????如今，資深首席執行官們似乎都不愿意在公眾面前拋頭露面，要找到像克萊斯勒公司（Chrysler）李?艾科卡那樣的代言人或像通用汽車（GM, 財富500強）鮑勃?魯茲那樣深諳汽車市場的好手比登天還難。

????福特公司（Ford, F, 財富500強）首席執行官艾倫?穆拉利以及菲亞特-克萊斯勒公司（Fiat-Chrysler）首席執行官塞吉歐?馬爾喬內大都日理萬機，無暇利用其號召力來講學布道。他們似乎無意成為公眾人物，成為公司市場營銷的一部分或是行業的代言人。一切與汽車行業相關的大小事務中都難覓他們的蹤影，不管是提高債務上限也好，還是提高燃油稅也好。

????在歐洲，德國豪華車制造商在安享豐收歲月的同時也正在經歷一場史無前例的變革，變革的原因在于節能條例的約束和人們對氣候變化的擔憂。然而在電視廣告中再也看不到梅賽德斯-奔馳（Mercedes）蔡澈博士那標志性的“Z博士”的身影，當初他還在克萊斯勒就任時，這種事可不少。而寶馬（BMW）首席執行官諾伯特?雷瑟夫，這位遵從寶馬首席執行官傳統從公司制造基層一步步走上神壇的人物，則決心低調到底。

????只有卡洛斯?戈恩，作為橫跨兩個大洲的汽車聯盟雷諾-日產（Renault-Nissan）的掌門人，擁有成為國際名人的氣場和毅力。但最近幾個月，雷諾的不景氣讓他憂心忡忡。目前，他把寶押在了純電動汽車聆風身上，只有這場豪賭獲得大勝，他才能保住起死回生的圣手美譽。

????就在這個真空期期間，一位意想不到的人選進入了人們的視野，而其就任的公司也讓人始料未及：他就是來自于豐田（Toyoda）的首席執行官豐田章男。

????之所以出人意料是因為，豐田公司的首席執行官的形象多年來都一成不變，他們身著灰色西服，在公眾面前永遠擺出一副精算師的面孔，完全就是豐田集體統一管理模式的化身。豐田章男，55歲，似乎更多地是靠著先人的蔭庇才坐上了目前這個位置，他是豐田創始人喜一郎先生的孫子。在2009年11月接任該職之前，他在公司中可謂無聲無息。

????看來季前預測與現實相差有十萬八千里之多。

????然而，報道稱，豐田章男上任不到兩年就為公司注入了一股新的活力，并帶領公司渡過了一系列難關，包括2010年的多次召回事件和地震海嘯所帶來的毀滅性打擊。

????None of today's veteran CEOs seem interested in grabbing the public spotlight. If you are looking for a highly visible pitchman like Chrysler's Lee Iacocca or a quotable car guy like GM's (GM, Fortune 500) Bob Lutz, they are all but impossible to find.

????Ford's (F, Fortune 500) Alan Mulally and Fiat-Chrysler's Sergio Marchionne are either too busy or too preoccupied to use their positions as bully pulpits. They seemingly have no interest in becoming a public face for advertising purposes or as industry spokespersons. You'd be hard-pressed to identify their positions on any relevant issue -- whether it is raising the debt ceiling or just the gasoline tax.

????In Europe, German luxury carmakers are enjoying blowout years at the same time that they undergo historic transformations in response to fuel economy regulations and concerns about climate change. Yet you won't find Mercedes' Dieter Zetsche in any TV commercials featuring "Dr. Z" the way you did in his Chrysler days. And BMW's Norbert Reithofer, who worked his way up through manufacturing in the tradition of BMW CEOs, is determinedly low-profile.

????Only Carlos Ghosn, he of the two-continent Renault-Nissan alliance, has the wattage and the willpower for global star power. But he's suffered setbacks at Renault in recent months, and his status as a turnaround magician is on hold until his gamble on the all-electric Leaf pays off.

????Into this vacuum steps an unlikely candidate from an unlikely company: Akio Toyoda from Toyota (TM).

????Unlikely because Toyota CEOs are traditionally gray-suited men who affect the public personalities of actuaries and personify the faceless anonymity of consensus management. Akio Toyoda, 55, also seemed to ascend to his post more on the basis of ancestry -- he's the grandson of founder Kiichiro -- than ability. Before his elevation in November 2009, he had caused few ripples at the company.

????It turns out that the preseason predictions were wildly wide of the mark.

????Despite having taken office less than two years ago, Toyoda has already infused his car company with a new spirit, according to reports, rallying it from the travails of its multiple recalls early in 2010 and the devastation wrought by the earthquake and tsunami.