The 2004 Shelby Cobra concept, created to reboot Carroll Shelby’s historic relationship with the Ford Motor Company, will be offered at auction in November. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ Joining several other Chinese companies that have issued denials, the Guangzhou Automobile Group announced it has no plans to acquire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. More at Reuters.
+ Ford has agreed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to pay up to $10.1 million to settle sexual and racial harassment claims at two Chicago-area plants. More at the Chicago Tribune.
+ Roy Lunn, godfather of the original Ford GT40 program and creator of the groundbreaking Jeep Cherokee XJ SUV, has passed away at 92. More at Car Guy Chronicles.
+ Veteran Juan Pablo Montoya will be paired with 28 year-old Dane Cameron in a Penske Racing Acura ARX-05 in IMSA sports car competition next year. More at NBC Sports.
+ BMW has unveiled its next-generation Z4 roadster concept in advance of its formal introduction at Monterey Classic Car Week, with plans for production next year. More at Autoblog.
+ In a major shift away from fuel-cell technology, Hyundai Motor Co. says it will place electric vehicles, including a premium electric car, at the center of its product strategy. More at Automotive News Europe.
+ Nine auto brands are expected to skip the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show in September: Alfa Romeo, DS, Fiat, Infiniti, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, and Volvo. More at Motor Trend.
+ General Motors thwarted a $15 million settlement between the company’s bankruptcy trust and thousands of plaintiffs that would have forced it to pay $1 billion in stock. More at The Detroit News.
+ The sole 2004 Shelby Cobra concept will be offered at the Greensboro Auto Auction on November 3 to benefit Fair Lane, the former estate of Henry and Clara Ford. More at Hemmings Daily.
+ NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski will close down his NASCAR Truck team, which currently fields entries for Austin Cendric and Chase Briscoe, at the end of the year. More at Racer.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from August 14 here.
Photo by Ford Motor Company.
Have you joined Mac’s Motor City Garage on Facebook? It’s lots of fun with rare photos, car lore, trivia, and great discussions. Click here to go the page and join MCG. Be sure to check out our companion Facebook page MOTOROLOGY, too.
Sounds like GM is trying to weasel out on being held responsible for the junk it was selling. New GM or old GM, doesn’t matter, still the same company with a different name. If the claims against them are true, they should have to pay out. Guess we’ll find out when the cases come up in court, might have been cheaper for them to bite the bullet and settle instead of trying to fight it out.