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Will Ford Name A Car Kaiser?
Possible Pag Direction Change?
GM has its product czar, Bob Lutz. And now, insiders report, Ford may be
close to naming its own car Kaiser. If it happens, Wolfgang Reitzle, now
head of the automaker's Premier Automotive Group, would be given
extraordinary powers to reshape Ford products-and its troubled product
development program. "We desperately need someone in that position," said
a well-placed source, noting that Ford's turnaround plan cannot count on a
serious influx of new product for at least several years. Like Lutz,
Reitzle has a string of successes to his credit, notably during his tenure
as the number-two executive overseeing product at BMW. One potential snag:
some Ford insiders worry that the aloof German may not be able to motivate
the troops the way the personable Lutz has since his arrival at GM last
August. Several insiders suggest the issue may be forced by the
possibility that Reitzle would otherwise leave for another automaker;
Mercedes-Benz surfaces in a number of rumors circulating inside Ford. If
the appointment occurs, a likely timeframe would be May, at Ford's annual
shareholders meeting.
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