Joseph E. Cappy

Joseph E. Cappy (born May 13, 1934) is an American business executive who was the final president and chief executive officer of American Motors Corporation and the first president and CEO of the Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group.

Early life Cappy was born on May 13, 1934, in Chicago to George Antoinetta (Mele) Cappy.

Career Ford Cappy joined Ford Motor Company in 1956 as an accountant for the Edsel brand.

American Motors Corporation In 1982, he joined the American Motors Corporation as vice president of marketing. In 1985, he was promoted to executive vice president of operations, which put him in charge of manufacturing and supply. He was elected to the company's board of directors later that same year.

On March 23, 1986, Cappy was named president and chief executive officer of American Motors. On March 9, 1987, Chrysler purchased AMC for about $1.5 billion ($ in dollars).

Chrysler Cappy joined Chrysler following the sale as group vice president of the Jeep-Eagle division. In 1989, he was named Chrysler's vice president of brand development. The following year he became the company's vice president of international operations.

Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group As part of a corporate reshuffling following the retirement of Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca, Cappy became the head of the company's car rental subsidiaries, which included Thrifty Car Rental and Dollar Rent A Car, and its defense and electronics operation, Chrysler Technologies. In 1997, Chrysler spun off its car rental subsidiary into a separate company - the Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. Cappy was chairman and CEO of Dollar Thrifty until his retirement in 2003.

Personal life Cappy's first wife, Carol, died in 1989 at the age of 54. On March 10, 1990, he married Patricia Duffy Harper in Detroit. In 1994, the Cappys moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma after Chrysler relocated its car rental operations there. From 2000 to 2005, Cappy was a member of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.