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Summary: A great case study of the inner workings of the auto indus..
Review: Anyone who loves Corvettes will buy this book but those who want an inside look at the auto industry and those who are interested in (business) case studies should buy it too.If you read (and liked) "The Reckoning" and/or if you saw and liked "Roger & Me", I think you will enjoy this book."All Corvettes are Red" is the inside story of GM: beginning during the tough years (covered from the outside in "The Reconing") when it seemed that GM could do no right. It shows how a few people with a love for the Corvette and a vision of the Vettes real meaning (as an image marketing tool) pulled together and took chances to make it (a new Vette) happen, in turbulent times, in a turbulent industry.During the creation of the 97 Corvette, GM went through one reorganization after another. GM was grasping at straws trying to find an organizational model which would return it to profitability. All Corvettes are Red, is a story about GM's chaos and about how a few people focused on that which was important and got the job done, whatever it took.Finally, this is the story of a few great people who persevered to keep a dream (the Corvette) alive. Making it better (faster, more stable and stiffer) than ever
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Summary: PZeditor replies:
Review: As the former editor of Corvette Fever magazine, I have chaffed at "All Corvettes Are Red" since it was published. While it shines a critical spotlight on the sheer chaos that afflicted General Motors' management in the early '90s, there are elements within the book that are sheer fantasy.Like most fantasies, there has to be a villian and a hero. In "All Corvettes Are Red," Chief Corvette Dave McLellan is cast as a contrite, uncooperative villian who is determined to operate outside the new GM management guidelines. Nor is he given the credit he is due for the design of the C5. That's right. McLellan is responsible for that magnificent chassis and the drivetrain layout. When he chose to take an early out in 1992, most of his work had been done and the C5 chassis was essentially done. More fantasy: The book depicts new Corvette Chief Engineer Dave Hill (the hero) and Production head Russ McLean as hitting off immediately. Not so. I recall a higher-up member of Chevrolet PR telling me he was about to "sit them both down and get them to stop fighting and decide who the hell is going to be Chief Engineer!" When I was editing Corvette Fever I spent time with both men, and found them to be dedicated to their jobs and to the Corvette. It was, however, a shakey relationship at the start. There are other inaccuracies in this book, which had to go through several rewrites to win Chevolet's approval for publication. No doubt "All Corvettes Are Red" is a good read to get an idea about how mercurial GM management was - and still is. But I recommend reading the book with the knowledge that it's a very laundered version of what happened and who the players were. There's some good history here, but there's also a lot of fiction.
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Summary: Requires some perserverance to finish the book.
Review: Being a fan of Corvettes for years, I wanted an "insider's" view of what goes on behind the scenes at a division of the largest automotive manufacturer in the world. It was much as expected. Having visited and done work at several GM plants and facilities, I am reminded of the inflated "baggage" that is so prevalent in large corporations. It was however, very interesting to read of the successes and triumphs within the division, be they few and far between, are truly successes. I liked the book because I am interested in the creative processes involved in new "things". Especially automotive related "things". It is a definite "must-read" for business majors preparing for a career at a large corporation. There's nothing like 'em. I especially appreciated the detail that went into all the various systems and functional testing of features in the car. If GM spent that much time on every "new" vehicle, the buying public would be very satisfied.
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Summary: For all Corvette lovers
Review: Excellent behind the scenes of General Motors; unbelievable detail in what goes into bringing a new car to market; all the office politics withing GM; all the secret stuff you always wondered about are now exposed. This book provides the history and the detail all car enthusists will want. Anyone that owns a Corvette must read this book. Anyone thinking or dreaming about owning a Corvette should read this book.
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Summary: A Scary Look Into the Birth of a Clasic
Review: I don't know exactly what I expected when I purchased this book, probably a fluff piece with lots of GM furnished pap and glamour shots of the car and people. I guess that was OK with me. What I got was a far different story, a scary walk down the halls of a giant corporation that I only thought was some kind of standard to measure the overall management prowess of other firms. The author does a magnificent job of detailing the warts of GM without seeming ungrateful for the opportunity to do so. The new Corvette was five years late and probably wouldn't have happened for another three years were it not for a very small number of dedicated individuals who had to work like Green Berets in enemy territory to get out a new car in their own corporation. Don't expect fluff or coffee table graphics. This book is a masterful chronicle of the making of a new car in an environment of overpowering resistance to the concept of movement. It is a real eye opener to everyone who believes that large firms know what they are doing - or even that they recognize the differnce between moving or not moving. This book could very well be a case study text in the Organizational Behavior/Development classes took in grad school. A must read for car nuts or students of the American business scene, but not for the Vette nut that wants a promo piece on the new wheels.
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Summary: perfect gift for a car lovin' guy.
Review: I given this book to guys of all ages who are interested iln cars. They really enjoy all the details, as only car buffs can.
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Summary: perfect gift for a car lovin' guy.
Review: I given this book to guys of all ages who are interested iln cars. They really enjoy all the details, as only car buffs can.
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Summary: Great, great reading for Corvette enthusiasts
Review: I rate it 4 stars; a little too much time spent on early industrial design situations, but excellent care of details throughout. The book provides, in appropriate detail, particulars of the automobile design and test process. I have a C5, I can relate to the results of decisions made by Engineering. This Corvette team never gave up; through a number of senior staff shake-ups, budgetary problems, technological risks and sleepless nights. The biggest problem I had with this book is that it ends prematurely; there is little mention of the product announcement, public response or the results published in the press. I'll be reading it again. The book fortifies my belief that the Corvette is one of the best engineered automobiles available today, at any price.
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Summary: The tale of the worlds greatest 'close call'
Review: James Shefter's work is compelling. He was priveledge to have access to the Corvette development program which afforded him a rare glimps into GM's politics and policies of the early 1990s. While any Corvette afficionado will readily enjoy this 300+ page dairy of life at GM during the development of the Fifth Generation Corvette (C5), those with an eagerness to understand a Motor Giant's mindset will gain the most in terms of sheer knowledge. As inconceivable as the thought may sound, GM almost killed the Corvette in the late decade of the 90's and only a handful of dedicated engineers and artists were able to rescue the program from the trash bin. Mr. Shefter details, in 70, small-sized chapters, the daily life of C5 development in cramped quarters. He chronicles the clay to fiberglass to full first production car in a way that gives the reader a sense of "being there." The only negative which may be said for the book is the length of time it takes to tell the story. But this is easily forgiven since each mini-chapter usually ends in a cliff-hanger! To Corvette enthusiasts and car-maker students alike, "All Corvettes Are Red" is a must read.
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Summary: The detailed documentation is impressive.
Review: Mr. Schefter had the greatest job that I think one can have: peeking in on the process of producing the greatest sports car of all time. The book is written flawlessly, giving the reader a clear picture on the inside process of the C5, the newest generation Corvette.
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