The V12-powered Matra MS 670 that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1972 will be offered at Artcurial’s Retromobile auction in Paris next February. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s Headlines:
+ The European Investment Bank (EIB) has increased to almost $949 million its funding to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to back the production of electric and hybrid vehicles. More at Reuters.
+ Due to lack of demand, Hyundai is dropping the six-speed manual gearbox on the 2021 Venue subcompact SUV, leaving a CVT as the only available transmission. More at Car and Driver.
+ Ford has launched a public relations campaign it calls “Built for America” to promote its continuing commitment to manufacturing vehicles in the United States. More at CNBC.
+ The Toyota Gazoo team won the 24 Hours of Le Mans by five laps to secure a third straight victory in the prestigious endurance race, held this year without spectators. More at NBC Sports.
+ ChargePoint, one of the one of the world’s oldest and largest electric vehicle charging networks, is preparing to go public in a reverse merger that could be worth $2 billion. More at Autoblog.
+ Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida says the newly revealed Z Proto sports car is “close to final,” suggesting that the seventh-gen Z car due next year will be essentially similar. More at Motor 1.
+ According to data from the Energy Information Administration, demand for gasoline in the United States is down 8 to 10 percent over the similar period last year. More at The Detroit News.
+ Up-and-coming Xfinity Series driver Ross Chastain, 27, will pilot the no. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in NASCAR Cup next year, replacing fill-in Matt Kenseth. More at Motorsport.com.
+ The Matra MS 670 that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1972 with drivers Graham Hill and Henri Pescarolo will be offered at Artcurial’s Retromobile auction in February. More at Classic Cars.com Journal.
+ For now, General Motors is sticking with its joint venture plans with Nikola while the electric truck maker undergoes a fraud probe from federal authorities. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ At Bristol this past weekend, four drivers were eliminated from NASCAR Cup playoff contention: William Byron, Ryan Blaney, Cole Custer, and Matt DiBenedetto. More at USA Today.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from September 18 here.
Photo courtesy of Matra Automobiles.
Mac’s Motor City Garage on Facebook? It’s lots of fun with rare photos, lore, trivia, and great discussions. Click here to go the page and join MCG. Be sure to check out our companion Facebook group MOTOROLOGY, too, and our latest page, Friends of Mac’s Motor City Garage.