Former General Motors chairman and CEO, Roger Smith, has died at the age of 82 after a brief illness. Smith was appointed as GM chairman and CEO in 1981 and continued in the position until his retirement in 1990. During his time with the automaker, GM introduced its first front-wheel-drive midsize cars, formed NUMMI, a joint venture with Toyota to manufacture cars in California, created Saturn, and acquired Electronic Data Systems and Hughes Aircraft Corp. Smith was also credited with laying the foundation for the EV1 program.
“Roger Smith led GM during a period of tremendous innovation in the industry.” GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said today. “He was a leader who knew that we have to accept change, understand change, and learn to make it work for us. Roger was truly a pioneer in the fast moving global industry that we now take for granted.”
Smith is survived by Barbara, his wife of 53 years; four children: Roger B. Smith Jr., Jennifer A. Ponski, Victoria B. Sawula, and Drew J. Smith; and six grandchildren.
11/30, 11:28 AM
posted by:
Fletch
Roger & Me
11/30, 11:32 AM
posted by:
autonut
I cant recall a single nice car from GM of that period. If they looked good, they behaved not so well (quality).
11/30, 11:46 AM
posted by:
CA36GTP
May he rest in peace, but I’m not going to remember him well professionally. He presided over arguably the worst period in GM’s existance.
11/30, 12:12 PM
posted by:
Get Real
I don’t know to blame him or the unions for helping put GM in the position it finds itself in today.
He was either arrogant or ignorant of what was going out the factory doors and into people’s garages.
11/30, 12:13 PM
posted by:
golf4me
It’d be funny if the guy giving the eulogy was painfully honest and said something like “may the man who almost killed GM rest in peace”. While it’s sad when anyone dies, the guy was a knob when it came to running GM.
11/30, 12:50 PM
posted by:
CTS DRIVER
yeah golf they should be cheering this idiot is now rotting in hell.
11/30, 12:58 PM
posted by:
SwerveEarly
I didnt even know he was sick?
11/30, 1:13 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
RIP, Raj.
11/30, 2:05 PM
posted by:
golf4me
Wonder if Michael Moore is invited to the funeral?
11/30, 2:18 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
He’ll probably play the Hred Phelps role there
11/30, 2:46 PM
posted by:
6ix
CTS Driver…that was very uncalled for.
11/30, 2:51 PM
posted by:
LP640
R.I.P. even though all the cars you were responsible for were **** boxes.
11/30, 2:52 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
Fred Phelps
11/30, 3:19 PM
posted by:
Ward Cleaver
My 1986 Buick Electra runs great and still gets an honest 30 mpg on the highway, amazing, no kiddin’. Thanks, Mr. Smith.
11/30, 3:28 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
I’ll start looking for an Enclave again, once my work is done.
11/30, 4:43 PM
posted by:
Ray Sinclair
Evel Knievel died today as well…
11/30, 6:55 PM
posted by:
LP640
^That’s a bit extreme isnt it? Its not as if he compltelty raped the world after making a deal with satan himself and then left billions dead. He just ****ed up a company.
11/30, 8:06 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
The only people buying A—a sedans are those that can’t afford the superior German product or aren’t able to tell the difference.
Comment by Cartman, posted on July10 at 2:09 pm
Sound like anysubhuman we know?
11/30, 8:22 PM
posted by:
tripleonefive
You are a janitor who drives a Tempo
People who drive ACURA know they can get a performance luxury vehicle with just as must reliability or more than the Germans for less money
Either way the Americans aren’t superior and thats what you drive
11/30, 8:55 PM
posted by:
tripleonefive
BTW Think of all the layoffs and POS cars This guy was responsible for. He created Saturn
Need I say more? Not much has changd since 90 GM is still making inferior crap
11/30, 10:11 PM
posted by:
CA36GTP
Acura = performance luxury??
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
I love the TL-S, but calling even calling that a performance luxury vehicle is a joke.
11/30, 10:28 PM
posted by:
jayjc08
I hope he… “rests in peace”.
He didn’t do that great of a job though as GM Chairman though.
11/30, 10:28 PM
posted by:
jayjc08
^ Seriously, ignore 1115
11/30, 11:07 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
I think it’s safe to say that most of us who post on this site have a pretty clear memory of the whole era. My personal catalogue of ’80’s iron include an ‘80 Cordoba, ‘81 Imperial, 2 ‘81 Futuras, ‘85 5.0 Capri, ‘86 Reliant, ‘88 Aries, ‘88 Camaro 2.8, and an ‘89 Caprice woody wagon ( albeit recently purchased for the sole purpose of hauling beach toys to the lake at the summer place ). And I’ve probably forgotten a few as well. The point is we all had choices to make back then as did Roger Smith. Could he have made better choices- probably. Could any or all of us have made better choices? Look at some of the junk on my list and all I can say is I’m glad I gave up the weed!
I don’t think Roger came to work each morning thinking “how can I f*ck GM” but, as you’ve all made it pretty clear, he was no visionary.
12/01, 1:04 AM
posted by:
tripleonefive
LOL @ CA You think Buick is a luxury vehicle
12/01, 7:43 AM
posted by:
CA36GTP
No I don’t, 1115, but keep trying. Maybe one day one of your lies will stick.
12/01, 10:23 AM
posted by:
tripleonefive
CA36GTP
The only lies on this board are told by you JJT Impulsive and Lamboz Commo and Jj too
Keep driving your American POS
12/01, 3:32 PM
posted by:
N_yo_face
1115 did someone with a domestic car hurt you once?
12/01, 11:11 PM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
LONG LIVE THE JEEP WRANGLER!!!
SHOUT OUT TO THE 1998 CHEVY CAVALIER Z24 WITH THAT GUTSY LITTLE 2.4 L I-4! Man, I saw some serious PUSSY in that car!
Also much love to the 2001 and 2004 TJs, the American icon that won WWII!!!
****FACED! OFF TO THE CLUB! WASTED!!!!
ALCOHOLICA!!! **** YOU ALL GOODNIGHT!!!
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO MEETUP IN NYC!@>!>???!?!?! DRINKLS ON ME!!!!
12/02, 9:08 AM
posted by:
CA36GTP
Wow.
That was awesome.
12/02, 4:23 PM
posted by:
jonmiles
lol wow… horay for the CEO of the worse car manufacturuer during the worst period in the history of automobiles
12/02, 7:43 PM
posted by:
RicardoHead
RIP doesn’t quite say it. More like RI$.
12/03, 7:17 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
Fluffer: Actually, I drove a Toyota when i was a janitor. Fortunately, I worked in my own neighborhood, so after my toyota dies at 84k, I was within bike-riding distance.
“People who drive A—a know they can get a performance luxury vehicle with just as must reliability or more than the Germans for less money.”
True, I suppose, but wouldn’t the same be said about peole who drive kias? maybe those A-honda drivers realize that what they ahve ain’t one of those aforementioned “performance luxury vehicle with just as must reliability ….”
deantj:
“IS it untrue that American cars are pieces of ****?”
some are. Fewer now than ever (I dispute your Jeep assertion — you won’t see me trying to go offroad in anything else)