Comments on GM CEO Rick Wagoner's departure

"The hand that he was dealt was a toughie because of the size of the legacy problem that General Motors had more so than the other two domestics. I think when the history is written that Rick will be looked upon very favourably."

REBECCA LINDLAND, DIRECTOR, IHS GLOBAL INSIGHT

"We had feared the Obama administration may force some of the executives out. But we don't really see how this would make GM the better, stronger company that Obama wants it to be.

"There is already so much turmoil in the industry that to some extent, this is just one more upheaval.

"This does not solve the baseline problem of the auto industry that consumers are not buying cars. To point to him and say he is a problem, I don't think is realistic. He certainly was more of a help than a hindrance.

"I think we'll see him replaced internally. I think it's going to be Fritz Henderson."

REP. THADDEUS MCCOTTER, DETROIT-AREA REPUBLICAN AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE

"Mr. Wagoner has been asked to resign as a political offering despite his having led GM's painful restructuring to date. Mr. Wagoner has honourably resigned for the sake of his company's working families.

"When will the Wall Street CEOs receiving TARP funds summon the honour to resign? Will this White House ever bother to raise the issue? I doubt it."

JEREMY ANWYL, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF EDMUMDS.COM, AN AUTO INDUSTRY AND CAR SHOPPING WEBSITE

"GM's problems are deep-rooted, going back to the 1980s, and that's why they proved so hard to fix. Rick just inherited the mess.

"You can create incremental change or big-bang change, and Rick was very much an incrementalist and in the end it just wasn't enough.

"The economy right now is exposing all of the car companies. None of them are viable. It's just that some of them have deeper pockets than GM right now.

"I think this decision gives Obama the air cover he needs to give GM the money it needs."

(Reporting by Kevin Krolicki, David Bailey and Jui Chakravorty Das; compiled by Soyoung Kim; editing by Patrick Fitzgibbons.)