Al Koch has an unenviable job. As chief executive of Motors Liquidation Company, the “bad” part of General Motors that remains under Chapter 11 protection, he must determine the fate of 200 properties and more than half a million contracts abandoned by the Detroit carmaker during its swift journey through bankruptcy court.

Mr Koch, vice-chairman of AlixPartners, the restructuring consultancy hired to run MLC, told the Financial Times he was putting together a 10-year plan under which the unwanted assets would be “either sold, demolished or donated, if they can’t be sold”.