At $255,000, this 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 was one of the top 10 sellers at the inaugural Mecum Auctions Louisville sale. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ The German news weekly Bild am Sonntag reports that Stefan Knirsch, head of development for Volkswagen’s Audi division, will be suspended this week in the ongoing diesel emissions scandal. More at Reuters.
+ John Zimmer, the co-founder and president of the Lyft ride-sharing service, predicts that in five years the majority of the company’s fares will be carried in self-driving cars. More at The Detroit News.
+ Tesla Motors is building the world’s largest lithium-ion battery system, capable of powering 2,500 homes, at the Southern California Edison Mira Loma substation in Ontario, California. More at Autoblog.
+ With a convincing win at the season finale in Sonoma, Simon Pagennaud claimed the 2016 IndyCar title, leading a 1-2-3 sweep of the season standings by Team Penske. More at Racer.
+ Jaguar Land Rover has begun construction of a new $1.3 billion manufacturing plant in Nitra, Slovakia that will employ 2,800 workers. More at Automotive Business Review.
+ Industry analysts say the failure of Colonial Pipeline Co.’s gasoline pipeline could cause price spikes and shortages in the Southeast and on the East Coast. More at CNBC.
+ General Motors has asked government safety regulators for a one-year delay in the next phase of Takata air bag recalls, citing an extremely low risk. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ Hyundai-Kia is readying a new subcompact crossover, to be introduced in 2017 as a 2018 model, that will slot below the Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage. More at Motor Trend.
+ The debut Mecum Louisville 2016 auction at the Kentucky Exposition Center generated $13.4 million in total sales, with 440 vehicles finding new owners. More at Sports Car Digest.
+ The winning car of Martin Truex Jr. and the 12th-place car of Jimmie Johnson failed post-race dimensional inspection at the NASCAR Sprint Cup event at Chicagoland. More at ESPN.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from September 16 here.
Photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
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