Takashi Sonobe, chairman of Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (MMC) since June 2002, died on Tuesday of a heart attack, at the age of 62. Sonobe's successor as CEO, Rolf Eckrodt, paid tribute to Sonobe's 'crucial' role in the turnaround programme of the manufacturer, 37.3% owned by DaimlerChrysler, over the past three years. Sonobe had been a Mitsubishi Motors executive for 39 years.