Hammering down at $385,000, this 1967 Corvette big-block coupe was among the top 10 sellers at the 2018 Mecum Indy auction. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s Headlines:
+ Harley-Davidson workers across the country are reeling from the planned closure of the motorcycle maker’s Kansas City plant in fall 2019, eliminating 800 positions. More at USA Today.
+ Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will reportedly resurrect the Viper sports car in 2020 with all-aluminum V8 power and a platform shared with Maserati and Alfa Romeo. More at Autoblog.
+ Elzbieta Bienkowska, the European Union’s industrial policy chief, says the diesel automobile is nearing the end of its life and the electric vehicle will quickly take its place. More at Automotive News Europe.
+ Jaguar product strategy chief Hanno Kirner suggested that the storied British automaker is working on a flagship sports car to replace the current F Type. More at AutoGuide.
+ Outrunning polesitter Ed Carpenter, IndyCar veteran Will Power won the Indianapolis 500, scoring the 17th career Indy victory for team owner Roger Penske. More at ESPN.
+ The French battery maker Saft, a unit of petroleum giant Total, plans to invest more than $233 million in a next-generation European battery alliance project. More at Reuters.
+ Former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles executive Michael Brown pleaded guilty in a conspiracy involving illegal payments to labor representatives. More at The Detroit News.
+ The annual Mecum Indianapolis Auction generated a record $69.4 million in total sales and a 76 percent sell-through rate on more than 1400 vehicles. More at Classic Cars.com Journal.
+ While Tesla struggles to get the Model 3 up to full production, CEO Elon Musk has unveiled a rough timeline for the electric car maker’s next vehicle, the Model Y. More at Motor Trend.
+ Tata Technologies, a division of India’s Tata Group, will move its headquarters and 150 employees from Novi, Michigan to the TechTown district in Detroit. More at Crain’s Detroit Business.
+ After close inspection, the FIA is now satisfied that Ferrari’s energy recovery system (ERS) complies with Formula 1 technical regulations, says race director Charlie Whiting. More at Racer.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from May 25 here.
Photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
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Dodge has only the Charger and Challenger left. They don’t need a supercar, they need everyday cars. Chrysler is just as threadbare, The Fiats have a horrible reputation. Honestly, if gas goes up and trucks sales slip, I don’t how FCA can make it into the next decade.
It is distressing to read about the Harley Davidson’s Kansas plant closing and more aggravating to learn that other global plants are opening anew? All the hubbub rhetoric from “big britches” Donald Trump was just more flash in the pan crap that he has come to be known for. What we have in this big picture is big corporate manhandling where the workers are getting the crumbs. All the facts are glaring reality. Midterms are coming up soon and maybe it will be the beginning of leveling the playing field.
Much as I’d like to debate you, this is not the place. Politics is certainly tied to manufacturing but there are other places on the web that focus on those aspects. The vitriol between opposing parties will never go away but we all need to do a better job confining it to the appropriate forums.
It’s Memorial Day. Let’s pull together instead of apart.
Perhaps I’ve listened to Eddie Arnold’s big hit “Make The World Go Away” too often, thanks for your kind and polite guidance.