This 1955 Ferrari 121 LM Spider brought $6.3 million at the RM Sotheby’s Le Mans sale. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating a Ford recall of 710,000 Explorer SUVs due to power loss to determine if the repair was adequate. More at Reuters.
+ Phoenix-based electric truck startup Nikola reported that it suspects arson in a fire outside its global headquarters in which five of its new vehicles suffered significant damage. More at Car and Driver.
+ Nissan has launched an internal investigation into claims by a senior adviser that Chief Executive Makoto Uchida carried out surveillance of his deputy Ashwani Gupta. More at World Auto Forum.
+ Honda MotoGP boss Alberto Puig suggested that rider Marc Marquez, who has suffered a nightmare season, would be free to leave the team despite his four-year contract. More at Motorsport.com.
+ Ford has terminated an undisclosed number of white-collar contract workers, and another round of layoffs for salaried company employees is expected as early as next week. More at The Detroit News.
+ At the urging of a retailers’ association, the Oregon Senate has repealed a 72 year-old state law that prohibited service station customers from pumping their own gasoline. More at The Drive.
+ The RM Sotheby’s Le Mans sale grossed $22 million in sales at a 75 percent sell-through rate, led by a 1955 Ferrari 121 LM Spider with Le Mans history that brought $6.6 million. More at Old Cars.
+ Ford has filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office for the name Flash, reportedly to be used on a high-performance version of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup. More at CarBuzz.
+ According to Toyota WEC team director Rob Leupen, the Toyota GR GT3 concept will spawn a WEC race car in 2026 and a road version as well, most likely badged as a Lexus. More at Autoblog.
+ Despite two visits to NASCAR events recently after a hiatus of several years, retired Cup driver Carl Edwards has ruled out any possibility that he could return to the series. More at Jayski.
Photo courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.
Review the previous MCG Executive Briefing from June 23 here.
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