Lambert's role has already been filled on an interim basis by former managing director Simon Elliott who left the UK operation in February 2006 to head up the brand's sales, marketing and network development programme in China.

From Thursday (1 November) the UK operation will be run by its new owner Cerberus Capital Management when it becomes Chrysler UK Ltd.

A spokesman told Motor Trader that Lambert, who has only been managing director for 18 months, had left the company but would not say what prompted his departure or where he has gone. “Peter Lambert will not be part of the company going forward,” he said. Lambert had previously held management roles at Ford Motor Credit and Toyota before heading up Mercedes-Benz' UK light commercial sales operations. Elliott joined Chrysler in 1999 as managing director when the Chrysler Jeep import companies were merged into Mercedes-Benz. He is widely attributed as being responsible for the brand's establishment and growth in the UK. The spokesman confirmed that Elliott will be the interim managing director but would not say for how long.