Chevrolet has released a batch of new images of the 2015 Corvette Z06 convertible in advance of the car’s debut at the New York International Auto Show. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Links open in new windows
+ The city of Flint has unveiled plans to rehabilitate the former GM plant site known as Chevy in the Hole as a 60-acre park and nature preserve. More at MLive.
+ Chrysler announced it will take a $130 million charge against first-quarter earnings due to the falling value of Venezuela’s currency. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ Chevrolet has released images of the 2015 Corvette Z06 convertible in advance of the formal unveiling at the New York International Auto Show next week. More at Autoblog.
+ Stefano Domenicali has resigned as Ferrari Formula One team manager effective immediately, replaced by Ferrari Americas boss Marco Mattiacci. More at ESPN.
+ A U.S. proposal for a 30-year phaseout on import tariffs of Japanese automobiles has been rejected by Japan as too slow. More at Reuters.
+ World Rally legend Sebastien Loeb made a fairytale debut for Citroen in the World Touring Car Championship with a win at Marrakech. More at Racer.
+ The Canadian province of Ontario plans to sell off its holdings in General Motors common shares over the next year. More at Bloomberg.com.
+ Mazda has begun production of two new passenger vehicles at the FAW Car manufacturing plant in Changchun, China. More at Automotive Business Review.
+ At the Super Chevy Weekend event at Memphis International Raceway, 22 cars were destroyed by a fire in the spectator parking area. More at WREG News Channel 3.
+ Mercedes Formula One chairman Nikki Lauda has fired back at Bernie Ecclestone and Luca di Montezemolo for their criticism of the new engine formula. More at Planet F1.
For the previous Executive Briefing from April 11, click here.
Good news about Chevy in the Hole. A good portion of the city of Flint is former auto plants. That has to be a nasty brownsite.
“A U.S. proposal for a 30-year phaseout on import tariffs of Japanese automobiles has been rejected by Japan as too slow.”
We should consider immediately replacing the Japanese automobile tariffs with a tariff on everything from China due to their currency manipulation (not to mention their consumer safety and environmental record).
Can’t put a tariff on Chinese products. Unlike Japanese automobiles, a lot of products made in China are outsourced from American companies. A tariff will cut their profits and executives won’t be able to pull down seven figure bonuses anymore. Chinese labor is cheap so nobody will shift production to the US or even Mexico.
If you want to hurt China, stop buying products made there (good luck trying). American cars are as good or better than Japanese today, so it wouldn’t hurt anyone to stop buying Toyotas either. I’ll bet if you looked in the garages of the Congressmen who suggested the tariff phaseout, you would find more than a few Japanese cars.