An extremely original 426 hemi-powered 1967 Plymouth GTX will be among the star attractions at the 39th annual New England Auto Auction on August 20. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ Toyota and other manufacturers will suspend much of their production at plants across Japan after earthquakes in the country’s south to led to a shortage of parts and materials. More at Reuters.
+ The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has removed controversial langauge in a truck emissions proposal that critics charged would make it illegal to modify a car for racing. More at Fortune.
+ Paice LLC, a Baltimore company that previously struck licensing deals with Toyota and Hyundai, now charges that Volkswagen is using its hybrid vehicle technology without permission. More at the Washington Post.
+ Audi had its victory taken away in the opening FIA World Endurance Championship round at Silverstone when the car’s skidblock failed postrace inspection. More at Motorsport.com.
+ Mercedes-Benz specialist firm Brabus is expanding its Brabus Classic operation specializing in high-end restorations of Mercedes collector cars. More at Motor Trend.
+ Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne told reporters in Amsterdam that he views Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen as potential partners for a major industry merger. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ General Motors is recalling more than a million GMC and Chevrolet pickup trucks from the 2014 and 2015 model years to correct a seat belt connecting cable defect. More at MLive.
+ A hemi-powered 1967 Plymouth GTX will be among the star attractions at the New England Auto Auction at the Owls Head Transportation Museum on August 20. More at Hemmings Daily.
+ Shuddle, an Uber-like a ride-sharing service designed to help parents get their children to school, is shutting down, reportedly due to lack of investor funding. More at Engadget.
+ Signing a multi-year deal with the International Drone Racing Association (IDRA), ESPN will begin regular coverage of drone racing in August. More at Autoblog.
Read the previous Executive Briefing from April 15 here.
Photo by Russ Rocknak, courtesy Owls Head Transportation Museum.
Drone racing? Really?
Sounds as though FIAT is having second thoughts about buying Chrysler, and now want somebody to buy them out to get them out of their own mess. I don’t see it happening. Chrysler was once a powerhouse, now, with the exception of a few models, are just second thoughts to most people. Only reason to buy Chrysler would be to get Jeep, Ram trucks and the Challenger and Charger. The rest are simply bellybuttons like everybody else already sells.