Bernhard Mattes, the head of Germany's auto lobby group VDA, resigned unexpectedly this week in the middle of the Frankfurt motor show, the showcase event the group hosts every two years.
Mattes will leave his post as president by the end of the year, the VDA said Thursday in a statement. The board said it received his resignation earlier in the day, but provided no further details.
His exit comes at a time of transition for the auto industry, as well as the Frankfurt event.