“Complete Acquiesence”: Bob Lutz Reveals How the Pontiac Aztek Happened

[ifcar]

http://blog.caranddriver.com/complete-acquiesence-bob-lutz-reveals-how-the-pontiac-aztek-happened/

Some excerpts:

A bad car happens in stages. The Aztek concept car was a much leaner vehicle. Decent proportions. It got everybody excited. At the time, GM was criticized for never doing anything new, never taking a chance. So Wagoner and the automotive strategy board decreed that henceforth, 40 percent of all new GM products would be "innovative." That started a trend toward setting internal goals that meant nothing to the customer. Everything that looked reasonably radical got green-lit.


The guy in charge of product development was Don Hackworth, an old-school guy from the tradition of shouts, browbeating, and by-God-I-want-it-done. He said, "Look. We've all made up our minds that the Aztek is gonna be a winner. It's gonna astound the world. I don't want any negative comments about this vehicle. None. Anybody who has bad opinions about it, I want them off the team."


One guy I informally interviewed about how the Aztek happened was one of the top guys on the project. And this guy, he looks at me and he says, "I'm proud of it." Proud of the Aztek? "Yup. That was the best program we ever did at GM. We made all our internal goals, we made the timing, and I'm really proud of the part I played in it." He had tears in his eyes. It was almost tragic. Everybody wanted to will this thing to succeed, and it didn't work. All the emotional commitment and pride in the program was that it achieved all its internal objectives. And it was probably one of the great defeats in his life, or in his career.

[AutobahnSHO]

Lol the Buick version seemed to sell okay..

[2o6]

A nifty concept bungled by GM management trying to make a good idea on a budget of $1.32

[Laconian]

The addendum was interesting. The product looked OK until they got the requirement to make it on the minivan U platform.

[GoCougs]

Finance guys always ruin it.

[2o6]

The addendum was interesting. The product looked OK until they got the requirement to make it on the minivan U platform.

Which was loosely based upon the W body and A body, the latter of which was showing its age

[veeman]

Lol the Buick version seemed to sell okay..

I thought the Buick Rendezvous was ugly.  I'd rather have the Aztek.