Carroll Shelby’s personal 1965 Cobra 427 brought $5.94 million at the Mecum Auctions Kissimmee sale. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s Headlines:
+ Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Groupe PSA of France sealed their long-awaited merger on Saturday to create Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest auto manufacturer. More at Reuters.
+ Toyota has agreed to pay a $180 million fine to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over violations of Clean Air Act protocols that took place between 2005 and 2015. More at Car and Driver.
+ In a year defined mainly by the COVID-19 outbreak, Ford Motor Co. reported a 26.8 percent sales decline in Europe for 2020, posting sales of 974,982 cars and trucks. More at The Detroit News.
+ Third-generation IndyCar driver Marco Andretti, 33, will step back from racing full-time in 2021 but will race in the Indy 500 and assist with testing and development. More at ESPN.
+ With the Retromobile classic car showcase in Paris postponed from February to late May, Bonhams will stage its Paris car auction entirely online on March 3-10. More at Classic Cars.com Journal.
+ With a Morgan Stanley analyst valuing the Corvette brand at up to $12 billion, General Motors may expand the product line to include a battery-electric crossover SUV. More at CNBC.
+ Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, researchers at Brown University determined that driving with vehicle windows open can reduce COVID-19 transmission. More at Autoblog.
+ The newly renamed and reorganized Alpine Formula 1 team, formerly Renault, has named Suzuki MotoGP boss Davide Brivio to become the operation’s racing director. More at Autosport.
+ Carroll Shelby’s personal 1965 427 Cobra, CSX3178, brought a fee-inclusive $5.94 million at the Mecum Kissimmee sale, ringing up the top sale for the event. More at Hemmings Daily.
+ Honda has dropped the front-wheel drive version of the Ridgeline pickup for 2021, raising the base price by $2500 to $37,665 for an entry-level version with all-wheel drive. More at The Drive.
+ Kyle Larson, who will drive in NASCAR Cup for Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, won his second consecutive Chili Bowl, the Super Bowl of midget racing, this past weekend. More at Speed Sport.
Photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from January 15 here.
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