About Lee Iacocca

Well it is not "Aya-co-cah", its "Ya-co-cha". Now that we have got the name right lets breeze through the life of another inspiring personality. For those who aren't familiar with the name, Lee Iacocca was the creator of the Ford Mustang. Did that ring a bell ? No, then what about Mark II ? Never mind. Lee Iacocca was the son of Italian parents who migrated to the United States during the 1900s. Named Lido Iacocca, he modified his name to "Lee" because people kept forgetting his unusual name. He got his education from the Lehigh Engineering college and joined Ford. Ford, then run under Henry Ford II (the grandson of Henry Ford himself), was one of the big auto manufacturers of that period, the other two being General Motors and Chrysler. Lee was an instant success as he was hard-working and creative. He spearheaded the Mustang project and they sold almost a million cars the first year. But things did not go as expected. Henry Ford II soon started feeling insecure and started pinning Lee in every chance he got. He never allowed him to work on the Front-wheel drive technology. At last, Lee was fired. Perhaps, he was destined to do greater things, and this gradually proved to be true. Chrysler, then , was going through a very critical financial crisis. It's management approached Lee and asked him to accept the Presidency of Chrysler. He reluctantly accepted the crown of thorns. As if the He was testing his endurance, US was hit by a recession which almost evaporated the automobile industry. Wading through this deep muck, he pulled Chrysler out and established it as the people's favourite motor company. Today, Chrysler is known for its elegant sophistication. Now thats what I call "Life" in top gear !!