Top sellers at the annual Mecum Kansas City auction included this 1969 Mustang Boss 429 in Wimbledon White at $231,000. Get all the latest to auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.

Today’s Headlines:

+   General Motors unveiled the latest versions of its best-selling Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban full-sized SUVs with increased cabin room and independent rear suspension. More at CNN. 

+   The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) will toughen up the qualifying standards for its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards starting in 2020. More at Autoblog. 

+   As expected, the United Auto Workers members at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles approved a new four-year labor agreement with the automaker with 71 percent support. More at The Detroit News. 

+   In a surprise move, NASCAR title-winning crew chief Cole Pearn has resigned from Joe Gibbs Racing and will no longer lead the no. 19 team of Martin Truex Jr. More at USA Today. 

+   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has rated the 2020 Porsche Taycan’s range at just 201 miles, far below the German automaker’s projected figure of 300 miles. More at Jalopnik. 

+   Cadillac will abandon its alphanumeric model designations (CT4 and so on) and return to formal model names starting with its first battery-electric vehicle in 2022. More at Car and Driver. 

+   The rarely-seen Chevrolet GS-IIB test mule, in storage for decades, will headline a special category of mid-engine Corvettes at the Amelia Island Concours in March. More at Hemmings Daily. 

+   German industrial giant Thyssenkrupp has begun talks with Tesla Inc. to join the electric automaker in a plant in Germany building cars, batteries, and drivetrains. More at Reuters. 

+   The annual Mecum Auctions Kansas City sale generated $9 million in sales on 410 vehicles with a 70 percent sell-through rate, the auction company reported. More at Classic Cars.com Journal. 

+   Formula 1 will stick with 2019-specification Pirelli rubber next year, after teams unanimously voted to reject the new tires that were being prepared for 2020. More at Motorsport.com. 

Review the previous Executive Briefing from December 9 here.

Photo copyright and courtesy Mecum Auctions. 

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