Roger Penske’s Empire
The great Roger Penske has essentially bought SATURN from GM! Here is a man that had he been running GM, they would still be the world’s biggest auto maker and corporation, instead of in embarrassing bankruptcy and despair.
GM has been jettisoning its valuable assets for some time now, first selling off Jaguar and more recently Hummer and Saturn, as well as closing down “brands” like Oldsmobile and Pontiac! The failure of this company, General Motors, once a proud and arrogant old bird is now down on its knees and saying “thank sir –can I have another?” A reference from the movie “Animal House” during the frat house initiation scene depicting a pledge on his knees partially naked and asking for more paddling!
GM has been in deep shit for a long time and is a great example of how you create a small fortune? Start with a large one! And dwindle it down to nothing…! Roger “Capitan” Penske for all that is thought or said about him is the epitome of the kind of leader that is destined to succeed. “Success is where preparation meets opportunity” he used to say to those that would listen and he is so right on! Something the Detroit leaders should have been talking about while taking their private jets to Washington. “Penskeness is next to Godliness” was also a statement about thorough preparations towards any racing machine entry. Like a smart general preparing for war, it pays to be ready with both equipment and strategy! Business is war! Penske and many of the world’s great corporate leaders know and understand that quite well. The managers of GM did not.
Penske’s many achievements in the world of auto mobile racing is legendary. Where Roger races, Roger wins. The Penske organization knows how to compete at the highest possible level and win. From Indy cars and his clever equipment such as his own brand of “Penske” chassis to the Ilmor 7 liter pushrod racing engines, to the many Can Am machines including the Porsche 917-30 twin turbo monster to the beautiful Z-28 based Trans-Am cars with beloved Mark Donahue behind the wheel, Penske knows how to win. On the track and in the showroom, this is indeed a good thing for the rest of us. The opportunity to drive a “Penske” of our own one day…
Roger Penske will take Saturn and do what is best for that brand. Even if he rebadges cars made in foreign territories, he and his infrastructure will do the right things. Maybe one day soon we will see a Saturn F1 machine! Or a Saturn Indy racing car! Or even a possible Saturn LMP1 car racing at LeMans. If so it will be the right thing to do at the right time as the Penske organization is built to succeed.
Roger, onward and upward!