Updated
The reign of The Bob at General Motors will end on May 1. That's when GM vice chairman Bob Lutz will pack up his office at Detroit's Renaissance Center and retire. Something tells us the less flamboyant and charismatic Ed Whitacre, GM's CEO, might not be that sad to see him go.
It will be interesting to see if this retirement sticks, as Lutz also called it quits in February 2009.
GM had placed an embargo on news stories of Lutz's retirement until 10 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, but Bloomberg and CNBC evidently couldn't wait that long.
GM has issued a press release following the break.
Lutz is quoted thusly in the release: "I can confidently say that the job I came here to do more than nine years ago is now complete -- the team I have been fortunate to lead has far exceeded my expectations. Our product lineup is as strong as it has been in GM's history. The perception of our products and brands is beginning to catch up with reality. And most importantly, the absolute commitment to being a product-driven company is engrained throughout the organization -- from the top down -- and I am confident that, under Ed Whitacre's leadership, the straightforward, singular focus on product will endure."
Lutz's tenure at GM dates to September 1, 2001, when he joined the company as head of product development, after a career at BMW, Chrysler and Ford.
For more on Lutz's career, check out Bill Visnic's writeup on the Auto Observer blog.