Taken for a Ride: How Daimler-Benz Drove Off with Chrysler

by Bill Vlasic, Bradley A. Stertz

The biggest industrial merger of all time said the Wall Street Journal of the 1998 merger between Chrysler - a resurgent, deeply American company famous for its minivans, and Daimler - maker of Mercedes-Benz cars; and a merger that created a global mega-company with $130 billion in annual revenue. The intent was to marry Daimler's sophisticated style and international reach with Chrysler's PR savvy and proven ability to produce appealing, inexpensive cars quickly, and it seemed a perfect match of strengths to weaknesses. But in the 18 months that have followed, ugly questions have arisen: has Chrysler retained the equality it sought in a merger? Has Daimler joined a Chrysler bereft of talent and leadership? Can two such different cultures realistically be combined? This work offers an account of the merger process in action, and is also a cautionary blueprint of the perils of going global.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

382 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2000

Reviews

[Alex Ripley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal book -- extraordinarily well researched and well written, it accomplishes the onerous task of making the minutiae of corporate M&A activity read like a fast-paced thriller. The subject matter is obviously now rather dated, and the book along with it, but this still stands out as one of the best books on business I've read in a long time.

[Tirath · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great history book.
Helps a lot towards understanding the quality of Chrysler's products vis-a-vis the giant conglomerate that Daimler used to be.
Also, cyclicality of businesses, the power of capex to suck away cash, ego, the lure of growth and market size and power.
How a management team is important for the success of an organisation.

Funny to see - Nissan in a bad shape, Chrysler coveted, Hyundai taking capital from Mercedes, Chrysler frowning at India's growth prospects.

Also, Mergers are difficult to control, acquisitions are easier, but still tough.

Good plot line - from Chrysler's resurgence in the 1990s towards escalating competition from the Japanese and the fall of Detroit.

But the authors do miss out on some crucial details, and leaves the reader wanting more information from a book that is too dramatic to be considered non-fiction in entirety.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful book. The chain of events which led to DamilerChrysler is fascinating, as are the egos involved in running the company. Reads like fiction. The authors really paint a vivid picture of the differences between two cultures. All of the events since the book was written could probably be another great book by same authors (Celebrus, bankruptcy, Fiat, etc)

[Cws]

338.8

[Wendy Liskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book - written by someone I know VERY well!

[Robert Eustace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Itwas interesting to see how it all went down.

[Charlie Haviland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think former Chrysler CEO Bob Eaton could get a table in a Michigan restaurant if he were accompanied by the pope

[Allein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the famed Daimler-Chrysler merger and its immediate aftermath.