MCG Executive Briefing for February 7, 2020

Mecum Auctions sold $130 million in collectors cars in January, including this 1972 Ferrari Daytona that brought $544.500 at the Kissimmee sale. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.

 

Today’s Headlines:

 Income at General Motors for 2019 fell 17.4 percent to $6.7 billion due to the 40-day strike, but the company remained in the black with an operating profit of $8.4 billion. More at The Detroit News. 

  Ford Motor stock fell sharply in price when the company reported weak 2019 earnings of $1.19 per share, down from $1.30 last year and below company estimates. More at Motley Fool. 

  Fourth-quarter earnings at Fiat Chrysler rose 16 percent to $2.3 billion on strong North American sales, but annual profits for 2019 slipped 1 percent to $7.3 billion. More at Automotive News Europe. 

+   Toyota will ramp up the volume at its new Apaseo El Grande plant to 100,000 units a year by 2021 as the company shifts pickup truck production from the USA to Mexico. More at Reuters. 

+   Comp Cams, leading U.S. maker of performance camshafts, has been acquired by Industrial Opportunity Partners, the private equity firm that owns Edelbrock LLC. More at Race Tech

+   Top Fuel Eliminator at the season-opening NHRA Winternationals in Pomona will feature a short field as the two Torrence Racing entries abruptly pulled out. More at The Orange County Register. 

 In Los Angeles, Cadillac unveiled its latest Escalade flagship SUV, featuring redesigned sheet metal, standard 420-hp V8, and Enhanced Super Cruise driver assist system. More at Motor Trend. 

 Mecum Auctions reported sales of $130 million on 5,259 lots of collector cars from its January 2020 auctions in Kissimmee, Florida, and Las Vegas, Nevada. More at Classic Cars.com Journal. 

+   Chrysler’s revised Pacifica minivan features an all-wheel-drive system capable of rear-drive only and and Amazon Alexa-linkable UConnect5 Infotainment system. More at The Drive. 

 U.S.-based Haas F1 is the first Formula 1 team to unveil its 2020 car, the VF-20, which features a gray, black, and red paint scheme similar to its 2018 livery. More at Autosport. 

Review the previous Executive Briefing from February 3 here.

Photo courtesy and copyright of Mecum Auctions. 

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