This 1931 Duesenberg Derham Tourster is among the early entries to the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ New-vehicle affordability improved for the fifth straight month in March as rising incomes, stable pricing and rates, and dealer incentives lifted consumer purchasing power. More at CBT News.
+ Stellantis and Microsoft announced a five-year partnership to co-develop AI, cybersecurity, and engineering in customer care, operations, and product development. More at Yahoo! Finance.
+ Ford announced that J. Douglas Field, its Chief EV, Digital, and Design Officer, will be leaving after a month as the company restructures its operations and executive roster. More at CNBC.
+ The IndyCar series is considering an expansion of its current 18-race season schedule with potential events in Mexico, Japan, Brazil, Denver, and the Pacific Northwest. More at Racer.
+ Senior U.S. Defense Department officials have held discussions about producing weapons and other military supplies with top executives at General Motors and Ford, reportedly. More at World Auto Forum.
+ A controversial state bill in Minnesota that would have banned the use of classic collector cars on weekdays has stalled out after failing to make it to a committee hearing. More at The Drive.
+ Lucid Motors has named Silvio Napoli, the former CEO of Schindler Group, a Swiss manufacturer, as its next CEO, replacing Marc Winteroff, who returns to his COO post. More at Car and Driver.
+ A Jeep Wrangler caused a 20-acre wildfire in Ocala National Forest in central Florida when it became stuck in the mud off-road and its exhaust system set dry grass ablaze. More at Autoblog.
+ Early consignments to the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction in August include a 1931 Duesenberg J Tourster by Derham and a 1947 Talbot-Lago T26 by Figoni et Falaschi. More at Old Cars.
+ NASCAR has adjusted the length of the three stages for the Cup Series race at Talladega on April 26 to discourage the fuel economy strategies that dampen competition. More at Motorsport.com.
Photo courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.
Review the previous MCG Executive Briefing from April 13 here.
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According to google, the Stellantis and Microsoft deal is to shortcut a foothold in the budget EV market. Stellantis already holds a 20% stake in the Chinese firm Leapmotor. Discussions are ongoing regarding giving the Chinese state-owned firm Dongfeng Motor access to underused Stellantis factories in Europe and North America in exchange for Stellantis building cars in China.
The sourcing for all AV/EV technology should be the highest regulatory priority due to national security concerns- according to AOL.com, the U.S. government has signaled it may bar Chinese hardware and software from “connected vehicles” as early as 2027, citing “national security and data privacy concerns”. Recently disclosed by http://www.fortressinfosec.com 90% of software products reviewed for managing the U.S. power grid (ncluding renewable energy and data centers) contain code contributions from developers in China or Russia…
Old news, the rule (not law or treaty) was already issued last year by the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) under the authority of Executive Order 13873. It establishes a phased ban on software (starting Model Year 2027) and hardware (starting Model Year 2030) from “foreign adversaries,” primarily China and Russia, to prevent potential data exfiltration and remote manipulation of vehicles.
Microsoft has already “begun moving parts of its supply chain out of China, aiming for up to 80% of components for surface devices and data centers to be made elsewhere” by end of 2026.