Here is an interesting interview with Bob Lutz, who for many decades served in management and on the boards of auto-industry companies worldwide, including GM, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, and Lotus. The interview panel is perhaps a bit nerdy, but is a good one, comprising journalists and consultants with many years of experience in the auto industry.
Lutz has an interesting perspective from the point of view of Lean in that he describes some of the problematic attitudes that plagued the old mass-production versions of the American auto companies – attitudes that are still fairly common in American business. In addition, his insistence on understanding and meeting the needs of the customer is very much a core principle in Lean organizations.