Automotive News Managing Editor Richard A. Johnson's new book is a fascinating look inside the incestuous world of the auto industry. Focusing on Henry Ford II, Soichiro Honda, Lee Iaccoca, Bob Lutz, Ferdinand Pi ch and Eberhard von Kuenheim, Johnson tells the tale of the postwar auto industry through the stories of these men, with a nod to Wolfgang Reitzle as well. We learned a lot we didn't know; for example, we had no clue Mr. Honda was such a poon hound. Lutz seems to get the most sympathy from Johnson here, although he's also remarkably sympathetic to Pi ch as well; a man who's probably the least well-liked of the six. The book also features the only interview with Pi ch since he stepped down as head of VW. While Johnson has a penchant for repeating anecdotes in attempts to tie things together, it's a small flaw in a book that tells an incredible story.
-Davey G. Johnson
Six Men Who Built The Modern Auto Industry [Motorbooks]
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