Industry Loses Robert Lund, W. Wayne Booker

Two high-ranking automotive executives died in late October — former Ford Motor Co. Vice Chairman W. Wayne Booker and Robert Lund, who rose within General Motors Corp. and then retired to co-own three successful Cadillac dealerships in Phoenix.

Booker began his career at Ford in 1959 as a cost analyst and was best known for expanding the auto maker's presence in Asia.

Booker was named a company vice president in 1989 and vice chairman in 1996. He also was in charge of all of Ford's international automotive operations prior to their integration into Ford Automotive Operations in 1996.

Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr. credits Booker with expanding the auto maker's presence in growing markets.

“He was a driving force in establishing a strong Ford presence in newly developing growth markets around the world, particularly in Asia,” says Bill Ford in a statement. Booker died at the age of 73.

Lund died at 87 and had suffered from heart problems since his late 70s.

A native of Duluth, MN, Lund joined Chevrolet's district office in Minneapolis in 1946, after a stint as a Navy lieutenant in the Pacific during World War II.

He rose through the Chevrolet ranks to division general manager, telling an interviewer later he “loved calling on Chevy dealers, especially if they outsold their Ford competitors.” In his eight years as Chevy boss, the division sold a record 21 million cars and trucks.