5 comments about Taken for a Ride : How Daimler-Benz Drove off with Chrysler.

1. Sometimes the reading gets boring in too many details, but the facts in this book are INCREDIBLE!
   It shows that Juergen Schrempp never wanted to merge, but to buy, Bob Eaton was totally involved and everybody else was taken by surprise. Bob Eaton never actually ran the company, maybe that is why he sold it.



2. If you are looking to find out exactly how the Germans came in and stole Chrysler out from under its American leadership, this is the book for you. Superbly written and researched, the book is a page turner that kept me up till the early morning hours. I highly recommend it and hope that nothing like this ever happens again in corporate America. "Taken for a Ride" couldn't be a more fitting title.



3. I don't know how Vlasic was able to get the information in this book. The conversations ring true to me and this story feels as if it really could have occurred the way Vlasic describes it. This is one of the best books I have read in the past year. He is able to take a somewhat chaotic true story and assemble a story that flows smoothly yet also seems accurate. His ability to draw a picture of the characters is outstanding and they have proven quite prescient as time has passed.



4. In 2000, hot on the heels of the Daimler-Chrysler merger, Bill Vlasic and Bradley A. Stertz, both of the Detroit Free Press, chronicled the merger and the run-up to it. Being from Detroit, lament pervades an otherwise riveting story full of intrigue from the Chrysler executives fending off raider/financier Kirk Kerkorian, through the unrelenting pace of the merger talks, and finally the aftermath where the former Chrysler executives started to roll over or jump ship.
   
   At the book's core are the merger negotiations and the power struggle that followed. Starkly contrasted are the styles of Jurgen Schrempp, the awesome Daimler-Benz Chairman, and Bob Eaton, his diffident Chrysler counterpart. From the outset, Eaton is cast as a weakling who crumbles in the face of bigger personalities. The horrendous miscommunication between Eaton and Kerkorian on the eve of Kerkorian's acquisition announcement foreshadows Eaton's flaky approach to the negotiations with Daimler. Throughout the book, Eaton is portrayed as hapless and hopeless. An outsider, chosen as CEO because of a clash of egos that disqualified the vastly more talented Bob Lutz (now the septuagenarian Vice-Chairman of General Motors), he, by all the books accounts, failed to ever become part of Chrysler. Time and again, Eaton is shown to be a ditherer and a weakling - indeed he is reported to have broken down in front of hundreds of senior managers no fewer than three times.
   
   Across the table from Eaton is Jurgen Schrempp, a big man with an insatiable appetite for action. Whether against internal Daimler rival Helmut Werner or at the table with Eaton, he comes off as a brilliant strategist with an unrelenting drive who lives for the big moments.
   
   Irrespective of how the market will judge the merger, the book offers useful lessons for negotiators. The Americans proved the negotiator's adage that failing to prepare is preparing to fail. The Daimler executives set their objectives and then prepared their strategy meticulously. Schrempp created alternatives to a negotiated solution, including the unlikely possibility of an alliance with the Ford Motor Company. At every step, by the Chrysler management team's own admission, they were out-prepared by as much as eighteen months.
   
   The weakness of the book is the authors' undisguised disappointment with the "loss" of an American industrial icon. It is an absolute hatchet job on Eaton who cannot possibly be as pathetic as he is made out to be. After the merger, the German executives are cast as jealous bureaucrats defending their turf. It is hard to determine whether this is an accurate description or the ever-present regret of the authors.



5. The take over of Chrysler by Diamler-Benz was heralded as the "merger of equals". This merger was a joke that was really a buyout of an American icon. The story of the merger is one of intrigue on two continents and is told very well here. It is an interesting book and very well written. I highly recommend it for those who want to see what happened at Chrysler after Iacocca retired.

2 comments about Modern Chrysler Concept Cars: The Designs That Saved the Company (ColorTech).

1. I thought this book would be the usual pointless gushing, with lots of pictures and no information. Well, there's lots of pictures, all in color, along with sketches. Surprisingly, though, the writer also interviewed notables such as Bob Lutz and Tom Gale to get the story behind the concepts and their journey to production - or not. Lots of surprises.



2. Modern Chrysler Concept Cars illustrates how concept car designs spurred another business recovery of Chrysler during the 1990s. The storyline is how Tom Gale's daring cab-forward and retro design concepts (again) rescued Chrysler from post-Iacocca business doldrums. The book gives a great birdseye view of the business value of pushing beyond current design boundaries through the voice of Chrysler design honcho,Tom Gale. On this basis alone it should probably be required reading for students of car design. Buy this book for its business lesson about the business power of design and for its great photos of handsome cars, not for revelations of the visual keys to car design.
   
   Despite many high-quality photos (which alone make the book worth buying) there is little about visual design principles behind the success of Gale's cab-forward and retro designs. Most of the pictures are dramatic three-quarter perspectives that reveal little about the shapes and proportions underlying the designs. To understand a car's design you need to understand its basic proportions, shapes and primary lines. These are only revealed clearly in "elevations" - perpendicular-to-the-viewer side, front, rear and overhead views of a car. Such views are rarely shown anywhere and not in this book. These cars are handsome; I want to know why and these quarter-view photos don't show me, nor does the text. The text of this book is more about mechanical concepts, intended performance and design-management decisionmaking than about visual principles or insights into the designs pictured.
   
   This story begins with the financial failure of Chrysler's daring Airflow design in the late 1930s. The Airflow failure induced a long period in which Chrysler marketed increasingly dull designs on the basis of solid engineering. By 1949-50, Chrysler's obsolete pre-WW II design concepts were trumped in the market by the 1949 Ford and Mercury, the first finned Cadillacs and other new design concepts. The book gives only one paragraph to Chrysler's rescue-by-daring-design in the 1950s when Chrysler designer Virgil Exner turned to Italian coachbuilder Ghia for a series of seminal concept cars.
   
   Design themes in the Exner/Ghia show cars quickly found their way into production cars such as the original Chrysler 300, a winning combination of design and performance engineering, the Plymouth Valiant and the gunsight taillights of the Imperial, for example. Only a passing reference is made to the Ghia d'Elegance as a source of design themes in the Chrysler Chronos concept car of the 1990s, citing its radiator-shaped grill. Omitting the 1950s episode is odd given that the 1990s Tom Gale design and performance-based concepts reprise the Exner/Ghia1950s design/performance rescue of a slumping Chrysler. Perhaps the author omitted this era because first-hand design players of the 1950s were not available to interview now whereas Tom Gale and his colleagues were. Even so, Chrysler's 1950's rescue-by-design deserves a full section, not just a short paragraph. Those who do not know history are fated to repeat it. So buy this book to learn how strong design can rescue business, to enjoy dramatic photos of excellent car designs, but not to learn much about what makes these cars look so good.

5 comments about COMMON SENSE NOT REQUIRED: Idiots Designing Cars + Hybrid Vehicles: My Career with Chrysler.

1. A few months ago, I stumbled upon this book while surfing the net for information about hybrid cars. Despite my regard for Mr. Boberg as a complete a$$hole, I read the entire book. I was extremely interested in purchasing a hybrid vehicle; the author seems to think anyone that would consider buying one is an "idiot."

   Several news stories have popped up recently where hybrid owners have been complaining about the fuel economy of their cars. Combined with the information in CSNR, I found myself thinking "sucker" when I observed a hybrid car. I read the book again and realized that it is only Mr. Boberg's intent to educate people about what hybrids are really all about.

   It is not a popular notion for someone to criticize new technology. The author predicts that hybrids will never become mainstream. Thinking back in automotive history, the wankel was the future, but it never caught on, though it did survive in the Mazda RX. I hope he his wrong, but I have to give him credit for making a credible argument to the contrary.

   I was expecting more inside "secrets" to be revealed. But the biggest secret he reveals is that there just aren't that many secrets. The book is more focused on the bumbling of some of the management and the success Chrysler experienced despite this.

   I highly recommend reading Common Sense Not Required. Despite my initial irritation with the author and his unpopular views, I couldn't put it down. The humor is sarcastic, but effective. I really enjoyed reading it twice.




2. 'A reader' sums it all up in his/her May 16, 2004 review.
   
   However, considering it was only a $4 download I didn't feel too cheated at reading this very amateurish, unedited, and unproofed piece of work.
   
   Mr. Boberg certainly has some useful experiences to share with people interested in the auto industry generally and Chrysler's mixed fortunes specifically. However, only his analysis of the costs and benefits of hybrid autos is worth the trouble here. In fact, anyone who believes a hybrid is a magic solution to the problems of fuel consumption and pollution might do well to acquaint themselves with some of the facts here.



3. I'm an engineer; I'm used to reading bad prose. I'm used to dealing with technical people deficient in people skills, but I just can't get past more than a few paragraphs in this book. I'll probably give it another try when I'm feeling more masochistic, but for now this book will be sitting on the shelf. If you have a low tolerance for badly written, egocentric self aggrandizement, then give this piece of work a wide berth.



4. If you are a true car buff, particularly if you are interested in the technical side then this is a must read.



5. I bought the book because I was looking for ideas with regard to converting a gasoline powered vehicle to electric power. If this is your purpose, then this book has absolutely no value for you.
   On the other hand, if you are simply interested in the grotesque manner in which large corporations lurch along, then you will find this amusing - and possibly even worth while. Having spent a goodly number of years within the corporate world, I can empathize with this man. His main problem, however, is that he did not have the good sense to get out early.

2 comments about Mopar / Chrysler / Dodge / Plymouth / DeSoto / Truck Parts Locating Guide.

1. This book is a real time saver when trying to locate parts or vendors. I have owned MOPARS for 15 years and I found many new distributors. It is organized well although it could use some dressing up. The appearance is the only thing keeping it from getting five stars but if you want parts, this is the place to go.



2. If you have an older Mopar, or a Muscle Car I recommend this book...not so much for the less popular models such as mine. The sources in the book seems to be more geared towards pre`60s cars and trucks, or the famous high profile (read expensive) muscle cars of the `60s and `70s; although this is totally understandable. This is not the fault of the author; the suppliers just don't stock stuff unless they think they can sell it.
   I have a '66 Dodge Dart, and in desperation to find parts, bought this book to help in my search.
   I was able to find some sources through the book, although you can also find them in Mopar web links. I do like paper though, so I can make notes, and check off sources.
   Some of the companies are no longer around, so you are a little disappointed when you think you have found the source only to find out it is no longer there. Although many current Mopar web sites have just as many dead links as the book.
   A number of the resources in the book are very small and don't have a web presence (even an e-mail address); this means phone calls to find out if the place is still there, or what they really have. I think this is because they are regional, or deal in esoteric parts and services; like refinishing 1932 Dodge speedometer faces ;-)
   It is very difficult to compile a book like this, because things change so fast these days. I don't fault the authors, as I think they did a remarkable job of compilation. As a basic source, and the basis for your own check list, I would still recommend this book. Now if someone could do a website, with all this...and keep it up...

5 comments about How to Hot Rod Small Block Mopar Engines: Covers All Chrysler, Dodge & Plymouth LA Series Engines-1964 to Present-273-318-340-360 C.I.D..

1. The book is well written,very thorough,easy to understand for the beginner. One flaw though, is that it only covers standard rebuilds, and it does not go into the performance aspect at all which is where it loses out in the market, if you already have a sound foundation in rebuilding engines and already know the basics, you would be better served buying something like Mopar speed secrets or something along those lines.

   All in all it is still a very good book.

   by Paulzig@hotmail.com




2. I'm not quite sure what other reviewers read, but this is not a book for standard rebuilds. This covers performance work only, and would not be a guide for the first-timer. It contains info on building up circle-track, drag, and street/strip cars, with general advice and specific part number and machining spec's. The book is written with a heavy factory-slant, as many of the parts and suggestions concern Mopar-sold parts. There's nothing wrong with that, as a lot of fast Chryslers run Mopar-brand equipment. The thank-you list in the front reads like a who's- who of Chrysler racing history, and some of them work at Chrysler to this day, so this isn't some guy out in left field telling you to slap a 800 CFM carb on your 1978 Lean Burn 318 and go Corvette hunting- he and his advisors know small block Chryslers better than almost anybody else I can think of. I've known or worked with several of them, and they've turned out an impressive pile of fast engines over the years. This book is well worth the $15 investment, considering the money you'll dump into a good motor



3. This book seems good for PERFORMANCE rebuilds. But if you're just learning about rebuilding engines, follow the books advice, and start elsewhere. Here's a quote from the book's introduction: "[This book] was written with the performance enthusiast in mind, and contains large amounts of information generated by Chrysler's internal research and development engineers. This book was also written with the assumption that the reader is already familiar with general overhaul, disassembly and assembly practices, especially those peculiar to the Chrysler A engine. Complete standards and techniques for these engines in stock form can be found in HPBooks' HOW TO REBUILD YOUR SMALL-BLOCK MOPAR and in the Chrysler factory service manual for your particular engine. For factory manuals write: Chrysler Service Publications, 20026 Progress Drive, Strongville, Ohio, 44136. This book begins where those two books end--and that is on how to build a high-performance Chrysler small-block--very high-performance."



4. This book covers all aspects of increasing the performance of your small block Mopar. Simple hop ups to full blown race ready engine modifications are covered in this book.



5. This is great for a crash course on mopar. It takes you back to different types of parts and explains them thoroughly.

1 comments about Hemi Muscle Cars (Enthusiast Color).

1. If you truly want to know about the hemi muscle cars, then this is the book for you. not only does it have tons of cool pics, it also has a lot of information. you can find anything from sales figures to what inspired the car and body style. definately a must have for any muscle car enthusiast

1 comments about Chrysler Outboards, All Engines, 1962-1984 (Seloc Marine Tune-Up and Repair Manuals).

1. I have had one humdinger of a time trying to find information on my Chrysler '72. Here it is all rolled up in one great little guide. It doesn't go into complete tear down, but I didn't want that. This book saved my motor from the dump.

1 comments about Chrysler Heritage: A Photographic History (MI) (Images of Motoring) (Images of America).

1. This book is great with many rare pictures of the great cars that Chrysler, Dodge, DeSoto and Plymouth built from the inception of the company. A must have for anyone who loves these cars. My wife and I have a fully restored 1940 Chrysler Royal Coupe and enjoyed the book immensely.

No comments about Chrysler 361/383/400/413/416/440 Hi-Po (Musclecar and Hi-Po Engine Series).

4 comments about Chrysler P/T Cruiser 2001 Thru 2003: Haynes Repair Manual (Haynes Manuals).

1. I just received my Haynes PT Repair manual, for the 2002 PT Cruiser. I must say the book is very thorough in its presentation, and equally compares to other Haynes Manuals I have owned in the past. After reading the section on how to replace a timing belt, I wanted cry....HA!



2. I was pretty disappointed with this book. It was fine to see alot of the more advance engine work but I wanted a more practical reference. Holes for me included characteristics of the sound system like speaker size and identification of the wires in the stereo deck wire harness, and wiper blade correction, it goes through how to remove and replace wipers, wiper motors, etc. stressing the importance of marking the wiper motor bolt ensuring the wipers are bolted on correctly but it doesn't say how to re-orient your wipers if they are already out of alignment. In my case they were out because of freezing rain and me leaving the wipers in the on position when I shut off the car.

   To me the book seemed patched together and some of the pictures didn't look like anything on my Crusier. I can't recommend it and I am still looking for a good reference for my '02 Limited




3. i am 32 and have purchased a haynes manual for every car i've ever owned, (roughly 10). as far as i'm concerned, this one seemed to have the most missing information.. as far as specific instructions for the different model types (manual, auto, turbo, non-turbo. 2,5L..?) the instructions and component placement seem to vary greatly depending on which model you have. its not clearly mentioned in this manual though. fortunately i have enough experience in auto repair to figure some things out on my own. there are certainly some missing steps in various procedures (never tells you to take the wheel hub nut off to get the wheel hub off.. but i guess thats obvious..?) i've always found the haynes manuals difficult to determine which part is what from the description (detach the left lateral drive coupler from the auxiliary front coupling rod.. ok, sure??) there were a number of places where it just says "this is too complicated for a DIYer to troubleshoot on their own, please take it to an experienced mechanic.." i really hate that.. some DIYers are more experienced than others. anyway, i will still continue to purchase these manuals for all future cars since they are the most accessible and inexpensive, but they could use some more thought, especially for inexperienced DIY's, and this particular manual is the one that bothered me enough to actually write a review on it..



4. I used this manual for a clutch replacement and suspension upgrade and found it to be much less helpful than the older Haynes manuals were. This manual constantly sent me searching through other chapters for information. Many steps were oversimplified and lacked details regarding special tools and methods required.