Car Executive Robert Lutz Followed His Own Path To Make Auto History.(LEADERS & SUCCESS)

Byline: Brian Deagon

Robert Lutz believed in progressive ideas and profitable products. And he was wowing General Motors Corp. with his verve.

There was just one problem, a supervisor told him while visiting his small office in Germany in 1966.

Lutz, a junior exec for GM's Adam Opel car unit, was praised for his tenacity and bold choices. A future job in top management was "his to lose," the man said.

But the then-34-year-old Lutz was perhaps a little too good, the supervisor said. His success was alienating, even angering, older GM veterans.

"We don't want that to happen," the supervisor said. "You're designated. Just play along with the system, pull in your oars and let yourself drift downstream."

In a snap, Lutz went from elation to frustration. The ex-Marine fighter pilot, who raced cars on weekends, was on a crusade to turn a dull Opel into a predator. Now he was told to downshift and hit cruise control. It grated against his drive to be the best.