True, but he still allowed garbage cars to be produced that further cemented how imports (mainly Japanese) were vastly superior. Like Saturn a decade later, K-cars were an initial hit but were nowhere near competitive or reliable.
Back then, Japanese cars were purely about dependability. The build quality wasn't great though and they had a distinctive "tin can" feel to them. The Germans cars were horribly uncomfortable, dependability wasn't stellar, but performance dynamics were some of the best. The Chryslers were more about build quality and comfort. So you could say each excelled in their own right.
Lee was a good bullshit artist and, yes, he did save Chrysler, but there's no way that Chrysler cars were better than German and Japanese cars in 1981.
Lee Iacoca and Carol Shelby were the engineers and designers who pushed for the production of the Ford Mustang whereas Henry Ford Jr. wanted to cling to the Ford Falcon and dispised the idea for the Mustang. The Falcons were discontinued in the United States by 1972 replaced by Maverick then the Granada then the Fairmont and finally the Taurus but the Mustang has held as the long term seller due to Lee Iacoca wanting Ford to enter into the Pony Sports Car market and compete against General Motors who were producing the Firebird Trans Am and Camaro. Lee Iacoca started out as a salesman for Ford in Pennsylvania then went to General Motors when he and Henry butted heads too much and took the place of John DeLorean who designed the Chevrolet Corvair and absorbed the embarrassing blow back from it and tried again with the DeLorean Motor Company. After GM Lee Iacoca went to Chrysler and came up with the Minivan and the dreaded K-Cars. When Chrysler teamed up with Mercedes Chrysler sent Lee Iacoca to run Damlier Mercedes.
@@roya.cathcartjr.5042 Funny fact: The original Mustang also had the gas tank placed very close to the bumper so suffered the same vulnerability as the later Pinto. That extra $1 to place a spacer just wouldn't have killed profit, lol.
@@LearnAboutFlow remember, I said *with regular maintenance.* Chrysler products of that era didn't always attract buyers who budget for (or care about) performing scheduled service on time so... 🤷♂️
RIP LEE IACOCCA: THE MAN WHO SAVED CHRYSLER.
Chrysler needs Lee Iacoca again!
Sergio Marchionne
Yep after he left that’s when the shit hit the fan again!!
No Shit !
This guys was so awesome. I dont think there will ever be a ceo as good as lee
Should have run for president and the people wanted him too...
he single handedly saved chrysler from going under
Well i did help, he actually did directly give me a pay raise for my work.
True, but he still allowed garbage cars to be produced that further cemented how imports (mainly Japanese) were vastly superior.
Like Saturn a decade later, K-cars were an initial hit but were nowhere near competitive or reliable.
@@LearnAboutFlow My dad's new 1989 Reliant K Car was built as tight as a drum
@@inkey2 That's great, must have been one not built on a Monday, Friday, or holiday.
@@LearnAboutFlow could be, he had it 19 years
Best salesman ever
everybody's dad had one back then
Back then, Japanese cars were purely about dependability. The build quality wasn't great though and they had a distinctive "tin can" feel to them. The Germans cars were horribly uncomfortable, dependability wasn't stellar, but performance dynamics were some of the best. The Chryslers were more about build quality and comfort. So you could say each excelled in their own right.
how could up market cars be uncomfortable?
@@kentallard8852 Hard seats with poor contouring. Rough ride quality.
This was a bold offer that didn't last long. But it brought them in
Lee was a good bullshit artist and, yes, he did save Chrysler, but there's no way that Chrysler cars were better than German and Japanese cars in 1981.
Lee Iacoca and Carol Shelby were the engineers and designers who pushed for the production of the Ford Mustang whereas Henry Ford Jr. wanted to cling to the Ford Falcon and dispised the idea for the Mustang.
The Falcons were discontinued in the United States by 1972 replaced by Maverick then the Granada then the Fairmont and finally the Taurus but the Mustang has held as the long term seller due to Lee Iacoca wanting Ford to enter into the Pony Sports Car market and compete against General Motors who were producing the Firebird Trans Am and Camaro.
Lee Iacoca started out as a salesman for Ford in Pennsylvania then went to General Motors when he and Henry butted heads too much and took the place of John DeLorean who designed the Chevrolet Corvair and absorbed the embarrassing blow back from it and tried again with the DeLorean Motor Company.
After GM Lee Iacoca went to Chrysler and came up with the Minivan and the dreaded K-Cars.
When Chrysler teamed up with Mercedes Chrysler sent Lee Iacoca to run Damlier Mercedes.
@@roya.cathcartjr.5042 some of your so called facts here are very inaccurate. Ever read a book?
@@roya.cathcartjr.5042 Funny fact: The original Mustang also had the gas tank placed very close to the bumper so suffered the same vulnerability as the later Pinto. That extra $1 to place a spacer just wouldn't have killed profit, lol.
Um, Chrysler cars were pretty awful in 1981.
Actually ... they WERE boring as crap, but honestly the k cars ran forever with just regular maintenance.
@@josiaevans You cannot be serious. If that was the case, you would be seeing them all over the roads today as with Japanese cars of the same era.
@@LearnAboutFlow remember, I said *with regular maintenance.* Chrysler products of that era didn't always attract buyers who budget for (or care about) performing scheduled service on time so... 🤷♂️
@@josiaevans Ah, the common lie. Tell that to a legitimate mechanic and prepare to hear a lot of laughter.