Eisenhower’s was the first Republican administration in twenty years, and it promised greater tolerance of big business. For years the biggest limitation at GM in terms of market share had been self-imposed, for fear that if its market share ever went above 50 percent, the Justice Department’s antitrust people would come in and break up the company. Now all such restraints were off. Curtice did not believe in such gentlemanly restraint. If the feds wanted to stop GM, it would have to come and get him: “You never stand still in this business. You either go up or down.” he said.
