This 1954 Mexican Road Race Lincoln from the Bill Harrah Collection will be offered without reserve. Get all the latest auto industry news in the Executive Briefing.
Today’s headlines:
+ A V8-powered Jeep Wranger is now $30,000 less expensive than it was one year ago, due to the introduction of the more basic Willys 392 trim level priced at $71,990. More at The Drive.
+ Automakers led by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation are so far noncommittal on the Trump administration’s regulatory changes that could eliminate automatic start/stop. More at Car and Driver.
+ Stellantis is working to restart production at its idled Brampton, Ontario plant as it negotiates with the Canadian government and labor leaders over tariffs and investment plans. More at CBT News.
+ Formula 1 and IndyCar veteran Romain Grosjean will return to Dale Coyne Racing, where he began his IndyCar career in 2021, for the 2026 season alongside Dennis Hauger. More at Racer.
+ In its latest Vehicle Dependability Study rating cars after three years of ownership, JD Power ranked Lexus and Buick at the top, although dependability has fallen overall. More at Autoweek.
+ Shares in EV maker Rivian surged nearly 20 percent as the company projected that that its more affordable R2 models coming later this year will attract more customers. More at The Economic Times.
+ The Xiaomi YU7 SUV ranked first in China in sales last month at 37,869 units, twice as many as Tesla’s 16,845 Model Y, according to the China Passenger Car Association. More at CNBC.
+ Bonhams|Cars has announced the sale of 80 significant motorcars from the Bill Harrah Collection at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada, on June 13. More at Old Cars.
+ After issuing a ban on flush door handles, government safety regulators in China are now set to prohibit yoke-style steering wheels, another feature popularized by Tesla. More at Autoblog.
+ Toyota driver Tyler Reddick avoided numerous multi-car wrecks including on the final lap to win the Daytona 500 for 23XI Racing, co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan. More at The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Photo courtesy of Bonhams|Cars.
Review the previous MCG Executive Briefing from February 13 here.
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> Xiaomi YU7 SUV ranked first in China in sales last month
I realize that the bloom has gone off for Tesla cars but wouldn’t trust China’s statistics on the success of their own cars vs foreign brands. While their recent bans on flush electric door handles and and steering yokes are sensible and welcomed, it may not be coincidence that both are primarily featured on Teslas.
Knowing what I do about the success of post-war automobile brands, I’m stunned that Tesla has lasted this long. In addition, every other post-war car brand that started with letters from the back half of the alphabet has been killed off.
I’ve been driving a Kia Soul rental the past few days which is my first experience with auto stop-start. At least this implementation, without auto hold, feels badly half baked in that it restarts the engine the moment you take your foot off the brake pedal, even if you shift into neutral and/or set the parking brake. Either of which should be a “do not restart until undone” signal.
The Obama EPA created “off-cycle” credits, encouraging manufacturers to install start-stop systems to meet new & improved fuel economy & “green hose gas” standards.
Now our fine-feathered friends @ The EPA just announced the elimination of “credits” for automatic start-stop systems, because the “technology” provided no quantify-able environmental benefits but plenty of extreme consumer dissatisfaction. This new 2026 EPA direction removes the forcing of start-stop on the masses, effectively killing the “Obama switch”.
Sad trombone noises…
From the web, for you engineering nerds:
According to leading digital industry journals, next-generation firmware patches are finally unlocking the latent potentialencies of the Chrysler Turbo Encabulator. By integrating quantum-logarithmic algorithms, engineers claim the device can now replace stop-start efficiency by generating inverse reactive current directly for use in unilateral phase detractors. This breakthrough effectively eliminates sinusoidal depleneration, allowing the system to seamlessly simulate the torque-curve oscillations of all three primary powerplants: BEVs, HEVs, & traditional ICE units. The result is a unified drive-train harmony that prevents side-fumbling in the hydrocoptic marzlevanes, even under high-loads, EPA test simulations and other theoretical conditions…
Check my numbers, but I believe more than 90 percent of the gasoline and hybrid vehicles currently sold in China, Japan, and the EU are equipped with auto start/stop. Really, it’s just one way to approximate the efficiency of EVs, in which the motor only runs when the vehicle is in motion.
The tech for auto start/stop will continue to exist, and now that it’s not mandatory, it can be provided as a low-cost option. You’ll have to wait a bit to check my numbers, but unless they include it in a popular option package, there will be very few takers. Automakers continue to create product that the general public does not want, driving up purchase and maintenance costs. The elephant in the room is subscription-based options.
Automobiles have existed for more than 100 years. The core systems were proven decades ago. There is no excuse for the reliability and recall issues that consumers have to put up with. Roll out new technology at a slower pace and use the traditional method of introducing it on the expensive models whose owners can afford the repair bills and taxi fares. Find out if anyone actually wants these gadgets and if so, perfect them before phasing them into less expensive models as a stand-alone option.