...these Johnny Come Latelys "i know everything about the car business" people like Farley

Farley has been with Ford a long time, but seems to be in the thrall of Welchism. VW is also pursuing the "going upmarket" model, to inflate ATP and GP. Ironic, that both Ford and VW were made on affordable transportation for the masses.

But the "JCs" tend to think they are uniquely gifted.

I have told the story on the Fool board, of being at a Radio Shack store manager's annual meeting, in 88 or 89. At the breakout session with corporate management, one store manager made the mistake of trying to tell the President of Radio Shack, Bernie Appel, that the competitive environment had changed, and RS' model was not viable. Bernie thundered "I've been in this business forty years. I know everything". Another year, someone made the mistake of trying to tell Bernie RS product was overpriced, compared to the competition. Bernie thundered "we do people a favor when we sell them our stuff". Other honchos followed Bernie, but they never changed the RS business model, and slowly ran the company into the ground.

I had not heard that story about Mulally, but yes, the net sifter says he did, indeed, work as a car salesman, at Galpin Ford, in Van Nuys, California.

Wiki's article doesn't say anything about what sort of Prole jobs Farley ever had, He was a honcho at Lexus, before joining Ford in 2007.

Steve