"I Don't Know Anything About Cars"

This instills confidence:

The troubled carmaker General Motors sent shockwaves through the automotive industry tonight by announcing the abrupt resignation of its chief executive, Fritz Henderson, in a sign of disharmony over the pace of recovery at America's largest motor manufacturer.

After an all-day meeting of Vauxhall owner GM's 13-member board, chairman Ed Whitacre made a two-minute appearance at a hastily arranged press conference in Detroit to read a statement declaring that Henderson was leaving by mutual consent. Whitacre, 68, said he was personally taking on the role of chief executive pending a search for a replacement.

The decision to install Whitacre as interim boss could cause a stir among GM's workers. A six foot Texan with a background in telecoms, Whitacre was a complete outsider to Detroit's motor industry when he was recruited by the US government to chair GM's board in June. At the time, he admitted: "I don't know anything about cars."