GM Europe head quits following Opel U-turn: Report

FRANKFURT: General Motors Europe head Carl-Peter Forster is quitting in disgust at GM's decision to hang on to its European unit Opel/Vauxhall, Spiegel magazine reported said Friday in its online edition.

A spokesman for General Motors Europe and Opel contacted by AFP declined to comment on the report saying only that "if there are any personnel decisions we will make a statement on it."

GM executive vice president David Reilly would replace Forster, as GM seeks to soothe anger over its decision to abandon this week a sale of Opel to Canadian group Magna and Russian partner Sberbank, Spiegel said.

GM has decided to restructure Opel itself, with the elimination of at least 10,000 jobs and possibly the closure of German factories, a move that has sparked widespread anger in Germany.

Spiegel said Reilly, who is British, brought with him experience from GM's Chevrolet brand, which has increased sales in Europe as Opel has lost market share, calling the mooted nomination "a new provocation for Opel."