Richard Gerstenberg, 92; Retired Chairman of General Motors

Richard Gerstenberg, 92, retired chairman and chief executive of General Motors Corp., died Thursday at his home in Paradise Valley, Ariz., a company spokesman said. The cause of death was not announced.

Born in Little Falls, N.Y., Gerstenberg grew up in nearby Mohawk and graduated from the University of Michigan in 1931. He started at General Motors the next year as a timekeeper in the company’s Frigidaire division in Dayton, Ohio.

From that position, he rose steadily through the corporate ranks, holding a variety of financial-related posts, including treasurer and executive vice president for finance.

His tenure as head of GM came at a time when gasoline prices rose in the United States because of the Arab oil embargo. The higher prices helped increase consumer demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles, which hurt GM and other leading U.S. automakers.

Gerstenberg served on the company’s board of directors from 1967 to 1980.