One of only 63 produced, this 1971 Dodge Charger Hemi with only 9,800 miles from new is expected to bring $200,000 to $225,000 at the Mecum Kissimmee auction. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ The first production 2017 Ford GTs have rolled off the production line at the Multimatic Technical Centre in Markham, Ontario just outside Toronto. More at Autoblog.
+ Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi will combine their electric vehicle platforms to reduce costs, reports the Japanese financial newspaper The Nikkei. More at Automotive News Europe.
+ With inventory at an eight-year high, General Motors will reduce production at its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant and two other factories in Lansing and Lordstown. More at The Detroit News.
+ Ratan Tata, patriarch of India’s Tata automotive empire, dismissed reports he plans to step down as chairman of Tata Trusts, the group’s major shareholder. More at Reuters.
+ Richard Petty Motorsports has cut back its NASCAR operation from two cars to one for 2017, retaining driver Aric Almirola and sponsor Smithfield Foods. More at ESPN.
+ California Attorney General Kamala Harris has told Uber Technologies Inc. to pull its self-driving cars from San Francisco’s streets or it will seek a court-ordered ban. More at Bloomberg.com.
+ Museum operators Tim and Pam Wellborn will offer 11 Mopar and Chevrolet muscle cars from their collection at the Mecum Auctions Kissimee sale January 6-15. More at Hemmings Daily.
+ Mitsubishi is recalling more than 50,000 Outlander Sport SUVs from the 2011, 2012, and 2016 model years to replace defective rear lift gate support struts. More at the Detroit Free Press.
+ LIberty Media has secured $1.55 billion in funding and obtained the necessary approvals from anti-trust authorities to proceed with its majority takeover of the Formula 1 series. More at Racer.
+ BMW and technology giant IBM have partnered to research areas in which IBM’s Watson cognitive computing could be employed on the BMW i8 hybrid sports car. More at Automotive Business Review.
Review the previous Executive Briefing from December 16 here.
Photo courtesy of Mecum Auctions.
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