the bag.
What about current business leaders?
I am most impressed by those who are dedicated to giving something back. I admire the genuine philanthropic spirit of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. They are a refreshing counterbalance to the many examples of corporate greed we've seen in the last decade – the guys getting led away in handcuffs. What inspired you to go into business?
My father was a great entrepreneur – he relished being in business, even during the Depression – and his enthusiasm for it rubbed off on me.
So why the auto industry?
I also inherited my love of cars from my father. He was nuts about them and owned one of the first Model T's. I actually used to hang out at the local Ford dealership and hoped I would be asked into the Ford Management Program. I was, and the rest, as they say, is history.
What's your favorite car you've owned?
I have three: the 1964 Mustang, the Viper, and the minivan.
Why? Because they were all built on my watch – and they were winners. And what's the most important new technology auto buyers don't know about yet?
Plug-in hybrids. They're being touted as the wave of the future, and I think they are. I can imagine a scene in the not too distant future when a wife will turn to her husband at bedtime and say, 'Honey, did you remember to turn off the lights, bring in the cat, and plug in the car?' How do you think the auto industry can and should face concerns about the environment and rising gas prices? I have to confess that like many business people – especially in the car industry – I came late to enlightenment on global warming and the energy crisis. But now I'm making up for lost time. Automakers have to get aggressive about building hybrids. Why is General Motors building Hummers? That doesn't make sense. I'll go a step further: I think we should raise the gas tax and spend the money on developing alternatives to oil. Let's face it, finding more oil does not constitute an energy policy.
You are the son of immigrants. How much has your outlook been shaped by being a first-generation American?
I grew up with two lessons. The first is that anything is possible in America. The second is that you can't just sit back and enjoy all the advantages and not lift a finger. Democracy is not a spectator sport.– Rachel Deahl
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