Word: chief
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...chromeless little Henry J. was a flop. Romney's Ramblers were losing money. Just a few years before, Chevy had started to tool for a compact model, the Cadet, then decided that the market was too small, and scrapped it. But Cole, at that time Chevy's chief engineer, saw farther. He figured that buyers would tire of size and flash. But since all the surveys were against him, Cole knew that he had to use the greatest skill and strategy to sell...
...Cadillac engine. Even at parties Cole slipped out to his car to tinker with it. Once, working to tone down engine noise, Cole tiptoed into a party while everyone was standing around a piano and singing. He hauled out his longtime crony, Harry Barr, now Chevy's chief engineer. Said Cole, starting the car, "Listen!" Barr listened, said it sounded fine, and went back in to sing. But Cole stayed outside, listening to his engine music all night. "That," says Barr, "was the way Ed went to parties...
...ready to gamble on a rear engine. One reason: Cole, working together with Cadillac Chief John Gordon (now G.M.'s president), developed a new short-stroke V-8 front engine with an increased compression. It proved so successful that it set the basic design for most of G.M.'s high-compression engines now in use. It was 221 Ibs. lighter (25%) than the Caddy's previous power plant, yet stepped up power by 7% to 160 h.p., and stretched fuel economy at first by 15%-and eventually to 19 miles per gallon. But Cole still hankered...
...President Charlie Wilson grew worried, offered to give Chevy Boss Thomas Keating anything or anyone to pep up Chevy. Said Tom Keating: "I want Ed Cole." Red Curtice, then G.M.'s executive vice president, sent a hurry call to Cole, told him of his promotion to chief engineer of Chevy. Startled, Cole asked: "How soon do you want me to wrap things up in Cleveland?" Replied Red Curtice: "Just leave your keys on my desk...
Replied R. Conrad Cooper, chief negotiator for management: "The steelworkers' union has not deviated from its insistence that the companies grant increases in wages and benefits of inflationary proportions. The steel companies cannot yield to such demands...