Reading "All Corvettes Are Red"

[jims427400]

I've been reading the book "All Corvettes are Red" and was amazed on the drama that went on inside GM back in the late 80s and early 90s concerning the corvette C5 project.
With all that is going on currently w/ GM are they dealing with the same dynamics that are effecting the new C7? Hoping someone on the inside can give us all an update on how projects and clays w/clown suits are being made.
Thanks,
Jim

 

[JBsC5]

That was a great book. I remember reading it before I was even into corvettes and was really enjoying that book.

I look forward to Bob Lutz's upcoming book with great anticipation.

JB

 

[Toms007]

I, too, was amazed at all that went on and in reality, we're lucky that we still have Corvette. I enjoyed reading that one.

 

[jrose7004]

I would imagine that the internal workings are even more dramatic now than they were before. With the manufacturers on the rebound and the economy the way it is I would think getting money to spend on a sports car is quite difficult.

 

[jims427400]

I too am amazed the C5 survived.. what is the new book that Lutz is working on? The survival of the C7?

 

[Red Vette]

I loved the book and think that the title was absolutely right on: of course I am biased. When I was taking the bus to work one day before I retired, a very young lady asked what I was currently reading, and I said all Corvettes Are Red. She was impressed (I think). Hope there are sequels until 3011 comes along. By then, the Corvettes will be space vehicles traveling at light speed. Of course, Obama will still be the head of the company WM or world motors.
Barrett

 

[Blue260]

I, too, was amazed at all that went on and in reality, we're lucky that we still have Corvette. I enjoyed reading that one.

We can really thank Jim Perkins for still having a corvette.

 

[killain]

All Corvettes are Red !

This is truly a fantastic book. I have advised anyone who questions the Power train control module to read just that portion of the book. The 'Fly by Wire' system, was it full of oil and gas, was the oil old or new, it's 30 below outside in Northern Canada or 130 above in the desert and they started the cars in every possible condition / combination imaginable. Toyoto had so many lawsuits of late about the drive by wire system going all haywire ans people killed because the engine wouldn't stop ? Name on instance where a post 1996 Corvette went out of control because of the powertrain control module and it's software?

And the car itself went from drawing board to the shelf collecting dust five or six times before the car got the final Go Ahead ! Great book about the C5 Corvette, but more over the time and dedication of all the engineers / stylist Technicians, Drivers Mechanics even the go-fore's in the process. It truly shows how much can be done for 250 Million, cheap by automobile engineering standards. Thank god they stood together and built us the best America sports car in the world. To any of you who were amongst the crew, you can be proud of your work.

 

[bontrager]

I've been reading the book "All Corvettes are Red" and was amazed on the drama that went on inside GM back in the late 80s and early 90s concerning the corvette C5 project.
With all that is going on currently w/ GM are they dealing with the same dynamics that are effecting the new C7? Hoping someone on the inside can give us all an update on how projects and clays w/clown suits are being made.
Thanks,
Jim

Great reading, especially if you are a C5 owner. Rented it from our local library but enjoyed it so much, I bought a used copy from Amazon.com

 

[catbert]

GM now has about 5 fewer layers of management. There is now no excuse for the stupidity that kept the C5 on the drawing boards for years on end. We'll see if they are as lean and mean as they say they are.

 

[WhalePirot]

I've long known that American engineering was the best anywhere, but that corporate America doomed us to what we see today. Thirty years ago, I called on numerous Fortune 500 executives and was continually amazed that any of those companies were even in business!

I applaud courageous CEOs like Iacocca who had the balls to overrule the narrow-visioned beancounters and produced some amazing things.. just as the Corvette team has done, again.

Some returns are not measured and despite ROI tunnel vision, some 'unprofitable' products sell other products.

I also hope that GM has changed, for a multitude of reasons, but as long as Wall Street's short profit horizon rules, how can it? Seems lean and mean implies indiscriminate slash and burn tactics, versus intelligent pruning and a true restructuring of the decision processes and corporate culture.

 

[lt1george]

Another Great book to read is " On a Clear Day You Can See GM " by John Z. DeLorean. penned by J.Patrick Wright. John Z would have saved GM all the future problems.....but the boy's club was too hard to crack. As then as now.
You gotta have gasoline in your blood to run the show.

 

[SG Lou]

This is truly a fantastic book.

I read the book when it first came out as the wife got it for my B-Day.
At the time i still owned a 92 C4. Little did I realize that many years later I'd own the very same car I read about. Very interesting to get an inside, in depth look at the makings of a car from the ground up.

 

[motorman]

I, too, was amazed at all that went on and in reality, we're lucky that we still have Corvette. I enjoyed reading that one.

with the new corvette sales at 12,000 a year we will be lucky it keeps going.

 

[vettedreamer]

Regarding your post...

Sorry Jim, I don't have any info on the C-7 development. But I can tell you that I also read the book and found the inner workings quite amazing. I was lucky enough to meet the chief lead Designer, John Cafaro-
at a Corvette show in Canada, and he was gracious enough to sign my copy.
Cheers,

 

[s'noJob]

Good on a re-read, too!

I am currently reading "All Corvettes are Red" for the second time. I won't offer any spoilers, but I was aghast at the drama towards the end of Chapter 4. In my current hardcover edition, the drama begins at the break on page 34.
.

 

[Huskerman]

Older thread but still pertinent. I read the book this winter and enjoyed it very much and appreciate my C5 all the more. I hope it is different now but I think it took going broke to wake GM up and make the management changes that needed to be made. I eagerly await the C7.........

 

[catbert]

Older thread but still pertinent. I read the book this winter and enjoyed it very much and appreciate my C5 all the more. I hope it is different now but I think it took going broke to wake GM up and make the management changes that needed to be made. I eagerly await the C7.........

You are absolutely right. GM didn't get lean and efficient until there was no choice. Lean means cheaper, shorter development times and a lot of other good outcomes. I hope the new GM doesn't lose any of that now that they have had a little success. It probably would have taken the old GM ten years to develop and get the Volt to market.

 

[orlandjoe]

Another great book is "Why GM matters: Inside the race to transform an American icon" by W. Holstein. This book came out in early 2009 right before the bankruptcy.