MCG Executive Briefing for December 16, 2019

This 1930 Stutz Boattail Speedster is expected to bring $450,000 to $650,000 at the Gooding & Company Scottsdale auction in January. Get all the latest to auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.

 

 

Today’s Headlines:

+   General Motors will invest $1.5 billion in upgrading its Wentzville, Missouri plant to continue the production of the midsize Chevrolet Colorado and GMC pickups. More at The Detroit News. 

 BAIC Group, Daimler’s main joint venture partner in China, plans to double its ownership stake in the German automaker, winning a board seat and upstaging rival Geely. More at Reuters. 

+   The Jeep brand’s global president, Christian Meunier, says Jeep intends to be “the greenest SUV brand in the world” with electric versions of all its models by 2022. More at The Drive.

 Eddie Jordan says he is “certain’ that reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes for Ferrari and that Mercedes executive Toto Wolff will follow. More at Top Gear.  

 French shareholders in the planned merger of PSA and Fiat Chrysler are seeking reassurances that they will retain a numerical advantage on a combined board. More at Automotive News Europe. 

 Fisker will formally debut the Ocean, the company’s $40,000 electric SUV, at the Consumer Electronics Show (better known as CES) in Las Vegas in January. More at Forbes.com. 

 Gooding & Company has announced an impressive list of classic prewar automobiles to be offered at its annual Scottsdale auction on January 17-18. More at Classic Cars.com Journal.

+   CEO Mike Flewitt says McLaren has no current plans to develop an all-electric sports car, citing high development costs and prohibitive battery weight. More at the Detroit Free Press. 

+   Five-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, a New Zealand native, will make his Bathurst 12 Hours debut in February with the R-Motorsport Aston Martin squad. More at Motorsport.com

 Apollo Global Management, a private equity firm has offered to buy Tenneco’s Northville, Michigan-based powertrain division for $4.3 billion, insiders say. More at Crain’s Detroit Business. 

Review the previous Executive Briefing from December 13 here.

Photo by Mike Maez copyright and courtesy Gooding & Company. 

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