“We recognize that these two companies have faced very difficult moments in the past, that both companies were able to turn around themselves, and this is to the merit of the employees and the management of those companies. Both companies now have the maturity to conclude that it is best to be together to face the challenges of the future than to face those challenges alone.”
PSA Group CEO Carlos Tavares on the automaker’s planned merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
“Many more cars will be produced under the new and uniform standard, meaning significantly more JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! Automakers should seize this opportunity because without this alternative to California, you will be out of business.”
President Donald Trump, tweeting Sept. 18 after revoking California’s waiver on auto emissions
“FCA conceived of the conspiracy, orchestrated the conspiracy, orchestrated the fraud. FCA was the central driver of the conspiracy.”
Craig Glidden, general counsel for General Motors, when GM filed a federal racketeering lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and three former FCA executives that alleged a multiyear scheme of bribery of UAW leaders to give FCA more advantageous labor contracts over GM after GM rejected FCA’s merger proposal
“I’m confident with the plans and controls we’re going to be putting into place, the different mindsets, we can fix this thing. But the government’s going to do what it’s going to do.”
UAW President Rory Gamble, speaking after former UAW official Joe Ashton was charged in a bribery scandal and addressing questions about whether the union could be placed into federal receivership
“Unfortunately, it wasn’t a fit in automotive retail. It was mutually agreed that it wasn’t a good fit.”
AutoNation Executive Chairman Mike Jackson, after the nation’s largest new-vehicle retailer replaced CEO Carl Liebert after just four months on the job
“We’re whoring out the product, and nobody’s winning.”
Pennsylvania dealer Corina Diehl about automakers’ stair-step sales targets for dealerships that she described as getting higher and harder to reach
“Oh, my f—ing God.”
Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk, responding to the Cybertruck’s high-strength windows breaking during an on-stage demonstration at the vehicle’s November unveiling
“People should focus on opportunity, and maybe every now and then a little optimism wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
General Motors CEO Mary Barra on the automaker’s talks to sell its Lordstown Assembly plant
“When I came in, it was my observation that it had been frozen a little bit, like caught in amber. Everything that was great about it was frozen. … Ford needed to break the amber and start to transform.”
Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Hackett, describing his thoughts about the company when he assumed the top role in May 2017
“This is not about greed. This is not about dictatorship. This is about a plot. This is about conspiracy. This is about backstabbing. … Names? You know them. I’m talking about people who really played a very dirty game.”
Carlos Ghosn, accusing Nissan’s top management of railroading him in a video message recorded April 3, a day before he was rearrested and sent back to jail