Smokey Yunick’s first Indy roadster, this 1957 Kurtis-Offy 500G, will be among the star attractions at the Worldwide Auctioneers Scottsdale sale on January 17. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.  

Today’s headlines:

+   Renault is preparing to name a successor to CEO Carlos Ghosn as early as February, according to a report from Los Echos, the French financial daily. More at Automotive News Europe. 

+   Acura is teasing photography of its third-generation RDX crossover in advance of the formal introduction at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month. More at The Detroit News. 

+   BMW Chief Executive Harald Krueger says the company intends to more than double its sales of electric and hybrid vehicles to 500,000 units by the end of 2019. More at Fox News. 

+   Former NASCAR crew chief Barry Dodson, who led team owner Raymond Beadle and driver Rusty Wallace to the 1989 Winston Cup title, has passed away at 64. More at Sporting News. 

+   Ford and the United Auto Workers union have launched a joint campaign to combat sexual harassment, which reportedly created a “toxic environment” in two Chicago plants. More at the Detroit Free Press. 

+   Mazda has opted not to renew its naming rights agreement with Laguna Seca Raceway, a deal worth $1.5 million per year to the California road racing facility. More at the Monterey Herald. 

+   PSA Group, maker of Peugeot and Citroen cars, has replaced Dennis Martin, its head of Asian operations, with Carlos Gomes as the company battles a sales slump in China. More at Bloomberg.com. 

+   Smokey Yunick’s 1957 Kurtis-Kraft Indy roadster will cross the block at the Worldwide Auctioneers Scottsdale sale, where it is expected to bring $300,000 to $375,000. More at Hemmings Daily.    

+   Mercedes F1 chairman Niki Lauda says the Red Bull team overpaid for 20 year-old driving phenom Max Verstappen, whose salary is reportedly in the $25 million to $45 million range. More at Autoweek. 

+   Bugatti has met its 2017 sales target of 70 units for the Chiron, its $2.5 million, 1,479-horsepower hypercar, says company president Wolfgang Dürheimer. More at Motor Trend. 

Review the previous Executive Briefing from December 18 here. 

Photo by Bill McGuire for Mac’s Motor City Garage. 

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