European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 16, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes january 1978 Corner chief James Waltre arrived in Germany about two years ago to preside Over the Auto firms by he likes the country very but be admits the German weather took some getting used and with Good before his appointment in Brussels him to become chairman and managing director of Adam opel Waters had spent 17 Yean in sunny South theres quite a Dif Ference in the he said with a Broad and i dont mind saying i miss that Bright during our interview in his Lis Felsheim Waters said he joined general motors in 1852 after graduating from Jama Waters opels director Leyan University in and that Hes been with pm Ever a native of he spent seven years in Gas overseas operation offices in new then was assigned to Inocito Crof a affable Man with a wry seme of said he had taken Span ish in High school and mainly be cause a foreign language was required in those and if anyone had asked me at the i would have said it was the least valuable course i had in ask me and ill Tell Yuu it was the most valuable course i Ever saw development who went to Venezuela As Gas assistant Supply said he was expecting the Normal three year in in turned out to be three i had just settled in when i was transferred to Sao As assistant Supply i thought this will be the Normal three year but wrong i was in Brazil for u those were fascinating Waters i saw Brazil develop industrially from the Early Days of the 40s in the Early the country was in chaos with a strike a and it got worse through and then the military took the country started us comeback in to give an we built cars in 67 and by 1970 that figure jumped to we built new factories and went from employees to in just four in Waters was named managing director of pm of Brail and five years later was appointed general director in charge of All latin american with Headquarters in flip de he left Rio in Early 1976 to become Boss at the German firm being a subsidiary of two record years taking charge on March 1 of Waters has presided Over opel during the German firm s two Best 78 being a record for and that year lopped by 77 when opel sold More cars than it had done in the firm was at its production and if there had been More production would have been even regarding these Waters credited lop management management reached its collective Matu Rity at the same Lime these production runs he i have 13 people report to me and there and the next layer Down Are All All yet still Young and in my years with Ive never seen such a Well developed the mostly Are in the 4055 age bracket and i would summarize it As management Talent within that age on the Outlook for Waters put it this Way the German Market was above what we Call the trend line in 76 and and we see the Market eventually dropping Back to tiie line or even a bit below we thought in might be the but production is going As Strong As and even if Pic second half should turn it will still be an excellent year for theres even a Chance that 78 could be a third straight record year for Challenge for opel opels new High Market cars the Monza and senator will be introduced this Spring regarding these Waters says they will offer the most inter Esting Challenge the firm has had in sever Al in the High Market hits the 18 percent and Waters Points out that despite the recession of a few years ago and the Oil Germany remained prosperous and the trend opel Hasnal had its share of that High Market and with the Monza and we ii give in a Waters the a sporty is aimed at the Wel Todo Young executive or bus Desman who wants performance and a sports the is designed for the More conservative individual who arrived and who wants a High Quality although Waters has spent most of his executive Tife he obviously keeps in touch with the automotive scene in the and he offered some stimulating opinions on the situation too Many rules on the 55mph Speed he feels the approach Here is incompatible with the nations historical we Are famous for our free Enterprise our personal and our adventurous spirit yet endless government regulations on practically every thing makes one on Speed limits and the use of Energy the German approach seems to me far More they let the fuel Price go to the natural and if an individuals set of values Calls for High then he has a fast car and he pays the Price for the fuel in another individual Hap pens to be Mare so he buys a Small uses far less and spends his fuel savings Money on something so in the German one has Freedom of with Many different types of cars on the As things stand now in the every High Market entries opels Monza above and the senator Sedan shown Tor the Fortl Lime last fall at be Frankfurt Auto will go on the Market this a Market that opel managing director James says will present the firm with in biggest Challenge to ardly High marker1 the Monza ports Coupe alms at the Young executive who wants performance and a for porting image while the senator to r the older and More conservative German Al High Market represents is per cent of Ibe total automotive and Waters says opel wants More of Hal bracket one will eventually have to drive a Small car because of government regulation on Gas thai philosophy and approach is Freedom of Choice is in the automotive safety Waters acknowledged the importance of All safely but again pointed to Ove Regula saying that Seatbelt should be worn and every Effort should be made to encourage people to Wear them Bui i dont want to see a Law that says you must Wear seat belts or next youll have a Law against smoking which maybe we should but one should be allowed to take his next comes a Law say ing we Musl All eat so you see what i mean when i say the whole thing is incompatible with the country discussing the Energy the opel chief the in dire need of an Energy and we must conserve Bui t dont see enough emphasis on looking for new some Day Petroleum will be but there Are other forms of fuel that can be developed and we should get on that right the opel which has Long produced Many excellent Small cars along Wilh its larger has helped general motors of Detroit in its Pursuit for better Gas mile Waters theres a Good Mutual relationship and the engineering staffs maintain close our Best example of helping the Parent company came Wuh the the Erskine in the present Chevrolet Chc Vulte to an opel designed one that opel has not yet produced for the european diverse Industry at the end of our i asked Waters for his opinion on what Young people should study if they plan to pursue a career in the Auto the Industry is so Broad and so big that it s hard to say exactly what one should he replied my major was but one thing for the Auto Indus try has room for individuals with All types of a very Broad business and we can absorb people from the from journalism in fact its difficult to find a background we cant computer technology is very big within the Industry and so Isth Field of Plant ill give you an example of the Auto Industry incredible Waters when 1 was in we bought land for a big Auto proving and we were laying out the we discovered we had Coffee Trees and Orange Trees to but before we Cut the Trees someone astutely noted that Coffee prices had risen sharply on the so we Kepi the and pm of Brazil Lound itself in the Coffee and now we have several agricultural people on our and that the Best definition i can give you for the Auto Indus try being a diverse Randy Harriett