It's the underperformance of Mercedes that is holding the whole empire back. If you get Mercedes right, you go a long way toward getting all of DaimlerChrysler right.
A lot of people in the automotive industry thought he'd sort of exited through the back door when he took the job at Linde, but he showed that it was a very well-organized company and one with ambition. He's showing people, 'You have missed me, but I don't miss you.
The problem with hybrids is that in economic terms, they don't make a lot of sense.
He certainly had a clear vision for PAG. He wasn't there long enough to see it through, but it's continuing and it's a viable strategy.
BMW is a bigger company than Porsche, and Rover is a smaller company than Volkswagen, ... and even then it diverted too many strategic resources from BMW.
There is a recognition in Germany that they have to reduce the coziness between managers and the board.
It is more useful to have an aluminum-based vehicle because it will pay over time. The last part for aluminum to conquer is the car body, but that is the most difficult.
There has been real progress at DaimlerChrysler compared with Ford and GM. They got the job cuts size right at Chrysler and the only way to turn Mercedes around is to do the same thing.
Mercedes has become flabby. Management has woken up to the fact that they have to tackle their cost base.
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