John Rock, Oldsmobile GM Takes Early Retirement, Clark Succeeds

10/30/96

Big John Rock, one of the most popular and immInetly quotable GM bosses, has decided to take early retirement at 61. He will be succeeded by Darwin Clark from Buick. Noone seems to know what precipated this move by the non-GM "suit" version of a boss, but it will certainly come out before long. Rock was meeting and greeting the press and IRL racing fraternity at the unveiling of his Olds division Racing Aurora power plant, and he was slated to meet the press at SEMA...the big auto parts maker trade show in Las Vegas next week. Rock wore western shirts and string ties and was, to tell it like it is, a bit irreverent at times and may have put his foot in his mouth somewhere along the line. Team player Darwin Clark has come up through the ranks in sales and services and was a Buick Regional Manager in the Northwest.

Bill Maloney -- The Auto Channel