In 2007, Carroll Shelby’s twin-supercharged 1966 Cobra Super Snake sold for a record $5.5 million. Now the uber-Cobra is headed back to auction at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in January. Get all the latest car biz news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ The collapse of the ruble is creating a “bloodbath” for automakers who manufacture or market vehicles in Russia, says Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. More at Reuters.
+ Highway fatalities in the U.S. fell 3.1 percent in 2013 to 32,719, a return to declining traffic deaths after rising in 2012 for the first time in five years. More at The Detroit News.
+ The U.S. Treasury has sold off its remaining $1.28 billion stake in auto lender Ally Financial Inc., officially ending the 2009 auto industry bailout. More at Deadline Detroit.
+ Formula One driver Adrian Sutil, now pushed out of his ride at Sauber for 2015, calls the current pay-to-race trend in the series “out of control.” More at NBC Sports.
+ The Netherlands had the lowest CO2 emissions in Europe from new cars in 2013, according to a report from the European Federation for Transport and Environment. More at Automotive Business Review.
+ Connecticut has joined the list of states that will not currently register the Polaris Slingshot three-wheeled sports vehicle for legal road use. More at Autoblog.
+ With 140 blue-chip vehicles, including the famed Shelby Super Snake, the Ron Pratte Collection will be the star attraction at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2015 auction on January 10-18. More at Sports Car Digest.
+ In a Delaware court, NASCAR driver Kurt Busch denied accusations of domestic abuse leveled by his ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll. More at Sporting News.
For the previous Executive Briefing from December 19, click here.
That Polaris Slingshot is about the ugliest thing I’ve seen in a while! It looks like something from a Batman or Mad Max movie. I can see why some states say it’s not a motorcycle, because it isn’t, it’s a three wheeled car, plain and simple. And a ugly one, at that!