The fabulous ’60s show rods of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, including his Beatnik Bandit shown above, will form a special display at the Amelia Island Concours on March 11. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing. 

Today’s headlines: 

+   BYD, the Chinese electric vehicle maker backed by investment titan Warren Buffett, has signed an agreement to build a factory in Morocco with 2,500 workers. More at Automotive News Europe. 

+   McLaren has revealed the latest car in its Ultimate Series: the McLaren Senna, a track-focused, 789-hp coupe named after the Formula 1 driving legend. More at Motor Trend. 

+   Toyota is teasing images of an all-new version of its Avalon sedan the company will unveil at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. More at The Detroit News. 

+   Formula 1 reported an 8 per cent increase in track attendance over the 2017 season, with more than four million fans visiting the 18 live grand prix events. More at NBC Sports .

+   In Boston starting this week, the Lyft ride-sharing service will be offering self-driving vehicles using autonomous technology developed by technical partner nuTonomy. More at USA Today. 

+   Italy’s Investindustrial is not in talks to increase its stake in Aston Martin and no decision has been made on a possible stock market listing, the private equity group reports. More at Reuters. 

+   According to an Experian study, the percentage of subprime auto loans saw a major decline in the third quarter, while the average new car loan term hit an all-time high of 69 months. More at CNBC. 

+   The 2018 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in March will include a special category for the far-out custom show rods of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth. More at Classic Cars.com Journal. 

+   Mazda has filed a United States patent for a compact, lightweight twin-sequential turbocharger system that could see use in future rotary engine applications. More at Autoblog.

+   Veteran sports car team Michael Shank Racing will expand into the IndyCar Series next year with a six-race deal for driver Harvey in partnership with Schmidt-Peterson Motorsports. More at Racer. 

Review the previous Executive Briefing from December 4 here. 

Photo courtesy of Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. 

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