The Wall Street Journal christened the deal "the biggest industrial merger of all time." The marriage of Daimler and Chrysler promised to rock the global auto industry and draw up a blueprint for international consolidation on an epic scale.

But the union of Chrysler, the blue-collar maker of Jeeps and minivans, with Daimler, the crown jewel of German industry, didn't turn out to be a merger made in heaven. When the dust settled, Daimler had bought Chrysler, and the shock waves reverberated on both sides of the Atlantic. An American icon lost its independence, and a German giant grew in power and influence.

The DaimlerChrysler deal brought together two automotive superpowers and triggered a chain reaction among competitors seeking partners around the world. In a gripping narrative ripped from the from the daily headlines, Bill Vlasic and Bradley A. Stertz of the Detroit News go behind the scenes of the defining corporate drama of the decade. With groundbreaking reporting, they reveal the untold story behind the unsuccessful attempt to take over Chrysler by its biggest shareholder, the reclusive billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, and its legendary retired CEO, Lee Iacocca. Their startling grab for the smallest of Detroit's Big Three automakers sparked secret talks between Chrysler and Daimler on a massive joint venture. The first deal collapsed, but it set the stage for the final, intense negotiations between Chrysler chairman Robert Eaton and Daimler chairman Jurgen Schrempp. It was hailed as a historic "merger of equals," but the euphoria evaporated amid a clash of cultures, identities, and personalities.

The action moves feverishly around the world with larger-than-life characters in the high-stakes arena of international automaking. Taken for a Ride follows the twists and turns in the road to DaimlerChrysler and, in the end, emerges as a cautionary tale of the risks and rewards of going global.

Eine spannende Kombination aus Autos, Charakteren und dem Deal, der das Unternehmertum Amerikas schockierte: Europa kauft eine US-Ikone auf. Hier werden die Auswirkungen dieses Mergers von beiden Standpunkten betrachtet.

Dieses Buch gibt einen einzigartigen Einblick in die Entstehungsgeschichte eines Automobilriesen. Es liefert nicht nur einen detaillierten Bericht uber den aktuellen Fusionsverlauf sondern gleichzeitig eine Geschichte mit Moral in dieser Ara globaler Konsolidierung.

Analysiert werden alle wichtigen Fragen, wie z.B.: Hat Chrysler die Gleichheit bewahren konnen, die das Unternehmen mit der Fusion anstrebte? Ist Daimler mit Chrysler zusammengegangen aus Mangel an Talent und Fuhrungsstarke? Konnen so verschiedene Unternehmenskulturen sich wirklich miteinander verbinden?

Die Darstellung basiert auf Interviews mit allen Hauptdarstellern der Fusion, einschlie?lich der rivalisierenden Vorstandsvorsitzenden Bob Eaton und Juergen Schrempp sowie Lee Iaccoca und Kirk Kerorian.