Summary of A. J. Baime's Go Like Hell

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 On November 10, 1960, Henry Ford II opened his eyes. He was forty-three years old, stood six feet tall, and weighed well over 200 pounds. He was the second Henry Ford, born the grandson and namesake of the world’s richest man.

#2 In 1960, the Detroit companies were selling more than six million cars a year. The industry consumed 60 percent of the nation’s synthetic rubber, and 46 percent of the lead.

#3 The company declined under Henry II’s father, Edsel, who was unable to walk away from his job. He was eventually killed by stomach cancer in 1943.

#4 Henry II took over the failing Ford Motor Company in 1948, and he spent nearly $100 million on the launch of the new car. It was a slinky Ford with a snub nose and enough interior room that a man could drive with his hat on.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jul 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822545915

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on A. J. Baime's Go Like Hell

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

On November 10, 1960, Henry Ford II opened his eyes. He was forty-three years old, stood six feet tall, and weighed well over 200 pounds. He was the second Henry Ford, born the grandson and namesake of the world’s richest man.

#2

In 1960, the Detroit companies were selling more than six million cars a year. The industry consumed 60 percent of the nation’s synthetic rubber, and 46 percent of the lead.

#3

The company declined under Henry II’s father, Edsel, who was unable to walk away from his job. He was eventually killed by stomach cancer in 1943.

#4

Henry II took over the failing Ford Motor Company in 1948, and he spent nearly $100 million on the launch of the new car. It was a slinky Ford with a snub nose and enough interior room that a man could drive with his hat on.

#5

In the 1950s, Detroit was competing with each other to create the best car for the American consumer. By 1955, Americans were buying up vehicles at a record pace, and Ford and Chevrolet were running neck and neck.

#6

Iacocca knew that the key to selling cars in the 1960s was getting the youth market, and he knew that the war baby generation was coming of age. He figured that by 1970, there would be over 50 percent more people in the 20 to 28 year old group than there were today.

#7

In 1961, automobile executives in the Detroit suburbs woke up to the sound of newspapers slapping onto their stoops. The Detroit News was a car business trade journal and gossip sheet. On the sports page, readers learned about the Daytona 500, which was won by a Pontiac.

#8