Bill Bruce, Infiniti’s First General Manager, Dies

Bill Bruce, who guided Nissan Motor Co.'s fledgling Infiniti luxury brand through its first five years, died on Tuesday after a long battle with Lou Gehrig's Disease, Automotive News reports. He was 70.

Bruce joined Nissan in 1982 after 13 years at Ford Motor Co. and later became part of the Horizon Project team that created Infiniti. He became the marque's general manager when it was launched in 1989.

Infiniti's "Rocks and Trees" advertising launch flopped, and consumers were lukewarm about the engineering and styling of its first cars. But Bruce made customer service the brand's forte by coaching its dealers to raise their standards for pampering owners. In 1991 Infiniti was ranked No. 1 in J.D. Power and Associate's customer satisfaction survey.

Bruce went on to serve in strategic planning and distribution jobs before retiring from Nissan in 1999. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, and children Amanda and Rob.