Speaking to news agency Headlineauto, Mr Ammann said: ‘Those two brands are now on a positive trajectory and there is a focus for us to win in Europe with Opel and Vauxhall. We have all the pieces in place to do this and we have increased our share of the European market for the first time in 14 years.’

He added that another reason for pulling Chevrolet out of Europe was to clear up any doubts about GM's commitment to the two domestic brands. ‘There's been a question mark over Europe for some time which we have now cleared up; we have the resource and commitment.’

Although Mr Ammann said work still needs to be done on the clarity of the brands, he added that new product, starting with Corsa at the end of this year and Astra next year, will help underscore the brand identity and redefine customers' perception of the brands, commenting that ‘the value and history of Vauxhall is better understood within GM than you might think’.

‘Brands evolve over a period of time and GM is very strong financially so we can take a long-term view,’ said Mr Ammann.

His comments come as GM embarks on yet another relaunch for Cadillac in the region. By the end of the year, the ATS sedan and coupe, CTS sedan, SRX crossover and all-new Escalade SUV will be available in European dealers, followed by the Ampera-based ELR coupe from 2015.

Cadillac dealers will also sell the Corvette and Camaro after the rest of the Chevrolet model range is withdrawn.

‘It's long-term and low key,’ said Mr Ammann. ‘There is a role for Cadillac at the top of the Vauxhall and Opel line-ups.’