MCG Executive Briefing for August 12, 2016

Dana-Mecum-1935-Miller-Ford-One of 10 built by Harry Miller and Preston Tucker for the 1935 Indianapolis 500, this Miller-Ford front-drive racer is expected to bring $450,000 to $550,000 at the Mecum Auctions Monterey sale. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing. 

 

 

 

Today’s headlines: 

+   Jerry Dias, president of Unifor, the Canadian auto workers’ union, says the negotiations with the Detroit Three car makers starting this week are “the most important auto contract talks in a generation.” More at CBC News. 

+   Sales at Jaguar, now controlled by Tata Motors of India, are surging in the United States, with sales up 59 percent in 2016 thanks to new models and lower prices. More at The Detroit News. 

+   Honda has applied for a trademark for the model name ZSX, reportedly for a scaled-down junior version of the NSX hybrid sports car with a 2.0-liter four. More at Autoblog. 

+   Lisa Noble has resigned as President and CEO of the Sports Car Club of America to pursue other challenges, the organization’s board of directors announced. More at Racer. 

+   The Toyota Research Institute is giving $22 million to the University of Michigan to pursue research on artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous driving. More at MLive.

+   The Chinese government will consider mandates to carmakers to produce more electric vehicles or purchase carbon credits from their peers, ending sales subsidies by 2020. More at Bloomberg.com. 

+   Mercedes-Benz is using social media to tease a silhouette image of a Maybach coupe that will be formally introduced at Monterey Classic Car Week. More at Motor Trend. 

+   The U.S. Department of Energy has approved a $6 million grant to be shared by Ford and the Los Alamos National Laboratory to develop hydrogen fuel cell technology. More at the Detroit Free Press. 

+   The Mecum Auctions Monterey 2016 sale on August 18-21 will feature one of the 10 Miller-Ford racers built to race in the 1935 Indianapolis 500. More at Hemmings Daily.  

+   Austin Cindric, 17 year-old son of Penske Racing President Tim Cindric, will drive in three NASCAR Camping World Series truck races for Brad Kesolowski Racing later this year. More at Motorsport.com. 

Review the previous Executive Briefing from August 8 here.

Photo by Bill McGuire for Mac’s Motor City Garage. 

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