Car: A Drama of the American Workplace [Paperback]

Mary Walton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 1999

"An enlightening peek at the inner workings of a large corporation trying to reinvent itself. . . . It's rare to find an auto book that explains the process of creating a car with so much color and detail."—Business Week (a Best Business Book of 1997)

Faced with the task of redesigning the Taurus, America's best-selling car and the flagship of its fleet, Ford Motor Company assembled 700 designers, engineers, planners, and bean-counters under a tough manager who set out to retake engineering and manufacturing ground lost to the Japanese. On their shoulders rested the reputation and the profits of Ford, not to mention an investment of close to 3 billion dollars. This biting, insightful account by a seasoned journalist follows the 1996 Taurus from its conception as a clay model in Detroit to its birth in an Atlanta assembly plant to its public debut in a New Jersey dealership. Mary Walton, who was given unprecedented access to the Taurus team, chronicles brilliantly the clashes between designers and engineers, marketers and accountants, product guys and manufacturing guys to create a revealing portrait of the tension, the passions, and the pride that fuel the race to #1. "An engrossing drama . . . with fascinating insights into every aspect of the car's creation. . . . Walton does an admirable job of making the redesign of a car into a compelling human-interest story."—Publishers Weekly (starred review) "An engrossing, satisfying read."—Doron Levin, Philadelphia Inquirer (a Best Book of 1997) "Vivid and informative. . . . Consistently entertaining because it is engagingly written, this is the rare business book that is a page turner."—Keith Bradsher, New York Times Book Review 8 pages of plates, photographs

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

A whole book dedicated to the manufacture of a single model of car--and not even a sexy model, such as a Lamborghini or a Rolls Royce, but a Ford Taurus! How interesting could that be? In the hands of talented Mary Walton, it is very interesting indeed. Walton spent more than two years inside the belly of the giant Ford Motor Company researching the manufacture of the 1996 Taurus, and her account makes for surprisingly entertaining reading. Walton, who has written extensively about management theory, brings a perceptive eye and a breezy style to her critique of the automobile industry. In addition to the redesign of Ford's popular model, Walton also examines the sometimes volatile relations between the company's engineering staff and its designers, criticizes Ford's hierarchical management structure, and questions the astounding number of upper-level executives recruited from the military and their resulting martial management style.

The private lives of Ford employees likewise do not escape Walton's critical eye. Twelve-hour days are common among Ford engineers, but the toll on their personal lives is high. So critical is Mary Walton of Ford's management practices that, upon seeing an early draft of Car, Ford revoked Walton's access to its top executives. For a book that provides both solid entertainment and an in-depth analysis of the auto industry, Car is the top of the line. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

For the two-year period when the Ford Motor Co. redesigned its Taurus for the 1996 model year, Philadelphia journalist Walton lived in Dearborn, Michigan. Here she chronicles not only the technical details of this endeavor but the major personalities involved. She delves into Ford's policies and procedures, especially how they affected her story and ability to get information; competition from Toyota and Chrysler; and insights into Ford's management?issues that affected over 700 people involved in the effort. This intriguing, very human story shows the result of teamwork, pride, and skill. Recommended for public libraries.?Steven J. Mayover, Free Lib. of Philadelphia
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (February 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393318613
• ISBN-13: 978-0393318616
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #803,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars More than just cars - the development process May 29, 2002

By THX1138b

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The appeal of this book goes beyond an interest in the auto industry or an interest in cars. If you work in any kind of development process, from software to hardware, this book is both an entertaining and instructive read. It seems we're all fighting the same battles: Designers and engineers constantly at loggerheads, testers finding bugs at the last minute, division presidents saying outlandish things to the press and the sales people looking for the spin. If you don't want to read yet another boring book on how to improve the software development process, try this.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good for anyone even remotely interested in car development. September 4, 2000

By J. Lutz

Format:Hardcover

I am a graduating mechanical engineer, and I've read this book every year I've been at school. Every time I read it I get more excited about entering this volatile world of automotobile development, as a cast member of the "drama of the American workplace."

Other reviews for this book penalize Mary Walton for selecting the Taurus, but what most people forget to realize is that the family sedan is probably the most difficult car to engineer. You have to satisfy a much wider range of people than if you were building, say a C5 corvette where all you have to do is make it go fast and burn corners. I found the Taurus examination much more fulfilling.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Walton's Story About the Making of a New Ford Taurus July 17, 2008

By S. P. Korn

Format:Paperback

I agree with several reviewers: no special interest in the car industry is required to enjoy this book. Mary Walton's story is a fascinating look at the human drama that is part of developing any complex product and bringing it to market, on time and on budget, despite impossible constraints

Walton had Ford's permission to shadow the team tasked to bring a new Ford Taurus to market, and then write about her experience.

There are many warring factions and few genuinely trusted parties from among the various teams responsible for the new Taurus. The story is the interaction of various engineering teams, engineers from the plant ("factory rats") where the car is to be made, design groups (they pick the colors), executive leadership and finance that makes the real decision to go ahead and build the car, and most fascinating part: many suppliers told just enough to do their job and maybe, if they are clever, earn a profit.

The two main and very colorful players, and self-described "pros" are Dick Landgraff and George Bell, his right-hand man. Their quotes are peppered throughout the book and by themselves make the book a worthy read. Here are few samples:

George Bell, Landgraff's trusted chief engineer, had a "to make sure no one does anything stupid." Decisions that cost too much or upset the timetable are something stupid.

"Any set of objectives that can be immediately met is probably not aggressive enough." George Bell

Dick Landgraff believed that you should simply "find people you can trust and then empower them to do things. If they screw up, get rid of them."

Some Georgisms: After looking at the engine compartment, "This looks like a dog's breakfast." And "Let's stop lashing ourselves with barbed wire."

"The only thing that really counts is `Did I make the objectives?' I'm not being graded on, `Did I make everyone go away feeling good?'" Landgraff on not caring if he wasn't Mr. Nice Guy.

"You had to feel sorry for these amateurs from electronics. All they did was set themselves up for another slam-dunk. They were up against an pro."

"Ford offered too many distractions...going to meeting, being mentors to people...It's more important to pay attention to the car. Every time you don't, something goes wrong. People get caught up with all of this other, what I call frivolous stuff. Like, going to seminars to hear about what's going on with the 1998 steering column, and going to luncheon meeting to find out what truck operations is doing on some other thing. People lose their focus, they lose their ability to remember what it is they're supposed to go do, so they dissipate their efforts in a lot of interesting and perhaps even valuable sorts of things, but they're not critical to what they're really trying to accomplish." Landgraff

"Suppliers...we have to take away all the excuses."

Landgraff letter to Lear Seat president: "You've got to get a guy with real responsibility for the success of the business, you've got to make is clear you're unhappy, and then you've got to follow up."

"Unfortunately, we've hammered on Lear Seat so much, they've grown an asbestos ass." Landgraff

"The problem with these PR guys is, it's amateur night at the movies. Their time horizon's about thirty minutes." Landgraff

Body and Assembly acted as if the plant was "eighteenth-century France. A big castle with a moat around it...I don't pay attention to that stuff." Landgraff.

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In the end, Ford was unhappy with Mary Walton's manuscript and cut off further contact with Ford people. Makes you wonder what Ford was thinking or expecting. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it all the time as an alterative to just another faddish management book