Drag racing legend TV Tommy Ivo will celebrate his 80th birthday among his legion of fans with a special event at the NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, California on April 16. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing. 

Today’s headlines:

+    Ed Welburn, vice president of design at General Motors since 2003, will retire effective July 1, to be replaced by veteran Holden designer Michael Simcoe. More at MLive. 

+   With the phaseout the Chrysler 200, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will indefinitely lay off 1,420 workers at the Sterling Heights, Michigan assembly plant. More at The Detroit News. 

+   According to a study by the American Automobile Association, annual passenger car ownership and operating costs have slipped to an average of $8,558, a six-year low. More at the Orlando Business Journal. 

+   BMW has confirmed that the next-generation M4 and M6 will not be offered with traditional manual transmissions, although they will be continued on the current M2, M3, and M4. More at Motor Trend. 

+   Reversing field yet again, Formula 1 organizers have agreed to revert to the 2015 qualifying procedure starting with the Chinese Grand Prix. More at Racer. 

+   Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a 20-kilowatt wireless charging system for electric vehicles. More at Automotive Business Review. 

+   The Napleton Automotive Group, owner of three Volkswagen dealerships, has filed suit against the carmaker over its rigged diesel vehicles, seeking compensation for lost sales. More at The New York Times. 

+   Ford sold 5 percent more vehicles in China during March than a year earlier, while sales for the first quarter there rose 14 percent, due in large part to demand for SUVs. More at the Detroit Free Press. 

+   The Dutch parliament’s lower chamber, the House of Representatives, has proposed to ban the sales of gasoline and diesel automobiles in the Netherlands by 2025. More at Autoblog.

+   Beloved drag racer Tommy Ivo will celebrate his 80th birthday with a special event at the NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, California on April 16. More at Hemmings Daily. 

+   NASCAR veteran Brian Vickers, who currently drives the no. 14 Sprint Cup Chevrolet of Tony Stewart, is working to secure a ride in the Indy 500 next month. More at Fox Sports. 

Read the previous Executive Briefing from April 4 here.

Photo courtesy of Tommy Ivo.  

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